Done and Dusted

Clementine Ryder is one of the two protagonists and narrators of Done and Dusted. She has always wondered why her parents “named their only daughter after a fruit” (10), so she goes by the nickname “Emmy,” and people only call her Clementine to tease her. Emmy is the youngest of the three Ryder siblings, and their family is well-known in the small town of Meadowlark, Wyoming. Emmy grew up riding horses on her family’s ranch, Rebel Blue Ranch, and quickly developed a love for it. When she was very young, her mother died when she was thrown from a horse and hit her head on a rock. Though Emmy has few memories of her mother, she still has a big impact on Emmy’s life, especially after Emmy has a similar accident that does not prove fatal. Growing up, Emmy was the town sweetheart of Meadowlark because of her family’s reputation and the path she charted as a skilled rider. In her small town, she feels beloved by everyone but also held back and confined by Meadowlark, which has “a low ceiling, and when she left, she could grow past its barrier” (48). Because of this, Emmy has mixed feelings about her hometown and wants to leave.