Ellen Elizabeth Hawkins, Texas, 1886

Mobeetie, Texas
August 14, 1886

No rain yet. Almost no wind. How much longer can we last?

Ellen wants to be a cattle rancher—even if her father and grandfather don't think it's a proper life for a girl. Now the windmill is broken, and the drought-weakened herd, including her father's rare Hereford bull, has scattered to find water. With Pa away and Grampa hurt, it's up to Ellen to save the ranch—and prove to her father that a girl can do a cowboys job.


Different girls, living in different periods of America's past, reveal their hearts' secrets in the pages of their diaries. Each one faces a challenge that will change her life forever. Don't miss any of their stories:

Sarah Anne Hartford: Massachusetts, 1651
Emma Eileen Grove: Mississippi, 1865
Anisette Lundberg: California, 1851
Mary Alice Peale: Philadelphia, 1777
Willow Chase: Kansas Territory, 1847