Mary Gold Hobbs, born into a wealthy Maryland plantation society, found herself, as a child, removed to Indiana, on the western frontier of the young United States. She had no choice in the matter, no ability to control her life. But after a year of abuse and cruelty, Mary Gold at age 12 set out to reclaim the happiness she had once known. This story shows how a person's inner strength can surmount a situation, turning a miserable existence into a happy, secure one. It is my hope that the book reveals truths about the American pioneers. They were human. Some were heroic, and we honor them today. However, they were not perfect, and many were guilty of immoral and/or criminal behavior. Some who left established communities in the Eastern United States did so because they were unable to meet the demands of their own society. None of their lives could have been easy, but they endured overwhelming difficulties to build the world we enjoy today.