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by Margie Keck Smith (Author)
Fiercely independent and passionate about living life, Edith Case was born on the prairie with the grit she needed to help her family survive. Watch her grow in a microcosm of dust and dreams-a story inspired by the author's ancestors.
At just 14, Edith Jane Case works as a ranch hand on her father's cattle ranch in Colorado, sharing the workload with her siblings. She deeply admires her mother, who struggles with prairie life but remains dedicated to her family, and has a complex, tension-filled relationship with her father, who is demanding, controlling, and struggling to let go of Edith.
Longing for love and independence, Edith sneaks off the farm to meet a boy she's interested in-but it ends with aggressive advances from the beau she has to fight off. She escapes, but her father's grip tightens even more.
Despite this, Edith has hope for a life outside of chores and the ranch. Before long, she falls head-over-heels for another man: her father's close friend Milton Bollacker, a dark-skinned German, a member of the Evangelical church, and twelve years older than her.
Her father staunchly disapproves of the relationship, but Milton is a good man-and Edith confidently follows her heart. Despite knowing nothing about being a wife or mother, Edith rises to the occasion when it comes to building a life and partnership with Milton.
Through disappointments, the Dust Bowl, and the Great Depression, Edith keeps her eyes set on what's most important to her: building a life worth living with the people who mean most to her.
Dust and Dreams encapsulates accessible historical fiction. It's a family saga anyone can pick up and relate to, with each page and chapter stitched together with a range of emotions and relationships.
