Jack Ballington, Forester

Little Sister climbs into a stall to comfort an ugly calf—and gives it her beads because, as Uncle Jack agrees, it has “a lovely curly head.” On The Home Stretch, even the animals have their admirers.

In Tennessee’s bluegrass country, where family history is as firmly rooted as the trees, Jack Ballington is eighteen and looking toward college. At The Home Stretch, his grandfather, the old General, honors fighting spirit; Aunt Lucretia prizes pedigrees; and Jack believes in trees, soil, and the patient work of growing things. Between them is a lively household of strong opinions, teasing affection, colts, calves, and a small cousin whose generous heart can make a barnyard an adventure. Jack’s hopes reach beyond the farm, but can a young forester persuade a world shaped by old loyalties to take root in a new direction?

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