When Tom's family finds itself struggling at the start of another harsh winter on the Kansas prairie, Tom has no choice but to take up a cowhand position at the Parsons ranch. The cowboy life isn't easy, but Tom's family needs the money and he craves the freedom it promises. Evie Parsons has always been a rancher at heart, even though ranching is considered man's work. She's planning to have her own land and herd so she'll be able to choose her own path, even if it's one her parents don't support. Narrated in interchanging voices, this sequel to Debra Seely's critically hailed first novel, Grasslands, tells the exciting story of Tom's and Evie's struggles for love and freedom on the open frontier.

Ages 9-12.