It is the fall of 1930, and America has plunged into the Great Depression. On a remote dirt road deep in the snowy woods of northern Wisconsin, misfortune forces the impoverished Sparkes family to take desperate measures.

A wayfaring quartet consisting of thirteen-year-old Araminta (nicknamed Minty), her recently unemployed father-a poetry-quoting widower called Pops-and her younger sister, Eglantine (known as Eggs-a dreamer like Pops), and their dog, Buster, are on their way to Minneapolis to live with the curmudgeonly Aunt Amy. When their car breaks down and they are unable to fix it, the homeless four stumble upon a vacant summer cottage by a lake. In desperate straits, they decide to settle in and stay for the winter, optimistically rationalizing that they'll pay "rent" to the unknown owners when they leave in the spring.

The cabin soon becomes a symbol of hope as the Sparkes family works together, making do with little; their makeshift home is spare yet wholesome, filled with little more than the comfort of love. During their stay, the family generously opens the cottage's doors to others, including a young runaway boy and two mysterious strangers who show up in a snowstorm. Through it all, Minty remains the practical and responsible one, who keenly feels the tug of a strong moral conscience.

With Winter Cottage Carol Ryrie Brink (Newbery Award-winning author of Caddie Woodlawn) offers a heartwarming and humorous adventure story filled with inspiring examples of trust, honor, integrity, friendship, resourcefulness, and forgiveness. Illustrated with drawings by celebrated artist Fermin Rocker, it is the captivating story of a family finding true love and companionship together, even in the darkest cold of a challenging winter.

This book is also available from Echo Point Books as a paperback (ISBN 1648372228).