Bandita

Thieves and hired fighters raised a girl who cannot trust her life. Her mother left her in Trandafirul Albastru at age five. Now her memories of those early years are fading. Domnu’ Jack saved her but now faces prison for killing the sheriff. The judge who hears his case takes her in.

The judge’s wife offers her dresses and hopes to send her to school. But home, courage and care feel like threats to her. She finds it hard to tell the truth or accept a name. She feels torn between loyalty to Jack and her need for love. The house has dangers, too. Pumnalul warns her to stay away from its strange dollhouse. Their quarrels add humor to the tale. The dollhouse itself has human traits.

Bandita takes place in a frontier town in the nineteenth century. This tale blends fantasy, mystery and adventure for young adult readers. It looks at memory and our sense of who we are. It also explores deep hurt, healing and thanks. It asks how words can help people rebuild their lives. Magic cannot erase every hurt. The girl’s past is still a puzzle. The tale uses symbols and hints of what lies ahead. Franny Billingsley is a National Book Award finalist. Her heroine is naive and easy to hurt. Through this girl, she tells a tale of the search for self.