Publisher's Synopsis
Have you ever found a book that told an enchanting story of someone long ago? For one girl, the discovery of her great grandmother, Jessica's, diary in her attic will change her views on family and freedom forever.
Finding herself miles from home and in a world of harsh racism and suffering, Jessica learns to deal with the realities of slavery. Working in the New World, Jessica begins loosing her family to the cruelty of her life.Jessica's world takes an unexpected turn for the best when she meets Grace, the daughter of her slave master. Grace teaches her the basics of friendship, loyalty, and creativity to help her find the light at the end of a very long tunnel.Holding steadfast to the lessons Grace and her family have taught her, she needs to try and make it to freedom without them standing by her side.
Emilie Welles was born in Iowa and grew up in New York City. She attended a private all-girls school until she headed to boarding school at the start of high school. At boarding school she was confronted with a group of bullies. As her freshmen year dragged on, she lost her self-confidence, strength, and retreated into her own world of solitary. While dealing with the pressure of school, she also had to deal with a sudden blindness of her best friend, her horse Fred, due to cataracts. With the help of her peer-counselor, Grace, the unending love of her parents, and her older brother watching out for her, she left boarding school and found her own safe haven at the Marymount School for girls in New York City. As an outlet for her emotions, she began writing the story of a young girl and her struggles to find freedom.
