Alec Forbes of Howglen

in general, some rather horrific catastrophes, a thin, yet all-powerful, thread which binds them together. Upon the death of her parents, Annie, who has known nothing but the idyllic life of the small farm, finds out that everything she loved and was used to, disappeared. Now she has to live with her father’s hypocritical and mean cousin Robert Bruce and his family. Annie and her very small trunk, which contains her scanty belongings, are unceremoniously stowed in an attic room which contains no curtains, no lights, holes in the floor, and is shared by rats. School is no sanctuary, it is ruled by an awful tyrant who thinks that physical abuse is the best way to bring up children. Alec, although far from wealthy, lives with his mother in a modest, but quite comfortable home near the edge of town. It is here that Annie eventually is driven to seek refuge from the countless horrors that follow her days and nights. It is here, through the eyes of a mother, that Annie sees love sparkle and shimmer as it gently caresses, nurtures, and develops the soul of young Alec. Follow Annie and Alec, as well as all who cross their paths and touch their lives, in this amazing narrative about real life.