
On a sun‑kissed ranch in California, young Jessica spends lazy afternoons swinging in a hammock surrounded by blooming roses, fuchsias and poinsettias. Her sharp‑tongued Aunt Sally, ever‑busy with needle and thread, fills their conversations with stories of family history, lost titles, and the tangled web of inheritances that bind them to the land. Their banter reveals a legacy of love, betrayal, and a looming mystery surrounding a missing deed hidden in a desert cave.
When Jessica vanishes from the porch, the tranquil rhythm of the ranch is shattered, and those closest to her must piece together clues from whispered recollections and old grudges. As the community of ranch hands, townsfolk, and distant relatives rally to find her, the narrative weaves together the vivid beauty of the valley with the quiet tension of secrets waiting to be uncovered.
Listeners will be drawn into a world where the ordinary—sewing, gardening, and gossip—collides with the extraordinary, setting the stage for a tale of resilience, family duty, and the search for truth.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (310K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2009-09-24
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1843–1910
Best known for lively stories for girls, this American writer published dozens of books from the 1890s into the early 1900s. Her fiction often mixes adventure, family life, and young heroines finding their way in a changing world.
View all books