A family of strangers are thrown together in order to get out of the poorhouse in 1858. They travel to Michigan to farm a rundown piece of land the poorhouse has given them in exchange for the newly blinded Carter marrying the wheelchair-bound Fayette and adopting the four orphaned children the poorhouse has no place for. The oldest of the four, at age sixteen, Jerome stutters badly and has a stiff leg. Eight-year-old Emma, who is missing an arm already has the reputation for being a terror. The remaining two are brother and sister, ten-year-old Gordy who is deaf, and five-year-old Martha who has not spoken since the death of her parents, which left her brother deaf six months earlier. Of the six, only young Gordy knows Jesus as his Savior. They move to a town ruled by one man-a man who has no time for the physically challenged and convinces the majority of the town to follow his example. His son is the sole school teacher and his daughter and son-in-law own the only store in town. But gradually this family of misfits finds a place of belonging. This is a complete story in itself and does not need any other books in the series.
About the Author: Sally Hull wrote her first novel at age seventeen and has gone on to write over forty books. She writes in a variety of genres, since she enjoys reading a variety of stories. After graduating from Gladwin High School in Michigan, she studied at Toronto Baptist Seminary in Canada, as well as Mid Michigan Community College and Central Michigan University. After a variety of teaching jobs in America, Sally traveled to China to teach English to college students one year and grade school children the following year. She earned her TESOL license as well. After teaching, she returned to writing. Living in Montana with her husband Charlie, who is a photographer and writer in his own right, Sally continues writing, hoping to be an encouragement to others, helping them to know God better. Sally comments on this story: "I wonder if all of us, at one time or another have felt like a misfit. I have. Wouldn't it be lovely if our fellow human beings would be able to see us as God sees us? Yes, we have fallen in sin-but we still bear His image. The Bible tells us that we look at the outward, but God looks on the inward-at our hearts. What if everyone saw us in this way? My heart has always gone out to those who are made fun of. I was one of those children who just did not seem to measure up at school among my peers. The kids in this story just don't measure up to the standards of their classmates. And the two main adults do not measure up to the ideas of those around them. But that does not mean that they really are misfits. When all is said and done, they are the heroes. This is a family thrown together for convenience sake. Each one has a physical difficulty. The man is blind. The woman is in a wheelchair. The children are orphaned and adopted by this couple. One of the kids is deaf, while his sister has shut out the world and lives in a little world of her own. The oldest boy stutters and limps. And the oldest girl was born with only one arm. They are given a farm in Michigan in the mid nineteenth century. When they arrive, they realize that the man who rules the small town is prejudiced against them, because they are different from others. Only God can sort it all out. But He is a patient and wise God, and works in ways that no one expects. In this day and age, the current word seems to be: bullying. Let us endure the hard days with grace and hope, and then enjoy the days following."