Lucky Strikes by Louis Bayard

Amelia is fourteen.  She's been taking care of the service station for a while now while her mother is ill.  She also takes care of her sister and brother.  But when her mother dies, she has a problem.  She's not of age, and they will put them in foster care and most likely separate them.  She can't let that happen...

Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 5th.

Amelia goes to talk to her mother's lawyer.  He's a nice man and he's willing to help her but he's anxious about losing his license if he does too much.  Amelia perseveres and goes back to the station and her family.

By pure accident, a man gets thrown out of a truck right in front of her station.  He's drunk, looks like a hobo and stinks.  She gets a brilliant idea.  Her father is unknown.  He can pretend he's her father!

If that wasn't enough to keep her busy building her story, the rich man in town who owns all the other Standard station wants hers.  She won't sell.  And, all of a sudden, bad things start to happen.  Vandalism, shots fired and more.

This is set in an earlier time period when things were more laid back.  Amelia still has her challenges but the attorney shows up with her birth certificates listing her father as the man who is staying with them.  That settles the do-gooders down for a bit.

There are ups and downs all through this story.  Amelia loses a lot.  She also gains a lot.  She has no idea how much the community supports her until the worst that can happen did.  I enjoyed the feel of the good ole days and was happy to see Amelia smile again.