Bayou Suzette — Lois Lenski

A Cajun girl tries to keep her family together on the Louisiana bayou

It's been almost 2 years since Suzette's father caught 2 bullets in his back. Since then, he's been bed-ridden, too sick to hunt or fish or do any of the things a bayou man must do to keep his family fed. While he heals, Suzette scours the swamps around her house for fish, gators, or anything she can sell to put food on the table. It's hard, but Suzette is a proud Cajun, and work doesn't scare her. When an Indian girl appears on the bayou, Suzette finds in her a friend -- and maybe a way to save her family.
 
This moving novel lovingly depicts the warmth and vitality of Cajun people and a time when the bayous seemed to stretch forever.