In this novel set in 1896, 14-year-old Maude Brannigan is left on her own in the town of Eldorado, New Mexico when her widowed father travels to the Yukon in search of gold. Determined to leave Eldorado for good, Maude, who dreams of being an artist, takes a job at a local boarding house where she is pursued by two men--one of whom has only evil intentions on his mind. It is through her friendship with the other women who live and work at the boarding house that Maude realizes that she has the inner strength necessary to achieve her dreams. Maude`s story is told in the form of letters that she writes to her deceased mother.