
ILLUSTRATIONS
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
A recently widowed mother faces the daunting task of caring for seven boys after her husband's death leaves the family penniless and their farm abandoned. Determined to keep her children together, she decides to leave the rural homestead for a modest town shanty, believing that work and schooling there will give the boys a chance at a better future. The opening scenes capture the raw grief and quiet resolve that bind the family as they prepare for the move.
Pat, the oldest at fifteen, steps into a paternal role, while his younger brothers each cling to him in their own way—Andy, Jim, Barney, Tommie, and the littlest, Larry. Their journey to town is marked by a mixture of trepidation and hope, as the children confront the harsh realities of poverty but also discover their own strengths. Listeners are invited to share in the family's early struggles, the tight‑knit bond among the siblings, and the promise of new possibilities just beyond the horizon.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (243K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Suzanne Shell, David Garcia, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
Release date
2005-11-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1856–1917
An Iowa writer who began publishing young and went on to write popular fiction for younger readers, with stories including A Boy's Ride and The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys. Her books often center on family, hardship, and adventure, giving them a warm, old-fashioned energy that still reads clearly today.
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