While women's place in the nineteenth-century society was strictly defined, some women transcended those boundaries. My fictional leading lady, Amanda Armstrong was one of those women. Out of food and supplies, Amanda traveled to Knoxville, looking for a way to support herself until the war was over. Along the way, she encountered an orphaned black boy who attached himself to her and would not let go. When she returned home a few months later, he followed her. After conquering her own deep-seated fears, Amanda profoundly affected the lives of many people, including the women of her neighborhood who were also struggling to survive the war. Together they must survive.