Ellen Elizabeth Hawkins, Texas, 1886 — Kathleen Duey

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