In 1845 Missouri, Samantha Young, a Chinese American girl, flees Missouri after accidentally killing a man in self-defense. To survive the Missouri law and the hazards of the frontier, she disguises herself as a boy. She teams up with Annamae, an escaped enslaved girl, and the two join a group of unsuspecting cowboys traveling the Oregon Trail. The narrative tracks their movement across a landscape of river crossings, cholera outbreaks, and the constant threat of professional slave catchers and lawmen discovering their true identities.
Historical fiction readers who enjoy stories about the American West find a perspective often missing from traditional frontier accounts. The book appeals to those interested in how race, gender, and minority status dictated survival strategies in the mid-nineteenth century. Readers walk away with a specific understanding of the logistical hardships faced by non-white travelers on the westward expansion route and how marginalized individuals formed alliances to navigate a legal system that targeted their existence.
Practical, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2015
- Language
- EN
