Sure, his family isn't typical-Josh knows that. He's a twelve-year-old orphan being raised by his eighteen-year-old aunt. When Grandpa and Uncle Charlie start making plans to find Auntie Lou a husband-and take away the only mother Josh has ever known-he knows something has to be done. His family has shaped the young man he has become. Now, as he grows into manhood, he begins to face important questions about life, love, and faith. How can he find his way when his whole world threatens to come apart? Trying desperately to cling to the life he's always had, Josh does what he can to keep his aunt single. But when a preacher comes along, Josh sees that things are going to get complicated. This heartwarming story is full of love, humor, and inspiring faith.

"I don't know who was most excited that morning when the three of us hoisted packs on our backs and started off down the trail. Just before we disappeared from view of our yard, I turned for one more wave. You woulda thought we were marching off to war or something. I even saw Aunt Lou blow her nose on her white hankie. They all looked glad and sad at the same time—happy we were doing something we really wanted to do, anxious that everything would go all right, and a bit sad we were growing up." On the brink of manhood, Josh was facing important questions about life, about love, about himself..."I sure was having a time of it trying to sort out all these different ideas and feelings—maybe I should just go fishing!"

WINTER IS NOT FOREVER "What are you gonna do after graduation?" Everybody's been askin' me that question. With graduation only a month away, it seems like I'm the only one in our little school who doesn't know what he's gonna do after the big day. I've been prayin' about it, but I still don't have an answer. Is God nudgin' me to become a minister? A farmer? A husband? Life is filled with choices. The hard thing is figurin' out what to do!

Josh Jones feels the added responsibility, when his grandfather and uncle sign over the family farm to him.

Janette Oke, with over 11 million copies of her books in print, writes with a special feeling about her characters and their time. This heartwarming collection of four novels is a wonderful series of stories about an American family on the prairies of yesterday.