Turn-of-the-Century Jewish Girl with Attitude Coming of Age; Western; Humor In California at the turn of the century, teenager Risa decides an arranged marriage is not for her. Her younger brother Yani gets expelled from their insular, Jewish community for seducing another boy. Risa decides to leave with Yani and takes charge of their trek east. Together, with Risa pushing and prodding the whole way, they walk to Nevada, ending up at the Smith ranch, where Risa learns to break horses. She parlays that skill into a profitable enterprise. She invests wisely as the silent partner in several joint ventures. But you can't take the cowgirl out of the girl, and Risa remains a child of the Wild West.