Tales of the Express
By Ellen Wight
This true story begins in 1826, at a small farm in New Hampshire.
A frightened, thirteen-year old girl named Charlotte Parker runs away from home to escape an alcoholic and abusive stepfather and stepbrother. She runs as far as the old horse she took could take her.
She then disguises herself as a boy and finds work at a stable owned by a kind-hearted man named Ebenezer Balch. The owner of a livery stable and tavern called the Balch House, Eb takes the poor “boy” under his wing and vows to make a man of him.
Reinventing herself as Charley Parkhurst, the “boy” becomes part of the family business and learns to become a respected coachman…
Will Charley be able to hide her secret identity for long…?
Tales of the Express
Filled with adventure at every turn,
follow Charley’s journey through the wild, wild west and onto the California Gold Rush!
Available online at
ISBN13 (TP) 978-1-4363-2275-1
ISBN13 (HB) 978-1-4363-2276-8