Charlotte Parkhurst was a real person with a larger-than-life story. Known in history and folklore as the "first women to vote in state of California", she went to the ballot box in 1868, more than fifty years before women's suffrage, and fooled everyone by dressing as a man.Orphaned as an infant and raised among boys, Charlotte was only twelve when she realized there were many more opportunities in the world for boys than girls. With a little help from her friend, Hayward, she cut off all her hair, donned boys' clothing, staged her own death, and ran away. From that day forward, she was taken for a boy.In this fast-paced, courageous, and inspiring story, readers adventure with Charlotte as she first finds work as a stable hand, becomes a famous stage-coach driver (performing brave feats and outwitting bandits) and ultimately settles out west on the farm she'd dreamed of having since childhood. It wasn't until after her death that anyone discovered she was a woman.Extensively researched, this fictionalized story combines all the known facts of Charlotte's life with author Pam Ryan's spirited imaginings. Brian Selznick's skillful black and white drawings add to the drama, and together, author and artist rescue a little known heroine from oblivion and bring her vividly to life for young readers.