A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32

A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl’s Journal, 1830-1832 is the best-known book by children’s author and educator Joan W. Blos. The novel is presented as the fictional journal of Catherine Hall, a young girl living in New Hampshire before the Civil War. Through Catherine’s journal entries, the novel portrays the daily life, challenges, and changes in a young girl’s world over two years, including personal loss, the complexities of friendship, and an encounter with someone running away from enslavement. Atheneum Books published the novel for young readers in 1979; it went on to win the 1980 Newbery Medal for excellence in American children’s literature and the 1980 National Book Award for children’s books.

This guide refers to the Kindle edition of the Aladdin paperback version of the book.

Content Warning: The novel and this guide discuss death, slavery, and racism, including a reference to a Black man liberating himself from slavery as a “boy,” as well as a reference to a peddler man as “the Jew,” as if he were defined by his religion.

Plot Summary

The story opens with a letter written in November 1899 from Catherine Hall, now Catherine Hall Onesti, to her great-granddaughter and namesake. Catherine explains to the younger Catherine that she is giving her the journal for her 14th birthday.