Synopses & Reviews
Its 1935 and from a childs eye view, the hard times of the Depression era are becoming more and more real. Each day, coming home from school, there is something else missing. First the sow pig, then the cow, then the truck. On one wrenching day the beloved hunting dog is sold. Finally the whole family packs up in the car and leavesthe children wonder where, but their parents are silent. Suddenly, the car stops at the edge of the road and Mother leans into the back seat, giving Mary Jake a handkerchief with something tied inside and the instructions to walk down the path into the forest, take the LEFT fork into town, and present the handkerchief at the stone house.
So begins the adventure of a girl who chooses her own in path (neither left fork nor right), dyes herself in a stump full of walnut-colored water and disguises herself as a boy. "Jake" Smith soon meets Miz Bennett and hires on to help with her garden and animals. In this rags-to-riches story, rich with descriptions of Alabama during the Depression a strong female character copes with abandonment with courage and resilience.
Synopsis
It's 1935, Depression time, and the Wildsmith family is forced to sell their sow pig, then their cow, then their beloved hunting dog. Finally, the parents pack up the kids and, without telling them where they're going, leave their Alabama farm. Along the way, Mary Jake is handed a handkerchief with something tied inside, and she is instructed to take the left fork of the road to town, where she is to present the handkerchief at a stone house.
So begins the adventure of an abandoned girl who chooses her own path, dyes herself in a stump full of walnut-colored water, and disguises herself as a boy in order to survive. Mary Jake Wildsmith is now Jake Smith, headed for strange and exciting adventures in a very different world.
Acclaimed novelist Aileen Kilgore Henderson blends a driving narrative with a gallery of memorable characters - among them the traveling evangelist Miss Celestine and confederate widow Miz Bennett - in this rags-to-riches story of a strong young girl who meets hardship with courage and resilience.
Synopsis
It's 1935, and the hard times of the Great Depression, it seems, are here to stay. Each day, something else is gone: first the pig, then the cow, then one day even the beloved dog, Adder, is sold off. Finally, the whole family packs up in the car and leaves--the children wonder where, but their parents are silent.
After a couple hours' drive, the car stops on the edge of the road and Ma leans into the back seat, giving MaryJake a handkerchief with something tied inside and instructions to walk down the path into the forest, take the left fork into town, and present the handkerchief at the rock house. Then the car--and with it, Ma, Pa, and MaryJake's two brothers--drives away.
So begins the adventure of an abandoned girl who chooses her own path (neither left fork nor right), dyes her hair in a stump full of walnut-colored water, and disguises herself as a boy in order to survive. MaryJake Wildsmith is now Jake Smith, soon to discover that she is not the only one keeping secrets.