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jbarr5

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I read a lot and post my reviews

Into the Free

Into the Free - Julie Cantrell Into The Free by Julie Cantrell
From the book club chat I was to receive When Mountains Move and was surprised to get this book also. This is the first book in the series so I read it first. Then I'll read and review When Mountains Move.
I wanted to read this book because of the summary of the book-travel to a place I've never been to.
Book starts out with Millie and she lives in MS with her mother and father. Jack rides in the rodeo and is usually not at home.
Marie does laundry and other chores for the people on the plantation. Although they live in servants cabins they have a deal with Mr. Sutton and pay a monthly rent.
Her life is described on a daily basis of the places she goes around the woods and fields to her neighbor Sloth who allows her to accompany him on his chores-collecting eggs for the master Sutton and other chores.
She hides when her mother is beaten and finally gets up the nerve to see her father at his rodeo show. Accidents happen and she was lucky to meet River, a gypsy who travel through town once a year. She learns from the old woman that she has to find out about her past before the future can be shown to her.
She finds the box and the old woman gives her the key-a Pandora's box of sorts. She confronts her mother as to the meaning of all the items in the box-her past. She learns so much about her other families and realizes why they don't accept her into their lives.
Circumstances leave her in the care of the Millers and she finds out secrets about them and her mother. When a tragic event occurs she makes up her mind and tracks down where her mother was taken to so she can get anything she left for her.
She confides in Mabel throughout the story and they have a treasured friendship. She has a choice to make: go with River the gypsy on his journey or go with Bump and Mr. Tucker who run the rodeo and shows as they have taken care of her and her family for everything she ever needed.
Not sure if her decision is the right one...
What I really liked was the very detailed descriptions of the land and learning new things about the horses and the ways of they gypsies.
I received this book from Book Club Network (bookfun.org) in exchange for my honest review.