Gators, Snakes, and Quicksand

After her family with Native American roots moves to a segregated rural town in Georgia, ten-year-old Lena Hopkins wishes for a better life. She disagrees with her younger brother’s exploration of the forbidden swamp and deep ditches for treasure. She especially objects to his imitation of older boys’ cussing and rude behaviors. Lena, wants to be a scientist in a world that does not educate females and has little regard for the poor. The kids attend a tiny county school lacking sufficient t...