("Ainsworth" by Anthea Carson with illustrations by Sheila Wolfe, Mother's House Publishing, 206 pages, $14.95 paperback)

"Nebraska wind didn't take any breaks. It blew straight, one direction and non-stop."

Through the eyes of 8-year-old Janey-Lou, author Anthea Carson relives her own childhood memories of summers on a farm near Ainsworth. Janey-Lou tags along with her older brothers and cousins as they ride horses, pick wild asparagus, play Michigan Rummy and look for clues to a family mystery.

This family mystery compels Carson. She is both intrigued by the history of the Great Plains and apologetic about the actions of her ancestors. In her own review on Good Reads (www.goodreads.com), Carson says that "Ainsworth" is a tribute to the small family farm and also to the Native Americans who were displaced by homesteaders like her grandfather.

"It was a great opportunity for him," Carson wrote. "But for the Native Americans it spelled their doom ... It is too bad we couldn't have found a way to better integrate with these various assortments of cultures. They are so uniquely American. When we lost them, we lost a part of our selves."

The book is intended for young adult readers. The essence of the Plains is captured by artist Sheila Wolfe. Wolfe, a native of Ainsworth who now lives in Norfolk, provided the cover art and sketches used throughout the book.

Like a summer day on the plains, "Ainsworth" meanders toward a conclusion with little suspense. But it is summer after all, and it's the journey, not the destination, that matters.

Cindy Conger is a free-lance writer and marketing director for US Property.