
In a harsh mining town, a young girl dreams of a future beyond the thin line between life and death.
In 1880 Tenmile, Colorado, 12-year-old Sissy Carlson navigates life in a rugged mining town where danger and poverty loom large. Assisting her doctor father, she witnesses the stark divide between rich and poor. As Sissy grows, she dreams of escaping Tenmile's confines, questioning what opportunities lie beyond its borders. Can she carve out a future in a place where survival is uncertain, especially for a girl? This coming-of-age tale explores the challenges and dreams of a young girl on the brink of discovering her place in the world.
Life in 1880 Tenmile, Colorado, isn’t easy. But it’s all that 12-year-old Sissy Carlson knows. She’s lived here her whole life, watching her father, the local doctor, tend to the town’s citizens. And while the mountain setting is gorgeous, Tenmile is a rough gold mining town. It often feels like there’s just a thin line between life and death. Mining is a hard job; men are hurt or even killed. Sissy sees the same thin line between the haves and the have-nots as she assists her father in his practice, seeing firsthand the personal and not-always-private struggles of his patients. Now that she’s older, Sissy is starting to think of the world beyond Tenmile and where she might fit in. What opportunities might she find if she could just get away? What kind of future does Tenmile offer, especially for a girl? A poignant coming-of-age middle grade novel by New York Times-bestselling author Sandra Dallas.
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