Mattie's Story: Adventures in Dayton

Gardner, Stephanie S. 

Introducing a new tale of the historic Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from the author of Rattlesnake Granny! 

Young Mattie A. Templeton is nervous about leaving home and unsure of herself. She is also eager and determined to be a good scholar at Shenandoah Institute in Dayton, Virginia. 

Explore 1892 and 1893 life in the Valley with a plucky new heroine in this well-researched historical fiction. 

Informed by multiple authentic sources and featuring historic people and places interwoven with fun new characters, Mattie's adventures in Dayton are sure to please fans of the Shenandoah Valley, regional culture, and Victorian manners. 

68 pages, self published, 2026.