Riding Freedom

This story begins on the East Coast of the United States in the mid 1800s. Protagonist Charlotte Parkhurst is described as an unusually strong and vital baby: “Folks said that any other baby would have died, but Charlotte was already strong. She walked before most babies crawled. She talked before most babies babbled, and she never cried” (2). Charlotte and her parents are driving in their horse-drawn wagon one stormy evening when she is two years old. A crack of lightning strikes and scares the horses, which causes them to go over a ledge, killing both of Charlotte’s parents instantly. Charlotte survives unharmed, kept warm by the horse’s breath. She is discovered the next morning by neighbors, who call the town doctor. He has known her since she was born and knows how strong she is; he saw her survive multiple fevers as an infant. He cuts the horse rein that she is tightly clutching and allows her to keep it as a memento of her parents. Charlotte wears this around her wrist as a bracelet for the rest of her life. He says she has no other family and so will be on her own in the world.