The Adventures of Ociee Nash

For spirited nine-year-old Ociee Nash, nothing could be more exciting than romping through her beloved Mississippi countryside with her brother Ben and her faithful four-legged companion "Woofer." But Ociee's idyllic life is thrown into a tailspin when her Papa realizes that since her mother's death and her own run-in with a mysterious Gypsy, their rough-and-tumble rural farm is not the place for Ociee to be growing up; reluctantly he decides to send Ociee to Asheville, North Carolina, where her Aunt Mamie can teach her to become "a young lady." With a heavy heart, Ociee boards the train bound for her uncertain new life far from the home she's always known. It's not long before Ociee meets an array of interesting (and renowned) characters including the world's pioneering female investigative journalist Nellie Bly, Orville and Wilbur Wright, and even the President of the United States, William McKinley, for whom Ociee inspires a campaign slogan. When Ociee finally arrives in Asheville, she and Aunt Mamie discover that every story has two sides. Trading in dungarees for dresses, Ociee tries her best to adjust, but feels compelled to hold onto her spirited heart. Ociee befriends the proper young Elizabeth Murphy and the pair soon get in over their heads with a trip to the creek and a daring meeting with Harry Vanderbilt and his friends. Just when Aunt Mamie seems more determined than ever that Ociee conform to stricter standards, her soft heart is revealed when her childhood friend, Mr. Lynch, comes to Sunday dinner--on Ociee's invitation. Ociee's true bravery, character, and spirit rush to the forefront when a fire at the Murphys' threatens Elizabeth's life. A triumphant "Ociee Nash Day" celebration ensues, to everyone's delight. —Sujit R. Varma