A true story of the coming-of-age account of a mid-19th century schoolgirl, Laurentine, in Janesville, Wisconsin who became a teacher upon turning 15 years old and was a prolific writer and an insightful chronicler of change and growth in the United States. Keeping a diary, her "father confessor," provides us now with an engaging , detailed and unique views of family tensions, social relations, community debates, and the face of war -- the Civil War -- from one schoolgirl's perspective. Laurentine challenges us to reconsider what we think we know about 19th century females and their attitudes about duty, roles, and views on life. And her humor and escapades make us realize too, that much of human experience, including that of teachers, is timelessly repeated from one generation to the next.