Deborah Whitney, the daughter of California Gold Rush pioneers, lived from 1865-1951.  Deborah Whitney of Shady Flat is the story of this precocious, independent young girl's life during the summer of 1874, set in the lovely, remote mountain gold and lumber camps of Sierra County, California.

At age ten, Debbie's hunger for freedom from the dictates of her parents  contends with her mother's ideas of what is safe and proper for females of any age. Her father is more  relaxed and tends to indulge his only child, but since Debbie is alternately oblivious or scornful of the rules of polite society, she naturally gets into a peck of trouble with both.

A  strong sense of justice, which leads to protests against  prejudice, bullying and ignorance in others, but, being only human, she conveniently overlooks her own failings. It takes a series of unexpected – even frightening – events over the course of the summer to shake up her notions and challenge the girl to grow in understanding and compassion.

A book about real people and real events for lovers of history and adventure. For general readership from approx. age 12 on up.