In 1940, Beatrice Sims, a spoiled English girl arrives in Santa Fe to escape the war in London. At first the twelve-year-old hates the dusty little town. But soon Beatrice makes friends with goofy Arabella, develops a crush on handsome Esteban and aids Ana, a shy Indian girl. First accused of being faceta - stuck up, Beatrice learns to change tires, ride wild ponies and helps the public health nurse, Clementine Pope, rescue a sick baby on an Indian pueblo.

TRUE BRIT - Beatrice, 1940 was inspired by accounts of children who were sent to Santa Fe and elsewhere in the United States to escape the war in Europe. The book is the first of a series titled Far and Away, which features young people displaced and relocated between 1939 - 1945. The second book in the Far and Away series is tentatively titled Forced Journey - Werner, 1939. This story features the struggles of a young Jewish boy from Germany who is sent to live with a distant relative in New York City. Other books in the series will feature young adults in Britain, Germany, the United States, and a return visit to Beatrice in Santa Fe, as they deal with their lives changed by World War II.

True Brit: Beatrice - 1940

Purchase

Illustrator: George Lawrence
ISBN: 9781932926187 (paperback)
ISBN: 9781932926194 (ebook)
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: October 2011
Price: $12.95
Pages: 212
The New Mexican
The story is simple but engaging, as appealing for adults as it is for children. The portrayal of Santa Fe in the 1940's is reminiscent of Richard Bradford's Red Sky at Morning, with its entrancing mix of people and cultures that existed in the city before the advent of urban sprawl.

Bookpage ~ Angela Leeper
What makes Rosemary Zibart's True Brit most engaging is the attention to detail, from descriptions of mud homes and pinon trees to "A-okay" American slang. Beatrice's journal entries add more insight into her evolution from a privileged girl to the beginnings of a modern woman. The first in a series, this fresh take on the era will continue with more stories about displaced children during World War II.

Tumbleweeds Magazine
True Brit - Beatrice: 1940 achieves what a historical novel should achieve. It informs and entertains and the two elements combine to make the learning lasting.

Midwest Book Review
There is nothing more terrifying than having one's child in a warzone. True Brit: Beatrice, 1940 is a historical novel drawing from history of many British people who sent their children away to Santa Fe and other places in the United States for safety, to keep them from the vicious war that would be fought in the skies over London. Terrifying for the children and parents being faced with a whole new world and concern over the home the left behind, True Brit is a fine read for younger readers that is educational as it is entertaining.
Rosemary Zibart

Rosemary Zibart has worked as a journalist, playwright and children's book writer. Her newspaper and magazine articles tackled issues such as how art can transform the lives of at-risk teens and the Heart Gallery that promotes the adoption of children and teens. As a playwright, she has written award-winning plays for adults and children like Never Ever Land and My Dear Doctor. In 1989, she created the first in a series of travel books for youth called Kidding Around San Francisco (John Muir Press, 1989). In 2004, she received an "Angel in Adoption" award from the National Coalition on Adoption Institute. Rosemary lives in Santa Fe with her husband Jake, her dog Bandit, her cat Micky (short for Mick Jaguar) and looks forward to frequent visits from her beloved grandson Brandon. Learn more about her at her website.

Artemesia Publishing

True Brit: Beatrice - 1940

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