John William De Forest Bücher

Clara's mother died when she was fourteen, allowing her father, Van Diemen, to provide her with an American education in New York, where she completed four years of schooling. During this time, the war between the United States and Mexico erupted, leading to mistreatment of foreign residents; Van Diemen experienced imprisonment and flight, resulting in the loss of his fortune. Four months before the story begins, he died in a state close to insolvency. Clara returned to Santa Fe under the care of her energetic and affectionate relative, only to discover that the overwhelming debt would consume their town house and haciendas, leaving her with barely a thousand dollars. Though she was handsome and accomplished, she was now an orphan and poor. Her best chance seemed to lie in the possibility of finding a mother (or a father) in Aunt Maria.