Walking Up a Rainbow

by Theodore Taylor

Orphaned at fourteen, Susan Carlisle is suddenly the owner of her parents' beautiful Iowa home, two thousand sheep . . . and a huge debt that puts her at the mercy of a scoundrel determined to take it all the away. With barely a moment of hesitation, Susan heads for California to sell the sheep, and pay the debt. Along the way she bravely faces the hardships and excitement of the western trail, and boldly ropes an American cowboy into her scheme . . . and into her heart.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Romance, Adventure, Fiction, Historical, High School

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Sunni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally started this book for a book report in high school, but I quickly found that it wasn't as dull as I thought it was going to be. This turned out to be my first lesson in, you can't always judge a book in the first 20 pages.

Although the novel started out a bit slow, and occasional got lost in over whelming description I found that I couldn't put it down. I wanted to see how Susan's adventures ended. I fell in love with her character as she was strong, and smart, and someone who never gave up without a fight. She follows her heart, and pursues the things that are important to her while she strives to do what she feels is right no matter what others might think or the danger that she might be in.

[Brandon Dittmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Response
I liked the book a little but not a whole lot. I liked how it was western but it seemed to jump around alot, I didn't like the end either it seemed like a cliffhanger. Overall I thought it was a pretty good book.

Plot Summary
Susan Carlisle has been left an orphan in the 1850's in Iowa. With the debt of her father's house and 2000 head of sheep to take care of. Her father owed G.B Minzter of a lot of money. The only way Susan can afford to keep the house so G.B Minzter doesn't buy it is to sell sheep. In that case Susan hires a drover and his team to drive the sheep to California to sell the sheep. The men and the girls go through hardships through their journey. Suchs as sheep dying to being harased by thieves trying to steal the sheep. The thieves are believed to be men hired by G.B Minzter to stop the drovers from reaching California. The reason he did this is because he wants to buy the Carlisle’s property. The drovers end up selling the sheep and return back to Kanesville. They return to find out that G.B Minzter has already bought the house and moved in. that left susan nowhere to go but to move in with her guardian Indian Myrt.

Recommendations
I recommend this book to those who like western or outdoor books. I also recommend this book to teenagers. Also to anyone who is looking for a good book to read.

[Mary Tuttle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good old-fashioned yarn about a plucky western girl and a handsome Texas cowboy. An enjoyable, well-researched historical novel.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Carlisle has been left an orphan in the 1850's in Iowa. Her father left her with a debt that threatens her home. Susan is an intelligent and spunky person determined to settle the debt. She needs to find a way to turn her sheep into money.

Susan tries to find a way to sell her sheep to feed California gold seekers. The adventure of putting together a wagon train to take her sheep to California with the help of a Texan character and his helpers kept me turning the pages. The dialogue is enjoyable, and the characters are engaging.

[Dotty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some would call Susan Darden Carlisle an orphan, but she’s almost 14 and in 1851 that’s almost an adult. She learned much from her physician father and is a strong minded young woman. Her father however left her with a debt and only one way to pay the debt and save the family home. Her father’s newly acquired several thousand sheep must be driven from Iowa to California. And after selling them she must get back in time to pay the debt before G. B. Mintzer claims her home.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book caught my eye because it takes place in Kanesville, Iowa. I have several ancestors who lived (one died)in Kanesville. I had hoped to learn a bit about the life there in the 1800's. I was disappointd not much info. The story was not especially great either. But I did finish the book to it's rather abrupt ending. So I didn't hate it but I wouldn't recommend it either.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this cowboy story of a young very mature, smart girls who's mother and father passed away and she is in jeopardy of loosing her home to a nasty guy in her small town. Susan has a plan to sell her sheep travel all the way to California and back. Fun way of telling the story from a teenagers view of the Wild West, I enjoyed it very much :)

[Bekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun western with a spunky heroine. I probably would have LOVED it as a teenager versus just liked it now. The characters were not developed as much as I like and the plot wasn't too plausible, but overall a fun YA read.

[Bethany Mart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book in the end, but it took me eight chapters to begin to even want to read it through. I learned a lot about taking yourself through new and exciting life changing adventures and I am going to change a few things in my life. I would have liked a longer ending, but it sufficed.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not like this book. Silly with no good ending at all.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a western book. I thought the plot was not a very good one, and the ending really ended fast leaving a lot unfinished.

[Cws]

JAR6+-Tay

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the historical approach.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good Western "quest" story, for lack of a better word, appealing in the style of an Oregon Trail narrative.