by Rachel Field
First published 1998
Thirteen-year-old Marguerite Ledoux stands alone in a foreign land after losing her family. With no money and nowhere to turn, she accepts the only option available: six years of servitude to the Sargent family in exchange for basic survival. The family takes her to their remote homestead in northern Maine, where Maggie faces trials she never anticipated. The winter of 1743 brings brutal cold and scarce food. Native attacks threaten the isolated settlement. The Sargents treat her as hired help rather than family. Maggie endures each day knowing her real family is gone forever. She must find strength to survive in this harsh new world while wondering if she will ever belong anywhere again.
Genres: survival, historical-fiction, coming-of-age, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Maine, North America
Period: 1743
224 pages · Paperback · Aladdin
Content warnings: violence