"The reason I left the place I did is to find a home. But I also had no freedom there, and I value my liberty. I'll not let you tell me what to do."

Etta Alby is determined never to let anyone tell her what to do again. She's already spent her entire life being pushed around by her cruel, heartless great-aunt Gertrude Badger.

But not anymore.

Now the girl is on her way to Calico, a silver mining town in the Mojave desert. Little does Etta know that she may have to let down her guard and learn to trust others if she wants to thrive. Along the way to Calico, she meets Timere, a young man whose destination is the same as hers. Soon becoming friends, the two team up and head for Calico. With a determined spirit and a gift with horses, Etta is sure she has a chance to live her own life. But things don't always go as planned.