In Kentucky in 1925, sixteen-year-old Ellen Gaddy works on the family farm. Her father, a stern man, pins all his hopes on her younger sister, who studies the piano. Ellen falls for a young farmhand, who takes advantage of her and then disappears. Pregnant, she hides her secret and leaves the farm.
We follow her for a dozen years, through the Great Depression, to the rhythm of the seasons, the animals and folk songs: a sensitive and unvarnished portrait of country life.
Written in a simple, direct style, it is easy to read in the language you are learning.
