Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Libby is psyched to be spending the summer at a living history museum. She loves history and is sure that this is going to be the best summer of her life. Then she arrives at Camden Harbor and discovers that things aren't exactly like she pictured. Her uniform is way too big, she's forbidden from using modern technology while at work (including cell phones!), and she's living with someone who takes historical recreations way too seriously. There's also an annoying reporter hanging around trying to get the scoop on a ghost that might be hanging around Camden Harbor. On the plus side, though, Libby has caught the eye of a gorgeous sailor who knows all of the right things to say. Maybe this summer can be saved after all!

I love that the main character of a teen book loves Jane Austen and historical recreations. She has a lot more interests, and while  her best friend pokes fun at her for her desire to spend her summer at a living history museum, she stands strong. That's always great to see in teen books. Mixed in with history and drama is romance.  Readers should be able to figure out who the right leading man is fairly early on, but the discovery isn't the point - the journey is. Particularly when it's a journey, to some extent, of Libby getting over herself. I didn't always like how she talked to Garrett, the investigative journalist intent on getting the truth behind the ghost stories. She's not a bad person, though, she just lacked some perspective, and her growth over the course of the novel is great to see.  The setting and story would make for a great filmed version; don't be surprised if you see this soon on a screen near you.

Check out Stephanie Kate Strohm's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Graphia.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding