Synopses & Reviews
Stella Reid is fighting to save the home she loves. After her father is killed and her mother succumbs to yellow fever, it's up to Stella to run Oak Grove, her family's plantation. Unlike most Southerners, Stella sees herself as equal to the African Americans she works side-by-side with in the cotton fields. The white Southerners reject her, and the freed men can't trust her after generations of enduring the horrors of slavery. So Stella stands alone as she fights to follow through on her father's dream to leave Oak Grove to her and the slaves. His will is nowhere to be found. Now, the bank has foreclosed on the plantation -- and the day of the auction is rapidly approaching. With no legal claim to the land, Stella is confronted with the possibility of losing Oak Grove, the only home she's ever known. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; In this inspiring novel, A. LaFaye, winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, recounts a young woman's struggle to save her family's land and preserve their memory, illuminating the harsh realities faced by women and freed slaves during the turbulent years after the Civil War.
Review
"Stella is a memorable and feisty character...her voice rings true, with determination and faith." -- Pam Muand#241;oz Ryan
Synopsis
After her father is murdered and her mother succumbs to yellow fever, 14-year-old Stella Reid finds her beloved home in jeopardy. Even though Stella and the former slaves who work the plantation have few rights in the antebellum South, Stella fights incredible odds to preserve the only home she's ever known.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;A. LaFayeandlt;/bandgt; (the "A" is for Alexandria) is the author of andlt;Iandgt;Worthandlt;/Iandgt;, for which she received the Scott O'Dell Award, as well asandnbsp;andlt;iandgt;The Year of the Sawdust Man, Nissa's Place, The Strength of Saints, Edith Shay, Strawberry Hill,andlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Dad, in Spirit.andlt;/iandgt; She teaches at California State University at San Bernardino during the school year and at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, in the summer. She lives in Cabot, Arkansas.
Table of Contents
The Warning
Hattie Comes, Carting a Problem
The Path
Isaac, Jacob, Abraham
Holding Hattie
Going to Meeting
Money, Blood or Otherwise
What a Secret's Worth
The Upper Hand
A Sense of Ownership
Fire in the Soul
Coming Clean
Setting Things Right
Time Do Tell
A Hint of Hope
By Faith
Yankees Come to Town
Auction Block
The Storm
Doomed
Dooley Goes to Meeting
A Wish and a Prayer
A Play for Oak Grove
A Series of Startlements
Smoke
Heaven and Hell
Cracking
Fathers
Walking the Right Road
That'll Be the Judge
Endings and Beginnings