The Beet Queen, Louise Erdrich

On a cold spring morning in 1932. two children. Karl and Mary Adare. leap from a boxcar. Orphaned in a most peculiar way. Karl and Mary have come to Argus. in the heart of rural North Dakota. to seek refuge with their aunt Fritzie. So begins an exhilarating tale. spanning some forty years and brimming with unforgettable characters: ordinary Mary, who causes a miracle; seductive. restless Karl, who lacks his sisters gift for survival; Celestine James, Marys life-long friend; and Celestines fearless, wild daughter Dot - the Beet Queen.