Fortitude will see you through the darkest times.

In April 1898, sixteen-year-old Claire O'Farrell makes a decision that ultimately changes her life. She has never been one to follow society's rules. Her best friend is a Creole during a time when that isn't done, and she volunteers to serve as a nurse for the Buffalo Soldiers before the Spanish-American War-despite Jim Crow laws.

After Claire gives her heart to one of the soldiers, she finds herself caught in the racial violence besieging the area. When the consequences of her past decisions follow her home, she has no choice but to cling to faith and find the path she was meant to travel.

Listed as a "Best History Book for Kids" by Grateful American Foundation.

This updated third edition includes the bonus short story "Courtship and Courage" at the end of the novel.