Homestead

A New Land and a New JourneyAfter the deaths of her family during their journey West inthe summer of 1863, ten-year-old Frankie Harding continued on the trail,determined to find her familys homestead waiting for her somewhere deep withinthe Sand Hills of the Nebraska Territory. When she finally pulls her team andwagon to a stop on her familys homestead, she believed her journey was over. Frankie learns, however, that settling into life on ahomestead is its own unique journey a new and different journey. She learnsthat living within the land of the Sand Hills is vastly different than the lifeshe knew on the open prairie; this new land, along with its unique and profoundbeauty, has its own rules and ways, as well as its own mysteries and unknowns.To survive and thrive on her homestead, she must unravel the mysteries and findthe answers to the unknowns. With winter approachingand the harsh weather andstorms that come with itshe has a limited amount of time to learn the truthsabout her new homeland. And, there are other challenges to this new journey thatFrankie must face. Other homesteaders who have settled in the Sand Hills havetheir own rules and their own ways of doing thingsand they have certain ideasabout a ten-year-old girl living alone on a homestead. There are tribes ofIndians roaming the Sand Hills with their own customs and their own ways oflivingthey, too, have their own ways of dealing with a young white girl livingalone. And, Cavalry troops from distant forts have their orders to followtheyhave their own regulations and dictates regarding ten-year-old girls livingalone on the land. Frankie Harding has been tested by life before and shefought whatever battles were necessary to hold her life and her futuretogether. Now, once again, she has to face all the twists and turns, dangersand complications that arise in her life. But this time, shes forced to finddifferent ways to deal with adversitybecause now, disappearing into theprairie is no longer an option. Because shes already home. And now, theresnowhere else to go. True to herself and to her future, Frankies not willing togive up what she sees as rightfully hers. Once again, shes chosen herdirectionand once again, shes determined to complete a new journey. A verydifferent journey.