I really enjoyed Ida in this one; she's very stubborn and doesn't back down when Brother Preston starts to go after her for not being ladylike or not being properly Christian. But neither does she go out of her way to antagonize him; clearly her goal is not to cause trouble, but she's also not going to change who she is or what she believes. That's a good quality to have.

I also like that the book shows the subtle growth of Aunt Ernestine, who is initially shown as quite stereotypical and severe; as the kids learn more about her from their father and as Ernestine gets more exposure to Ida, she really changes, in their eyes, and in reality. It was a nice sidebar to the story. ( )