Grace Livingston Hill 
Voice in the Wilderness 

Aspiring teacher Margaret Earle heads to the desert to begin her first stint at the head of the classroom. Along the way, she experiences some ups and downs, including a run-in with a menacing cad and some merciless bullying at the hands of a few of her less-welcoming students. But when hero Lance Gardley comes onto the scene, it all becomes worthwhile.