A Slow Climb Up the Mountain
A Slow Climb Up the Mountain
Top Choice

Everyone young or old can relate to 17-year old Jotty. She’s fiercely independent, stubborn, loyal to those she loves, and determined to do things her own way. We all have a bit of Jotty in us.

A SLOW CLIMB UP THE MOUNTAIN is Jotty’s story, a girl living in small town Nevada where nothing much happens. The town is sheltered by Rattlesnake Mountain whose name caused shivers down Jotty’s spine. But Jotty is a fighter and climbs that mountain daring those rattlers to bother her! The same is true with the new principal at school, Jotty dares the principal to make her go to class. Jotty has it in her mind to drop out and get a job to help Ma, but there’s no place to work for an artist and dropout, until the unconventional principal, who goes by ‘Clyde’, of all things, proposes painting a mural. Jotty is torn, “does she work on the mural and go to class?” or “skip classes and watch someone else paint her mountain?”. The decision is hers and hers alone.

Book Details

Genre: 

  • Juvenile Fiction

Age Level: 

  • 12 and up

Jotty Alfarnso is a troubled teen in her senior year during 1987. She hates school and principals, but most of all, her stepfather. Despite all of that, her one true passion has always been creating art in her favorite place: Rattlesnake Mountain. With the new school year, a new principal arrives, and at first things don't go Jotty’s way. As if things could not be worse at school, her home life starts to go awry the more her stepfather drinks. At the same time, her friend falls into great need when she is stricken with a health problem.

To add your comments, login above or request a LitPick membership.