1934. Isabel longs to escape her squalid San Francisco neighborhood. While her mother struggles to make ends meet and her brother serves in the CCC at Yosemite, she manages the household and comforts her younger sister with stories about an idyllic imaginary world. Desperate for a taste of freedom, she takes matters into her own hands -- with tragic consequences. Distraught, she flees to Yosemite, where she falls in love with its majestic beauty. Inspired by Enid Michael, the park’s only female ranger-naturalist, Isabel hikes, learns new skills, and discovers an inner strength she never knew she had. But even as she relishes her independence, she hides her grief, along with a terrible secret she fears will destroy relations with her family. And when she receives upsetting news from home, Isabel must decide if she can assist her family without sacrificing her chance at a new life.

Rich with historical detail and lyrical prose, THE VIEW FROM HALF DOME is a moving coming-of-age story about hope, forgiveness, Nature’s healing power, and the courage to grow, regardless of age. 

Praise

“Isabel’s steady path to emotional maturity feels convincing, and the scenes evoking Yosemite’s beauty are poetically described and spiritually invigorating. Young adults will especially enjoy The View from Half Dome, and so will any reader who thirsts for the great outdoors.” Historical Novel Society

“The essential story of this poor girl getting a reprieve from the slums to live among the wonders of nature is a winning formula and has enough plot to keep the reader rooting for Isabel.” New York Journal of Books

"The descriptions were beautiful, and Isabel was an intriguingly imperfect character. I enjoyed the sense of peace the book gave both the characters and me." San Francisco Book Review

"Working toward a practical resolution, the historical novel follows a determined teenager as she pursues the incremental fulfillment of her dreams." Foreword Reviews, Editor’s Pick

“Caugherty’s love letter to the extraordinary park has a simple plot, but the breezy, conversational prose is engaging, capturing the despair of the Depression and the frustration of women struggling for equality. Isabel is a sturdy, compelling protagonist, but it’s quirky Enid who will linger in readers’ minds. A gentle, poignant tale with nicely developed real and fictional characters.” Kirkus Reviews

“This coming-of-age story is a book about hope, forgiveness, and the healing power of nature.  It looks at the difficulty of overcoming social beliefs based on age and sex.  It's also a terrific look at the plants, birds, and mountains of Yosemite.” Girl Who Reads

“The View from Half Dome, a great coming-of-age story, is historical fiction at its best. Author Jill Caugherty deftly interweaves fiction and reality. Enid Michael was, in fact, the first female ranger-naturalist. The photographer Ansel Adams and his wife are also real people. I was fortunate, in my prior life as a photographer, to take a class from him before his death at eighty-two in 1984, so I really appreciated his presence in the book. As a lifelong "birder" and conservationist, I also enjoyed the descriptions of birds, plants, trees, and the mountains themselves.” Midwest Book Review

A touching coming-of-age tale set against the towering beauty of Yosemite National Park, where a young woman’s dreams reach as high as its tallest peaks.” Jean M. Roberts, author of The Heron, The Frowning Madonna, and The Angel of Goliad

“Well-developed characters, careful attention to historical detail, a gorgeous setting and a story that will stay with you. 5 Stars!” Gail Ward Olmsted, author of Landscape of a Marriage and Miranda Writes

At its heart, The View from Half Dome is a story of Isabel’s journeys: her trip from San Francisco to Yosemite; her adjustment to a world and way of life she had never imagined; and, most of all, her spiritual journey from despondence and inadequacy and guilt to hope and confidence and redemption. Caugherty couples rigorous research with gorgeous writing. Her descriptions of the Tenderloin and Isabel’s life there, and the flora and fauna of Yosemite, have a movie-like “you are there” quality. This is historical fiction at its very best: a wonderful story that immerses the reader in a distant era. Readers of Sue Monk Kidd and Kim Michele Richardson will enjoy Caugherty’s deeply touching story. David Rabin, award-winning author of In Danger of Judgment

“Open this book to enjoy the scenes in Yosemite, and stay for well-drawn characters that include the park’s first female ranger-naturalist, Enid Michael. Highly recommended.” Linda Ulleseit, award-winning author of The Aloha Spirit and Under the Almond Trees

“Isabel will steal your heart with her hopeful spirit.” Kerry Chaput, author of Daughter of the King