Jo's Triumph

Jo #1

by Nikki Tate

In the late 1850s in and around Carson City, struggles between the Indigenous and local white people are growing. During the struggles, Joselyn, a young orphan, meets Sarah Winnemucca, a Paiute girl who becomes her friend and gives her some valuable advice. When Joselyn takes that advice and escapes from the Carson City Home for Unfortunate Children, she has no idea that her boy's disguise and her love for and expertise with horses will lead her straight to the Pony Express. Joselyn becomes Jo and turns to a life that demands all her inner strength and resources. Then the meanest man on the route learns her secret and uses it to extract a promise that kept or broken could mean death.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Nikki Tate was born in Birmingham, England, but spent her childhood roaming the globe. In Australia, Nikki battled a tarantula, in Banff she was chased by a mother black bear, and in Ontario she wrestled with a Canada goose.

Despite the fact that she has been kicked, bitten, stung, pecked, and sprayed, she has never been able to resist injured, lost, or lonely-looking animals. Over the years, her menagerie has included horses, dogs, cats, birds, snakes, squirrels, rabbits, rats, gerbils, spiders, crayfish, hamsters, and a pond full of koi fish. These critters and their antics often find their way into her stories. Not surprisingly, Nikki's favourite book when she was little was Black Beauty, though she also loved The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and The Hobbit.

Nikki has always enjoyed writing stories and still has the notebooks she used when she was eight years old. She made up stories about animals, plane crashes, outhouses, and Doctor Dolittle's travels in outer space.

A born ham, Nikki danced, acted, and modeled her way through her younger years. She still loves to perform, most often as a storyteller. She also enjoys camping, kayaking, horseback riding, travel, and building big things with sticks and string. Nikki lives on a tiny farm on Vancouver Island in British Columbia with a collection of furred, feathered, and finned creatures.

Reviews

[Miss Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

gr 3-6 137 pgs


1860, Carson City, NV. 12 year old Jocelyn is left by her brothers at the Carson City Home for Unfortunate Girls after their father dies on their way to California. Jocelyn hates having to do needlework at the orphanage and would much rather be working with horses. Then, Jo has a crazy idea. She cuts her braids, dresses as a boy, and sneaks out of the orphanage so she can join the pony express. Now, she'll be able to earn money for California doing something she loves.

[Danmorwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book I enjoyed the story of courage and determination. I did feel that the plot was not resolved very well. thus the three star rating.

[Laurie D'ghent · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good, younger-grade historical read by why, oh why, do people put profanity in children's books?????