One of Fred's Girls by Elizabeth Hamilton Friermood

I just reread this book and it's aged a little bit.  It's 1891 and Bonnie Blair is the oldest of twelve children living in a small Indiana town.  She signs up to become a waitress for the Fred Harvey Restaurant company and heads out west.  I love the historical setting of this novel-the Southwest being opened up by the railroad carrying an influx of farmers, prospectors, and young women looking for adventure and a better life.  The part that's a bit dated is the whole go out West to get a husband story line.  But it is offset by some strong female characters and an atypical romance.  Great escape reading written by a librarian! 229 pages.