As the year 1928 begins, fourteen-year-old Lanie Belle Freeman of Fairhope, Arkansas, has bright hopes for the future. Her father has launched a new business, and her mother is expecting her fifth baby. Lanie has dreams of going to college and being a writer. Then tragedy strikes. First Lanie's mother dies giving birth to the baby, and Lanie must assume the role of surrogate mother to her younger siblings. Then her father is falsely accused of murder--and convicted! With their father in prison, Lanie and her brothers and sisters do all they can to keep the family together, and hold on to their home. In the face of a world shaken by the Great Depression, this young family finds salvation and encouragement in faith, family, and the tight-knit community of Fairhope. With warmth and an unflagging sense of humor, Lanie leads her siblings into a future that, against all odds, holds the promise of hope and love. Book One in the Fairhope Series.