NEW MEXICO TERRITORY, 1881
All Etta wants is a job worthy of dignity and respect, and when she finally gets one, she'll never want another again.
By no fault of hers, nineteen-year-old Etta Bone has never been able to read or write. To avoid embarrassment to her family, Etta's father, an affluent attorney in Denver City, ships her off to a convent school in Santa Fe with the understanding that she will take her vows to become a nun upon graduation.
However, when the time comes to commit herself to a cloistered life, Etta decides otherwise, and with the help of one of the sisters at the convent, she gets a job at a fancy hotel in town. But, to her dismay, Etta soon finds out the real reason her new boss is willing to hire an illiterate woman to work in such a prestigious establishment.
When it seems her young life has reached rock bottom, Etta receives a fortuitous offer of employment from a mysterious couple, promising travel, adventure, and generous wages. The catch: try to survive the job with her head still attached to her shoulders.
