The Little Colonel in Arizona

Mary Ware is not your typical early 1900s little girl. When her family boards a train for Arizona, leaving behind their Kansas home in hopes of healing her ailing mother, Mary sees only adventure: tent living, desert sunsets, and the promise of a new life among invalids at Lee's Ranch. Her older siblings groan at her endless chatter, embarrassed by her outspoken ways, but Mary simply refuses to be anything less than boldly, cheerfully herself. Johnston captures something rare in children's literature: the genuine texture of childhood hope. Mary's voice rings true, unselfconscious and bright, as she navigates the strangeness of desert living, the ache of missing home, and the small victories of making new friends. The boarding camp setting is unusual and evocative, a place where health-seekers and dreamers rub shoulders against a backdrop of red rocks and endless sky. The book endures not because of its historical setting but because of its emotional honesty. Mary is brave, yes, but also sometimes foolish, sometimes lonely, sometimes just a child longing for home.