Can Maggie's kindness soften a cruel heart? Her life may depend on it. Mrs. Crenshaw is one of the cruelest people in Dodge City-except maybe Thomas Gatlin himself However, Mrs. Crenshaw has a particular dislike for Maggie Daniels. When Maggie's father decides to take another coal-mining job-just like the one that nearly cost him his life-Maggie vows to stop him, even if it means working for Mrs. Crenshaw. The eleven-year-old girl finds herself laboring in the shadow of a woman she calls her "enemy." To make matters worse, Maggie must look after Mrs. Crenshaw's troublesome nephews, Cecil and...

Maggie Daniels is haunted by the accident. She sees it when she closes her eyes, and she hears it in her father's words: "Maggie should've come and gotten me." They are constant reminders of the tragic event. Her mama is gone and Maggie is to blame. When her daddy marries another woman, it's a chance for a fresh start. But Maggie can't let go of the past. She clings to a few precious mementos--all she has left of her mother. They become secret treasures, her only link to a past filled with tenderness and joy. She focuses on these items, closing herself off to everyone who cares for her. But...