Following her mother’s untimely death shortly after her entrance into the world, Cassandra Jane Maxwell is raised by her alcoholic father.  Her only solace comes from a friendship with Joey Divers, who lost the use of his leg due to polio.  Joey and Cass become inseparable, and he becomes her driving force.

At the age of ten, Cass’s father beats her in a drunken rage, and she is moved to her grandmother’s house where she discovers love for the first time in her life.  Unfortunately her grandmother dies, and Cass is forced to return to her father’s care.  Beaten again at the age of sixteen, Cass enters the world of foster care.

At first, foster care is the best thing to happen to her.  She finds a home with an older couple, but that is cut short when her foster father is tragically killed in an accident.  Her next home finds her with a couple who intend for her to be their live-in maid in exchange for the support checks they receive.  Cassandra is again unloved and miserable.  This all changes when she joins a teenager group devoted to serving Jesus.  She follows them to California where they plan for form a commune and form their own “world.”  Soon this commune becomes a prison from which no one may leave, Cass finds herself battling to find a way out and create her own relationship with God.

So much happens to this poor girl throughout her life, but her faith never wavers.  Cass is a strong, determined heroine, and it was impossible not to bond with her.  While this era is a bit beyond my time, the essence of that time period came to life through Ms. Carlson’s riveting tale.  I have long been a fan of her books, and I highly recommend you not miss her work!