The United States of America in the late 1840's - A nation torn by the crime of slavery and a war of conquest in Mexico. Fourteen-year-old Anna Coburn doesn't want to grapple with such terrible issues. Just growing up seems terrible enough. Forced from her home and away from her beloved father, Anna is sent to live among the stern people called Shakers. Their strange ways and strict lifestyle is both appealing and difficult for the bright, headstrong Anna. When reunited with her father, Anna is then plunged into upper-class Boston life where she faces a troubling mystery and new responsibilitiesevents that will affect not just to herself and her loved ones, but a country about to come apart at the seams. With a cast that includes Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, a perceptive Shaker schoolmistress, and a murderous false friend, Annas Word is a powerful coming of age story, widely praised for its vivid characters, gripping plot and moral stature.