Wagon Train Cinderella by Shirley Kennedy

1851, Overland Trail to California. As a baby, Callie was left on the doorstep of an isolated farmhouse in Tennessee. The Whitaker family took her in, but have always considered her more a servant than a daughter. Scorned by her two stepsisters, Callie is forced to work long hours and denied an education. But a new world opens to her when the Whitakers join a wagon train to California-guided by rugged Indian, Luke McGraw...

A loner, haunted by a painful past, Luke plans to return to the wilderness once his work is done. But he can't help noticing how poorly Callie is treated-or how unaware she is of her beauty and intelligence. As the two become closer over the long trek west, Callie's confidence grows. And when disaster strikes, Callie emerges as the strong one-and the woman Luke may find the courage to love at last...

REVIEW:
This enjoyable romance set on the wagon train to California and Oregon made for quite the engaging read. The terrible treatment meted out to Callie by her family has turned her into a quiet shadow, but watching her blossom on the trail felt real, as she vacillated between spreading her wings and retreating back into herself. I was also glad to see that her sisters also eventually grew and matured as their circumstances changed. Luke and his family were also great characters, sharing knowledge and a friendly hand to help Callie learn her worth. I wasn't too caught up with the subplot revolving around Magnus the train leader- parts of that did seem a little overdone. Still, all in all, a good read and a decent reworking of a classic tale.