Lena Forbes, 14, misses the freedom she had riding wild horses with her cousin Laura Ingalls at Silver Lake. Now it's a few months later, and Lena's family has moved to Yankton, South Dakota -- a rough river town where Lena has to work at the restaurant. Her earnings go to her cruel stepfather, Hiram. She has little time to ride her beloved black pony because of helping Ma take care of the home and younger siblings.

She forms a friendship with a shy girl named Sary, who lives with a group of strange, cloaked women. Lena's job gets harder, with owner Mrs. Bickett and her snobby daughter Elizabeth complicating her days. Hiram drinks heavily and Ma is no help.

Lena wants to run away, and Sary would go with her. But can Lena leave her little brother, Gene? And her little sisters, who look to her for stability? Lena's determination to survive and her longing for freedom is tested in this vibrant tale of resilience and discovery.

Author Chuck Mallory spent eight years researching the life of Lena Forbes, through census records, genealogy, interviews, the notes of Lola Flack (Lena's daughter), traveling to Yankton, SD, and via the South Dakota State Historical Society.

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• Teen & Young AdultHistorical FictionUnited States19th Century

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• Print Length: 213 Pages
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