Troubles beset eleven-year-old Esme. Dangled over wells, thrown into root cellars, and forced to empty chamber pots, she longs for a better life. Yet her latest runaway scheme has failed miserably, like all the others. And now her murderous guardian has sold her to a workhouse on Rag-Picker's Row. Just in time, Esme hears a startling secret that could very well change her destiny. She lights out on a golden journey with her cousin Tommy to recover (more than one) family treasure. Tragedy strikes, making them reexamine the boundaries of friendship and the meaning of family.
This colorful historical fiction is set in rural Minnesota in 1904. Filled with humor and dramatic suspense, it was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Awards and the INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards. It also received gold from the Moonbeam Awards and the Mom's Choice Awards.