A poetic and critically acclaimed historical novel set in 1840s New England that touches on prejudice, dangerous secrets, and the true meaning of family.

Daniel Linnehan is an indentured servant no more. He has his papers, his beloved horse, Ivy, and a new direction in life. But in 1840s Massachusetts, a scruffy-looking Irish teenager wearing fine clothes and riding an even finer horse is asking for trouble. After innocent Daniel winds up beaten and in the constable's custody, the peddler Jonathan Stocking takes him under his wing.

Billy, a young boy also traveling with Mr. Stocking, is not thrilled that the two must work together in a traveling circus. And when Daniel realizes that Billy is actually a girl in disguise, pieces of Billy's troubled family life come to light. All too soon, past secrets catch up to them, bringing danger and heartache.