Howard Gardner is starving to death. All spring and summer Howard and hisolder more charming brother Jack worked as hoggees driving the mules thatpulled boats a... » 

Howard Gardner is starving to death. All spring and summer Howard and hisolder more charming brother Jack worked as hoggees driving the mules thatpulled boats along the Erie Canal. In a misguided attempt to outshine hisbrother Howard chooses to stay behind in Birchport for the winter to save histraveling money and send it home to his family. After his winter job fallsthrough Howard fears that he might not survive the winter. As desperate asHoward is he is haunted by the sadness he sees in the eyes of Sarah thegranddaughter of the man who keeps the mules. Even though shes older than hertwo sisters she never speaks and she seems completely disconnected from theworld. Sarahs family wont discuss her problem with outsiders but Howardlongs to help her in any way he can and his quest to do so eventually revealsto him how he truly compares to his brother. Once again Anna Myers has crafteda moving nuanced comingofage story set against the backdrop of an intriguinghistorical era. «