Amazing Girls of Arizona : True Stories Of Young Pioneers

From the __Diary of__ __Anne Frank__ to __Anne of Green Gables__, young women love to read stories about real girls who faced incredible challenges and shared indelible truths about the human spirit. Jan Cleere has compiled a wonderful collection of such stories, for a wide range of readers from ten-year-old girls to older readers fascinated by women's history. Meet Laurette Lovell, born in 1869 with a severe leg deformity, who at age thirteen started on her path to be a renowned pottery artist and painter. Edith Bass, born in 1896, began wrangling mules before the age of nine, leading pack strings up and down the dangerous paths into the Grand Canyon. These two young women, and nine others, are profiled magnificently alongside historic photographs. Today's readers love to read bold adventures. They'll never forget these stories of real girls who conquered the West in their own style, spending most or all of their childhood in Arizona. Jan Cleere is a historical researcher and the author of __More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Nevada Women__, among other books. She lives in Oro Valley, Arizona.

Fascinating Profiles of Hope, Determination, and Courage 

 

Early Arizona girls were expected to care for younger children, cook and clean, wash clothes, milk cows, tend gardens, and round up wandering herds in a harsh and unfamiliar landscape. Each of the eleven headstrong girls profiled in Amazing Girls of Arizona strained against the confines of her chores, choosing to explore and embrace the wildly beautiful land that is today’s Arizona-even if it meant disobeying elders or risking her life.

 

Olive Ann Oatman, an Indian captive, comforted and protected her younger sister when it seemed that all hope was lost.

 

Laurette Lovell, an artist, made a name for herself by rising above her physical disabilities to accomplish more than she ever dreamed possible.

 

Rutho Okimoto, a highly educated Japanese-American girl, was forced to live in a disease-ridden concentration camp just because of her nationality.

 

Edith Jane Bass, a Grand Canyon wrangler, herded mules and horses down the slippery-sloped gorge on behalf of her family’s business.

Growing up can be hard enough, but when you are a teenage girl on the western frontier every day is a lesson in survival. From being held captive by a Native American tribe (like Olive Ann Oatman), to mastering the dangerous business of wrangling cattle (like Edith Jane Bass), Amazing Girls of Arizona captures the remarkable lives of eleven real American girls (all seventeen years old or younger) who were pioneers of their time. Meet Laurette Lovell, born in 1869 with a severe leg deformity, who at age thirteen started on her path to be a renowned pottery artist and painter. Edith Bass, born in 1896, began wrangling mules before the age of nine, leading pack strings up and down the dangerous paths into the Grand Canyon. These two young women, and nine others, are profiled alongside historic photographs. Todays readers will enjoy these stories of real girls who conquered the frontiers of Arizona in their own style. Indian captive : Olive Ann Oatman (Fairchild), 1837-1903 Child of history : Atanacia Santa Cruz (Hughes), 1850-1934 Desert artist : Laurette Lovell (Francis), 1869-1936 Mixed blood : Anna Magdalena Box (Neal), 1870-1950 Pandora rancher : Edith Olive Stratton (Kitt), 1878-1968 The ride of her life : Mildred Back (Fain), 1879-1967 Grand Canyon wrangler : Edith Jane Bass (Lauzon), 1896-1924 "My hands were never still" : Helen "Dowawisnima" (Sekaquaptewa), 1898-1990 Listen to the silence : Eva Antonia Wilbur (Cruce), 1904-1998 "Play ball" : the girls of summer, 1933-present No place to call home : Ruth Okimoto (Lipofsky), 1936-present. This book tells the stories of eleven notable girls who spent most or all of their childhood in Arizona. Each chapter tells the story of a single girl (17 years old or younger), offering complete biographical information but focusing on the girl's remarkable childhood. True stories of young pioneer girls and their daily lives