Doris Free A Harvest of Friends

By Cara Brookins

Subjects: Racial Conflict, Great Depression, Young Adult, Children, Tomah, Wisconsin, Race

Description: Life on a Wisconsin farm in the 1930s isn’t easy. Doris Free and her family are struggling because of the Great Depression, and the whole town is on edge as they work to survive. When a new family moves to Tomah to manage the general store, everyone is curious. And when the new family introduces Cole, the first black man most of the town’s people have ever seen, conflicts begin to build. Doris is determined to help Cole fit in with the people of Tomah. But how can a ten-year-old girl change the way a town believes? Can she help Cole before it’s too late? As the summer cools down, tempers heat up, and the situation grows dangerous. Doris brings together the people who believe in equality, and together they fight for unity. They learn that sometimes a small action, or a small girl, can bring about the biggest change.