A Mule Will Do

About the Book

In 1936, Jo Barkley and her family move from Utah to southern Idaho. Egbert tells her she'll never be accepted at Rock School if she doesn't get on the good side of Kate. Jo doesn't think Kate has a good side. How can anyone make friends with a girl as spiteful as Kate?

Jo has to have a horse to ride. The only possibility is one of Dad's work mules, but Pete has been abused by a former owner. The first time Jo gets on, Pete bucks her off.

Jo and her family struggle to get through the winter. Things go from bad to worse when a telegram comes from Utah saying Grandpa has died and Dad has to go help Grandma. While he's gone, Jo and Clyde go to the desert for a load of sagebrush. Jo has a runaway with the mules and Clyde breaks his leg. With a winter storm coming, will Jo be able to save her brother?

Driving the mules home in a blizzard, Jo has a life-changing experience, but the supreme test comes later when a rattlesnake spooks Kate's horse. Jo has to decide whether to save her own neck or rescue Kate.

About the Author

Neva Andrews is the author of the Jo Barkley books. She also writes a weekly column for a local paper. She draws on her farm experiences during the Great Depression in much of her writing.

Neva and her husband live in Colorado where she still enjoys horseback riding.