Rita

War unsettles a Havana household in Rita, a story set around the Spanish-American War of 1898. Rita Montfort passionately supports Cuban freedom, while her stepmother plans to take her to the convent of the White Sisters. Their letters to Uncle John give sharply different accounts of the dispute. Rita also writes to her cousin Marguerite, mixing family news, grief and patriotic feeling with elaborate descriptions of her clothes and garden.

The later excerpt places Rita beside her brother Carlos in a Cuban camp. They visit Pablo, a scout whose shelter, simple cooking and cheerful conversation bring a lighter touch to military life. A ride to Don Annunzio's peaceful house follows scenes of makeshift hospital care and wounded soldiers. Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards combines an adventure for young readers with family tensions and vivid contrasts between comfortable domestic life and wartime hardship. The expressive letters offer particular interest alongside the camp scenes.