Betty Gordon in Washington; Or, Strange Adventures in a Great City

Betty Gordon has weathered hard times at Bramble Farm under the watchful eye of the cruel Joseph Peabody, but her spirit remains unbroken. When her friend Bob Henderson discovers that a mysterious bookstore owner from Washington may hold secrets about his long-lost mother, the boy flees the farm after Peabody's brutal beating. Betty, meanwhile, dreams of joining her uncle Dick in the nation's capital, and when his letter finally arrives, she escapes to Washington with hope in her heart. But the city holds surprises: a family of strangers greets her at the station, convinced she's someone else entirely. Mistaken identity, missing uncles, and an oil well fortune waiting in Oklahoma await this plucky orphan as she navigates marble monuments and mean-spirited villains alike. The story crackles with the kind of breathless adventure that defined 1920s juvenile fiction: train chases, secret documents, and the warm hospitality of strangers who become true friends. Betty Gordon is no passive heroine waiting to be rescued, she's the sort of girl who acts, who persists, who believes that somewhere beyond the next corner, her real life is waiting to begin.