The Tempered Wind

Gabriella's story — a young woman with dwarfism carving out an independent life in 1940s Montana — is genuinely unusual for its era and the historical setting has real appeal. Publishers Weekly's critique of unconvincing first-person narration and occasional self-indulgence is a legitimate concern, though, and the book's out-of-print status and near-absence from contemporary discussion make it hard to recommend confidently.