Francie has always been in the shadow of her older sister Carrie, a free spirit who could ride any horse, climb any mountain, and knew everything about the plants and animals in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Even after Carrie dies in an accident in the mountains, Francie still feels that shadow--she can never be as spectacular as her sister, especially not in her parents' eyes. When she learns that Carrie was keeping a secret, her search to discover it leads her to understand her sister's true passion and adopt it for herself. But Francie finds that staying true to that passion isn't as easy as she thinks--it may threaten the fortunes of the entire community, and even Francie's life.

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Copyright
From Riding the Flume by Patricia Curtis Pfitsch.
Hardcover Illustration © 2002 by David Bowers.
Paperback Illustration © 2004 by Cliff Nielsen 
Courtesy Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing Division.