Synopses & Reviews
After Nathaniel's leg is crushed in an accident, his father brings home an orphan boy, John Worth, to help work the fields. Worth has come to Nebraska from New York City on the Orphan Train, which brings homeless children west to find new lives. andlt;BRandgt; Nathaniel feels increasingly jealous of the boy who has taken over not only his work but the attention of his father, who has barely spoken to him since his injury. In school for the first time he is far behind even his youngest classmates, and he feels as useless there as he does at home. andlt;BRandgt; Meanwhile, Worth is still grieving for his family and his old life. As the farm chores prevent him from going to school, he also resents losing his dream of an education and a good job. And for all the work he does, he knows he will never inherit the farm that he's helping to save. andlt;BRandgt; But a battle between ranchers and farmers -- and a book of Greek mythology that Nathaniel reads aloud each evening -- forges a connection between the two boys, who begin to discover that maybe there is enough room on the farm, and in the family, for both of them. andlt;BRandgt; A. LaFaye's dynamic portrayal of two boys longing for something they no longer have -- and finding the resources to face the future -- offers a fresh perspective on the thousands of children who moved west via the Orphan Trains in the late nineteenth century.
Review
"[The] Narrative is brutally honest."
-- Booklist, starred review
Review
"Lyrical."
-- Publishers Weekly
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
andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 1 andlt;Iandgt;Lightning in the Grassandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 2 andlt;Iandgt;Clearing the Fogandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 3 andlt;Iandgt;What a Boy Is Worthandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 4 andlt;Iandgt;Dunce Goes to Schoolandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 5 andlt;Iandgt;Fences Inside and Outandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 6 andlt;Iandgt;Done with the Worldandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 7 andlt;Iandgt;The Evil in Dark Truthandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 8 andlt;Iandgt;The Weight of Guiltandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 9 andlt;Iandgt;Inviting In and Letting Goandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 10 andlt;Iandgt;A Flower with Slices for Petalsandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 11 andlt;Iandgt;Cutting Fences, Building Tiesandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 12 andlt;Iandgt;War and Mythsandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 13 andlt;Iandgt;Words Through the Wallsandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 14 andlt;Iandgt;Running and Bloodandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 15 andlt;Iandgt;Death and Doorwaysandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 16 andlt;Iandgt;The Tears That Bindandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 17 andlt;Iandgt;Cattle and Chancesandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 18 andlt;Iandgt;What We Learnandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 19 andlt;Iandgt;Fence Cuttingandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 20 andlt;Iandgt;The Huntandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 21 andlt;Iandgt;A Little Pride to Bring Us Togetherandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 22 andlt;Iandgt;The Fences We Buildandlt;/Iandgt;