Böcker av Tecla Emerson

Maddie knew the trip wouldn't be easy. Her mother and older brother were no longer with them and Hannah, her little sister, was hers alone to care for. And Hannah was mute. Mute for reasons no one knew.It would take months to arrive at their destination. Months that would include accidents, floods, Indian attacks and disease. The losses along the trail were both huge and unexpected. Would they ever reach the West, the land of their new home?They traveled in covered wagons, on horseback and many times on foot. They risked all that they had, over the rough and not well-organized trails. It was a time filled with mystery and unknowns. There were few firsthand accounts of what lay before them and for some of the travelers the long trip would have disastrous results.It was 1845. A small group of daring and brave pioneers set out with high hopes and all their worldly goods to head for a new life. A new life in what was soon to become the Oregon Territory.

It had been foolish to stay but now there was no choice. It was anyone's guess what the outcome would be. Nothing was as it should be. Oddly, the Confederate troops were pouring in from the north and Union troops were marching in from the south. They arrived in droves. The town was not prepared for what happened during the early days of the summer, 1863.Jennie, a young local girl, did her best to keep up with the demand for bread and water and medical care for the troops. Her brothers were scattered, her sister would soon be having a baby, her mother was not bearing up well and Jack, her intended, had not been heard from in weeks. It was a time and place that would be recorded in American history forever. A time marked by the largest number of casualties in the Civil War. It was Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a small, unremarkable town; an easily forgotten town that would live in infamy and one that history would never forget. Of the almost 50,000 casualties of that encounter in early July, only one civilian was killed. This is her story. The story of Jennie Wade, a dedicated young woman thrown into the middle of one of Americans' most tragic times.

It was the mid-1800s. The small family of Irish immigrants was left penniless after the devastation of the unexpected storm.Finn's dad and favored older brother set out for the new state of California to rebuild their fortune. They did not return.Months later a letter arrived instructing the family to come at once. They could not. Finn would have to go - alone - across an entire continent!So begins the tale of a boy's journey into adulthood as he faces the challenges and obstacles of almost impossible odds while making his way from America's east coast, through the jungles of Panama, to the West Coast of America. A long and perilous journey.And what would the consequences be if he was caught with the runaway slave? And could his new friend, the strange Russian immigrant, be trusted?Finn's journey of 1800 miles, along the Pathway to the Gold, could end in disaster.

Emily at 15 is bored and annoyed with just about everything and everybody. Tired of her chores and irritated by the endless care of three younger sisters, she would like to have a life of her own. Her parents are absent; her Father is off fighting a war she doesn't understand and her Mother has left for Pennsylvania. As the eldest of the four sisters, she must take responsibility for her home and family. When the bloodiest battle of the Civil War is fought almost on her doorstep she is unwillingly pressed into service. Emily is called on to make decisions and to take charge of wounded soldiers while fending off the invading troops and protecting her younger sisters. Life changes forever as she discovers a courage that she did not know she possessed. Strengths emerge as she stands up for her beliefs while sheltering the enemy and caring for a runaway slave, both of which hold very serious consequences. In this remarkably accurate depiction of the Battle of Antietam, a legend is once more uncovered. It involves a mass of very angry bees. This dangerous, stinging swarm may well have had an influence on the outcome of that fateful day in 1862.

It was a lonely lighthouse tucked far out on a Peninsula. Its function was to protect the ships at sea from the treacherous shoals of coastal Maine. Jacob and Sarah had done their job well all these years: keeping the lamp lit and sounding the warning horn whenever necessary. And now, unable to help, they watched as the violence of a late winter storm took out its fury on a helpless schooner. Sailing from distant Ireland, the ship held many of the Irish immigrants who were escaping from the lingering effects of the terrible devastation of the potato famine. Would there be survivors from this catastrophe? This is the tale still told today that surrounds that mysterious event.

Olivia lived a quiet and protected life tucked away on a farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was far from the great war that had been raging between the North and the South. She had little interest in the who and the why of it all, and wasn't even sure where her sympathies lay. Then, without warning, the conflict surrounded her. At 16, she was ill prepared for the responsibilities that were thrust on her. This is her story. It's a tale that tells of courage, determination and survival during one of America's most trying times.

Molly lived on an island far away from the mainland. She was an orphan and there was no one to care for her. Sent to live in a house filled with boys she was pressed into the role of cook and caretaker. Her life became that of a servant. When an unfortunate incident took place that threatened to scar her forever, she was sent to live with an angered and bitter veteran of the Civil War. Living the life of a recluse and with battle scars of his own, he keeps his past hidden from all. Hidden until Molly comes to stay. This is the tale of a young girl's quest for survival and how she brings herself out of the depths of despair as she learns of her mysterious past. Uplifting and compelling, the tale follows Molly as she matures and accepts all that life has given her.