A Wild Heart
| Author | Dale Carson |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | |
| Country | USA |
| Publisher | Triumph |
Publication date | 1977 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 89 |
A Wild Heart is a youth novel written by Dale Carson first published in 1977. The subject matter includes poverty, alcoholism, domestic violence, date rape and other social issues.
Story
Jona Kirkland is the 17-year-old daughter of James and Martha Kirkland, who are poor tenant farmers in eastern North Dakota. She shares an attic bedroom with her younger brother Jimmy in a ramshackle house on the Percy ranch. James is an alcoholic with little ambition and Martha has a violent temper which frequently manifests in rages against her family. Jona hopes to someday rise above her circumstances and go to college.
The story begins when Jona's friend Danny Jordan comes looking for her and learns she is missing. He finds her in a mountain cave, where Jona has gone to commit suicide by dying of exposure. Amid her protests, he rescues her. He learns that the attempt was sparked by Jona buying a dress with her own money she had saved up. Martha destroys the dress by setting it on fire, saying that Jona should have given the money to her to help the family financially. James, usually drunk, witnesses the altercation but does nothing to intervene.
Angry at Danny's rescue, and more so at the Percy family for keeping her family poor, Jona steals a ring from Linda, the daughter of her father's boss. Police chief Dan Mack questions her as to the ring's whereabouts and takes her to the police station on suspicion of theft, but is forced to release her for lack of evidence, as Jona has admitted nothing and the ring is nowhere to be found.
The incident, however, does have its advantages, as Jona, previously a loner, manages to make some friends. One is Susan and the other is the wealthy Greg Hart. Susan, seeing a way out for Jona, loans her some clothes to go out on a date with Greg, who takes her out on dates in his fancy car, and buys her new clothes and shoes...with the intent of eventually having sex with her, gradually putting pressure on her to sleep with him. One attempt ends in a physical altercation where Greg karate chops Jona on the back of her neck after she digs her long fingernails into his face. Greg concocts a cover story explaining their injuries, but Danny and Susan aren't buying it.
Not long after this, and with his daughter's ring still missing, Mr. Percy goes to James and fires him for his alcoholism, forcing the Kirklands to move into town. Seeing this as an opportunity to make up with Jona, Greg re-enters her life and using a fake ID, takes her for a night on the town in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Greg gets drunk and as he sobers up, suggests they get married at a justice of the peace.
Danny learns of this, and using a chair, breaks down the door of their cheap motel room, confirming that Greg and Jona are married. He hits a still-hungover Greg and tells him to pay for the damages as he takes Jona out of the room. He explains to Jona that he called Greg's father, who told him where Greg usually takes girls, indicating that this is a frequent pattern with his son's behavior.
Jona then goes to Greg's father, telling him that she doesn't want to be married to Greg. However, while Mr. Hart acknowledges his son's problems, he attempts to change her mind by reminding her of the family's wealth. When this does not work with Jona, Mr. Hart agrees to have the marriage annulled. In a turn for the better for Jona's family, James Kirkland finds a new job doing factory work for Mr. Hart, with a promise of a ranch job in the spring.
Jona then goes to Mr. Percy, returning the ring she stole from Linda. However, Mr. Percy is far less compassionate, calling Jona a thief and even going so far as to call Linda into the room to watch him do it in front of her. An embarrassed Linda asks her father to forget the matter.
Danny, then acting on his mother's advice, goes to Jona and confesses his feelings for her. While not wealthy as the Harts, Danny still has the means to give Jona a better life. He offers to sell some land and give her the money to go to college in St. Cloud. Jona is deeply touched by the double sacrifice Danny is willing to make for her...the sale of the land and letting her go. However, she tells Danny that she wants to make it on her own, but the pair parts with a kiss, thus ending the story. [1]
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