After the operation, Dora expects to be able to open her mouth and talk like any other child her age, but training her sore tongue requires time, effort, and courage. Meanwhile, life on a 1910 cross-country wagon train is full of excitement--treacherous trails, desert mirages, rowdy fellow travelers, and even a baby born along the way. In quieter moments and while caring for her baby brother, Dora slowly, carefully, teaches herself to speak.

At long last, the family arrives in New Mexico to begin their new life. Dora has found her voice and is ready to embark on yet another journey--from silent outsider to speaking member of the community. She can make friends, ask questions, and fulfill her greatest dream: To walk through the open door of the schoolhouse and learn all the wonderful things that are taught in school.

" Through the Open Door is based on the true experiences of a girl who grew up on a homestead farm in New Mexico early in the 1900s. Late in her life, she and Joy Hulme became acquainted as members of the same church in California. As they visited together and the real-life "Dora" shared the memories of her childhood with her new friend, they discovered they had much in common. Both had been born to Mormon families in rural communities south of Salt Lake City and had been rearedwith the same religious background.