Monroe Free Library

Tierney James, sixteen, struggles to endure the year in which she and other young women are banished to the wild until, purified, the survivors are allowed to return home and marry.

Mary Christmas wants to love Christmas as much as her family does, but their over-the-top preparations embarrass her until she comes up with a way to share their enthusiasm.

"One Cherokee child celebrates the family tradition of gathering wild onions for a big community meal, a significant tradition among several southeastern tribes"--