Mary Louise Adopts a Soldier by L. Frank Baum

In postwar Dorfield, Mary Louise Hathaway is impossible to ignore: spirited, generous, and determined to meet the returning regiment with open arms. Beside her stands Colonel Hathaway, her Civil War veteran grandfather, whose caution only sharpens her eagerness to help the "boys" come home and to find work, dignity, and a place in peacetime for any stranger left behind. When the train arrives, Mary Louise's joy turns practical as she notices the unfamiliar soldiers among the crowd and sets out to discover who needs support most. One of them is Danny Dexter, a shabby, good-natured veteran whom Grandpa Jim distrusts but Mary Louise instinctively believes in. Her faith proves well placed: Danny is a decorated sergeant carrying wounds, secrets, and a burden of loyalty that makes him seem shiftless only at first glance. As he enters the Hathaway world, their witty, wary friendship deepens into trust. But the story soon darkens into suspense, when a midnight errand, a hidden uncle, and a storm-stranded car draw Mary Louise into Danny's private crisis. There, compassion and courage become as important as patriotism, and a bond forms that may change both their futures. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.