Foreword
The onset of puberty invariably brings with it the dawning awareness of sexuality, of a child's inherent masculinity or femininity, and the struggle to put that sexuality into proper perspective.
For some, the transition occurs with relative ease. For others the change is marked by tension and anxiety, and a growing awareness that their world is changing much faster than they would like.
For the young farm girl in this book, the initiation into the world of sexuality is both a delight and a terror. Eager to explore the bounds of her femininity, she finds herself looking not only toward her boy friend, but also her younger brother, who himself is just now experiencing his sexual awakening.
And then her world is turned upside down by events which are beyond her power to control. She finds that there is as much hate in the world as there is love, and she learns to distinguish between those who hate -- her depraved sister and aunt -- and those who love -- her father, her boy friend, and even a young clergyman.
THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER -- the story of a young girl's struggle to make her own, very personal transition into adulthood, a quiet struggle evolving behind the facade of her day-to-day existence, yet inexorably leading her onward into maturity. Her story is an intimate reminder of the pitfalls standing in the way of those growing up. It is a lesson for society.