Two: The Handcar

The handcar’s axle was made from strong hickory. Its rims were made from bent splits of white oak and cased in strips of iron that Pa had flattened at his forge. . . .

Fifteen: Carrying On

“It’s time for us to go,” Pa said when he found them there.

Laura lay cradled in Ma’s lap, beneath the shade of an apple tree. Mary and Baby Grace huddled close beside. Somewhere up above them, birds chirped. . .