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4-6
Nelly's story, set in 1821 Indiana, is an evocation of frontier life and also a study of a girl's maturation against fearful odds. Nelly is twelve when her mother dies and her distraught father disappears, leaving her and her older brother to fend for themselves. When their father returns, he's accompanied by a young bride, whom both children immediately hate. The conclusion, despite tragic overtones, is hopeful.
Reviewer: Mary M. Burns
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2002