The View From Half Dome (by Jill Caugherty)
I first spotted The View from Half Dome by Jill Caugherty while scrolling through one of the many bookish emails I receive. The description immediately caught my eye, so I bought the Kindle edition right away. Like so many others on my TBR, it waited patiently until the timing felt just right.
Set in 1934 during the Great Depression, this historical coming-of-age novel follows sixteen-year-old Isabel. After her father’s death, she shares a rundown San Francisco apartment with her mother and younger sister Audrey, while her older brother James works for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in Yosemite National Park. Desperate to escape poverty and a personal tragedy, Isabel flees to Yosemite in search of her brother. There, amid the park’s majestic beauty, she finds inspiration in Enid Michael—the pioneering female ranger-naturalist—and begins to discover inner strength, healing through nature, forgiveness, and the courage to build a new life, even as she carries a painful secret from home.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this novel. Caugherty skillfully weaves in real historical figures, making it a treat to “meet” Ansel and Virginia Adams. Enid Michael and her husband were also accomplished solo climbers, adding another fascinating layer to her role as a ranger-naturalist. (One small wish: I would have loved a brief explanation of the CCC early on, as I had to pause and look it up.)
While adding the book to my reading apps, I noticed it sometimes gets tagged as Young Adult. Since I rarely read YA unless I’m seeking it out intentionally, I dug a little deeper and was relieved to confirm it’s not actually a YA novel—it’s simply clean and appropriate for younger readers.
Another factor that may contribute to that impression is Isabel herself. I never quite saw her as sixteen. She handles adult responsibilities with surprising maturity, yet her emotional reactions often felt much younger—I kept picturing her closer to twelve or thirteen. Still, her experiences with grief, guilt, and regret are portrayed with honesty and depth.
I read most of this on my Kindle at night before bed, and Caugherty’s descriptions of Yosemite were glorious. The wildflowers, wildlife, valley vistas, and towering mountains came alive on the page. Having visited the park with my husband in 2013, I was grateful to picture it so vividly again. This was the perfect gentle read that lulled me to sleep in the best possible way—I already miss it.
(Keep scrolling for some photos from our trip!)
My husband gets all the credit for these spectacular shots—and for talking me into the hike up to Bridalveil Point. Still, nothing quite compares to those magnificent sequoias.
Photo credit: https://lostthepath.com/
As a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases linked back to Amazon. Every penny earned allows me to blog about books and keeps this site running.
