Daughter of Madrugada — Frances M. Wood

As the only daughter in the de Haro family, the time has come for 13-year-old Cesa to assume the responsibilities of a woman. But Cesa isn't interested in the kitchen. She loves the landâ€"the vast and beautiful Rancho del Valle de la Madrugada, the Ranch of the Valley of the Dawn, where dayâ€"and all lifeâ€"begins and ends. This is where Cesa was born, the only home she has ever known, and the place where her mother died eight years ago. The ranch is Cesa's world.

The world beyond, though, is changing. Mexico has lost the 1846 war with the United States, and Upper California now belongs to the Americans. Each day more of them arrive in California, hungry for gold and for land. As her family's way of life is threatened, Cesa discovers that there's more to being a woman than she thoughtâ€"and the sacrifice it requires may be more than she's willing to make.