4 h 59 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 4 h 59 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
On the open range, a past need not decide a future.
Penny stands at the heart of this western romance by Belle Kanaris Maniates. A spirited young woman in rugged hill country, she brings the story its human center. Around her lies the open range: a setting for courage, love, and the hope of starting again.
Penny of Top Hill Trail explores redemption and second chances with a gentle, hopeful spirit. Here, the promise of new ground goes hand in hand with the possibility of change. The appeal lies in people who can become better, and in a future not wholly bound by the past.
What you’ll discover
- A spirited heroine Meet Penny, the young woman at the center of this warm western romance.
- The rugged open range Step into hill country where the landscape holds the promise of a fresh start.
- Room for second chances Explore the hopeful idea that an old life need not close every new door.
- Love with old-fashioned warmth Enjoy a romance that brings courage and affection into the rugged world of the West.
- An easy, hopeful pace Settle into direct prose and clear scenes that leave room to enjoy the feeling.
Who will love it
You will enjoy this book if you like lively western romances, quick-tongued heroines, ranch life with cars and cowboys side by side, and stories where a kind act changes the people around it.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A cowboy loses his heart in Chicago
- A reluctant sheriff drives his prisoner home
- Top Hill welcomes a stray and a dance begins
- Kind deeds and old friends arrive
- A rival, a proposal, and a missing diamond
- Second chances and what love needs
- A story told with disguises and good humor
Who’s who
- Penelope Lamont (Pen)A small, quick-witted young woman who calls herself a thief and keeps everyone guessing about who she really is and what she wants.
- Kurt WaltersThe stern foreman of Top Hill ranch and acting sheriff, who brings his prisoner home and struggles against his growing feelings for her.
- Jo GaryA cheerful, thin young cowhand who dances his way into hearts and searches for the Chicago girl he loves.
- Marta SillsA shy city girl with a record for stealing who wants to start again and be worthy of Jo.
- Mrs. Margaret KingdonThe gentle mistress of Top Hill, who gives lost girls a home and trusts people to become their best.
- Larry LamontA daring young pilot and old friend of Pen who is about to fly for France and is always ready to help her.
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- Large print hardcover
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Penny of Top Hill Trail
by Belle Kanaris Maniates · 1919
A cowboy falls for a girl in a Chicago dance hall who says she is a thief, and his foreman must decide her fate.
Easy read2–5 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
Picture a young cowboy stepping off an eastbound train, his eyes bright with joy and shadowed by despair at once. His name is Jo Gary, and he has spent ten days in Chicago on a cattle deal.
Penny of Top Hill Trail at a glance
- Reading time
- About 2 h 50 min2 h 15 min fast, 3 h 25 min slow
- Length
- 41,000 words
- Library level
- Easy short sentences, plain words
- First published
- 1919by Belle Kanaris Maniates
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A cowboy loses his heart in Chicago
Kurt Walters, foreman of a ranch in the hill country, waits at the station for young Jo Gary. Jo springs off the train in a blue serge suit and checked cap, still a cowpuncher underneath. As they speed along in the ranch's racing car, Kurt sees a strange light in his eyes, joy and despair mixed together. Jo swears he did not touch a drink or a card. He wants to tell his friend what did happen.
Jo's story begins in Hurricane Hall, a rough dance place. Among fierce-looking women, he spots a small girl in a simple white dress sitting alone. He tells her she is in the wrong pew, and she says the same goes for him. They dance every number at Reilly's, and she wants to hear all about ranches and cowboys. The next day they ride a lake steamer to St. Joe. Jo buys violets, and she says no one has ever bought her flowers. On the deck at night he kisses her. In a small city park he asks her to marry him. She says she loves him too much to say yes, and then she tells him she is a thief.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 15 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1919
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 3 h 15 min
- Level
- Easy read
Cite this edition
Maniates, Belle Kanaris. Penny of Top Hill Trail. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/penny-of-top-hill-trail.
Maniates, B. K. (2026). Penny of Top Hill Trail. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/penny-of-top-hill-trail (Original work published 1919)
Maniates, Belle Kanaris. Penny of Top Hill Trail. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/penny-of-top-hill-trail.
@book{maniates2026penny,
author = {Maniates, Belle Kanaris},
title = {Penny of Top Hill Trail},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/penny-of-top-hill-trail},
note = {First published 1919}
}
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What is Penny of Top Hill Trail about?
It follows a young woman called Pen, taken from a county jail by a stern acting sheriff named Kurt Walters to live at a ranch called Top Hill. There she meets a loving family, a cheerful cowboy, and a growing romance.
Who is Kind Kurt in the book?
Kind Kurt is the nickname given to Kurt Walters, the foreman of Top Hill ranch. He catches an outlaw called So Long Sam while serving as acting sheriff. Pen teases him with it often.
Who is Penny Ante?
Penny Ante is a playful name Jo gives to Pen, whose full name is Penelope Lamont. The children call her Aunt Penny, and Jo makes a card-game joke out of the name. She also goes by Marta in her early scenes.
The author
Belle Kanaris Maniates
1861–1931 · Greek-American novelist
Belle Kanaris Maniates (1861–1931) was a Greek-American novelist who lived in the United States. She wrote novels in English during the early twentieth century. Her books included Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley, published in 1915, and Penny of Top Hill Trail, published in 1919.
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