Martha, a thirteen-year-old girl, is rescued by the judicial authorities from the malicious intentions of her imposing stepfather, Jaxser, and her inappropriate mother, Sally. After numerous arrests for theft, a judge decides to send her to a monastic-style school with the order to receive education. At first, she feels relief from escaping the abuse and neglect she suffered at home, but soon realizes that there are many forms of cruelty in life. As she says, 'You may have a full stomach, but your heart can be very empty.'

Isolated from the other children because she is a 'street child' and subjected to hard labor by the nuns, she lives a lonely life, with only paper to absorb the books she reads and her charming humor. Desperate for love and for a place where she feels she belongs, despite all that she has endured, Martha maintains her compassion for others and continues to hope for a brighter future when she will be free to follow her own path in life.

Pages: 336, Dimensions: 13x13cm