
Written by Pam Muñoz Ryan · Illustrated by Brian Selznick
A girl defies 1800s norms to live her dream life with horses.
Charlotte Parkhurst, raised in a boys' orphanage, dreams of a life with horses. In the 1800s, society expects her to conform, but Charlotte is determined. Disguising herself as a man, she becomes a renowned stagecoach driver, outwitting bandits and finding love. Her true identity remains hidden until her death, leaving a legacy of courage and defiance. Can Charlotte truly live the life she desires, or will society's constraints hold her back?
A reissue of Pam Munoz Ryan’s bestselling backlist with a distinctive new author treatment.In this fast-paced, courageous, and inspiring story, readers adventure with Charlotte Parkhurst as she first finds work as a stable hand, becomes a famous stage-coach driver (performing brave feats and outwitting bandits), finds love as a woman but later resumes her identity as a man after the loss of a baby and the tragic death of her husband, and ultimately settles out west on the farm she’d dreamed of having since childhood. It wasn’t until after her death that anyone discovered she was a woman.
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