Martha Finley

Set amid the sweet blossoms of a southern mansion, this timeless classic delves into the heart of Elsie--an extraordinary little girl whose quest for love from her earthly father leads to a mature understanding of the love of her Father in Heaven. This, the first book in a series, will both challenge and inspire young readers.

Young orphans Ethel, Blanche, Harry, and Nannette Eldon have suffered much since the loss of their parents -- their British father after a prolonged illness and their mother suddenly over the shock of her husband's death. Now these youngsters are sent across the Atlantic to live with their uncles in Philadelphia. Ethel, who is eager to do her share to support her brother and sisters, takes a job running a shop, and she and Blanche become engaged to cousins Stuart Ormsby and Percy Landreth. The boys bring their brides home to Pleasant Plans, and Mildred gains a daughter.

The Landreths harbor a family of fugitive slaves. The family fears the oncoming civil war and the possibility of sending fathers and sons, brothers and cousins off to fight. Rupert, Cyril, and Donald Keith, Wallace and Stuart Ormsby, and young Percy Landreth are eager to defend the Union they revere and love, but they are also anxious to return to family and friends at home.