The landscape of the 1932 Connecticut farm is bleak and rocky. farm animals furrowed parched grass. To this lonely place the State brought an unclaimed child, without a past or conceivably a present. But Zara, who has been abused and used for the purpose of others, is determined to control her own destiny. Scenes showing the tender growth of love between a woman and a child, or a college boy corralling a wild pig, or a barbaric barn dance, are unforgettable. But at the contentious State convention, Zara discovers the secret that will give her powers she has never imagined. Set against the background of small-town politics, "12 O'Clock Bus" is an amazing and beautifully written book the reader will not forget.