2014 Readers Favorite International Gold Award Winner "The Little Girl Praying on the Hill" is the bittersweet, authentic story of a desperately deprived upbringing as seen through the eyes of a little girl, who manages to rise above her miserable situation at least for brief moments through her vivid imagination and tenacity. She spent alot of time alone, or so it seemed to the people in her village. Every day she took the sheep to the top of the hill. In her mind, she wasn't alone. She filled her world with imaginary friends-the princess in her glorious cloud castle and her mercurial companion, the old wind, who sometimes teased, sometimes tormented her. Life was good-until her daydream was interrupted by someone who angrily reminded her of the sad reality: a life in the mud, surrounded by poverty and hopelessness. In a world where despair reigns supreme, a child's mind turns to prayer. But when help isn't immediate, faith must carry her through the difficulties. This short story is a realistic cameo of post-WWII rural European life, and is filled with emotion, feelings, and heartache.