A Trail of Broken Dreams: The Gold Rush Diary of Harriet Palmer

Dear Canada

by Barbara Haworth-Attard

Still reeling from the death of her mother, Harriet sets out on a dangerous journey - disguised as a boy, since no "petticoats" are allowed on the trip - determined to find her missing father in the gold fields of British Columbia's Cariboo. The journey itself is incredibly difficult, and Harriet still has to find her father before the winter snows close down the entire Williams Creek area. Will she be able to find him, or will her journey be for nothing?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Canada, Historical, Childrens, Young Adult, Fiction, Diary

176 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Barbara Haworth-Attard is a native of Elmira, Ontario, presently residing in London, Ontario with her family. June 1995 saw the publication of her first junior novel, Dark of the Moon. Since then she has written twelve novels in the historical fiction, fantasy and contemporary genres for middle-grade and young adult readers. Her thirteenth book, "Forget-Me-Not" a sequel to "Love-Lies-Bleeding" has been out since this Fall 2005 from HarperCollins Canada. Henry Holt and Company released the US edition of "Theories of Relativity" in 2006. This book has also been sold to Editions Thierry Magnier of France.

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2010): Haunted

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I have definitely enjoyed meeting Barbara Haworth-Attard’s Harriet Palmer and do much appreciate the look-see into British Columbia’s 19th century gold rush (and in particular how difficult and dangerous travelling overland from Manitoba and points further east to the gold fields of British Columbia was prior to the construction of the Canadian-Pacific Railroad), I also have found some parts of A Trail of Broken Dreams: The Gold Rush Diary of Harriet Palmer rather annoyingly and frustratingly unrealistic. For indeed, I definitely do consider how easily Harriet Palmer is able to leave Fort Garry disguised as a boy a bit hard to fathom, because while her disguise is of course later discovered en route, I just find it hard to see as realistic that Harriet really had no major issues hiding the fact that she is a girl when leaving Fort Garry, since from her fictional diary entries, it is also and in my opinion rather clearly shown that Harriet Palmer's "boy" disguise is not really all that well thought out, and yes, that most of her fellow travellers would simply accept that she is travelling with a constantly not present and accounted for male guardian (her father), that is also a bit too much to simply swallow and accept (and not to mention that how suddenly and easily at the end of A Trail of Broken Dreams: The Gold Rush Diary of Harriet Palmer, Harriet both finds her seriously ill father and of course then also rescues his successful and money-making gold claim, that all does feel both a bit too good to be true and really rather artificially optimistic and too film like for my personal reading tastes).

And finally, while Harriet’s fictional journal entries are certainly full of life and generally show a wonderfully descriptive sense of historical time and place (and that I do enjoy how Harriet is obviously an artist and sees especially the prairies not as monotonous stretches of flatness but as vibrant canvasses to be painted), I also sometimes feel that Harriet’s voice reads a bit too much on the surface and lacking in emotionality and as such also rather too adult like for a teenaged girl, but yes, then totally and really quite majorly suddenly changing into a "high adventure" type of movie script voice that has left me with finding A Trail of Broken Dreams: The Gold Rush Diary of Harriet Palmer while definitely engaging and sometimes even a rather fun and amusing instalment in the Dear Canada series of fictional diaries, for me personally and according to my own reading tastes, also much much too cinematic and not nuanced and developed enough in scope and feel for me to consider more than two stars, and therefore only to be recommended for readers who actually like historical fiction that often reads like a moving picture, like a film script.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Harriet Palmer's father left several months ago to join the 1862 Cariboo Gold Rush, leaving his family behind at a fort halfway along the way. Now Harriet's mother has died after a difficult childbirth, along with the new baby, and Harriet has no way to support her ten-year-old brother William and four-year-old sister Luella. The three siblings are taken in by the Owens, a childless couple who live at the fort, but then Harriet learns that when they return to Toronto next year, the Owens plan to take William and Luella with them and leave Harriet behind as a servant to another family.

Harriet is determined not to allow what is left of her family to be torn apart. Disguising herself as a boy, she joins a party of miners headed for the gold fields, hoping and praying that she will find her father there. During the difficult journey, Harriet faces many dangers and hardships, but also makes new friends and finds adventure. But what awaits her at the end of her journey, and will she be able to find her father?

I really enjoyed this book from the Dear Canada series. Harriet is a wonderful character who was determined to help her family and do whatever it takes to accomplish her goal, and I enjoyed reading about her adventures and about life during the Cariboo Gold Rush. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoyed the previous books in the Dear Canada series.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve year old Harriet Palmer's mother has just died after a difficult child-birth. With Mr. Palmer being out in the gold fields, Harriet and her little brother and sister have no where to go. Except the general store owners who they owe debt to. They aren't even glad to take them in, despite Mrs. Owen claiming that she spent all her time nursing Harriet's mother. Then, Harriet hears a conversation in the night. Mr. And Mrs. Owen have plans to move back to Toronto the next spring. They say that they can take Harriet's younger siblings, but not Harriet, because she's to ugly and she is old enough to have a job. So, Harriet is numb, there is only one solution, she must set out to British Columbia in the Gold Fields to find her father. She cuts her hair and disguises herself as a boy to set out with the Overlanders setting out from Fort Garry, because no "petticoats" are allowed on the journey, except Mrs. Schurbert who is pregnant and insists that she and her three small children will travel with her husband. But, Harriet's plan does not get off on a good start, she must be very secretive and try not to let the slightest thing slip. Also, there are two new bullies, John and Thomas Drummond, and the new blisters on her feet from walking many miles per day. but there are good things that come, Harriet earns a small amount of money from doing the men's laundry, and meets a friendly boy named Talbot, who is smart and funny. That's until he finds out that she's a girl. Hé swears that he will keep it a secret and won't tell anybody. So, life will be good for Harriet, Correct? Wrong! soon, when John and Thomas tease Harriet, and rip a blank page out of her diary, Talbot shouts at them to leave "her" alone, and everybody finds out. But, as she pours out her story, they let her stay with them because she hasn't delayed them so far, and she's a helpful person. That's until they reach the mountain area and Talbot's father becomes gravely ill. They eventually carry on barely. But Talbot and Harriet have to part because of the different ways they take to the Carriboo. When Harriet gets to Richfield, there's no "happiness and buttercups" there either, she gets a job as a cook on a saloon, but is soon kicked out when John and Thomas Drummond reveal her secret, so she has to go out in the worse blizzard ever to find her father's claim, but soon here's that he died a week ago of Mountain Fever, but with Harriet's spunk and determination, sets out anyways. But who should she meet on the way, but Talbot! They go onto Mr. Palmer's claim, and it turns out that he is very ill. He tells them were his gold is, and they soon find it. But there seems to be somebody following Harriet, but Talbot tells her it's just a "gut" feeling, but it isn't. It turns out to be John Drummond! but, eventually the judge charges the Drummond brothers and there is a happy ending after all.
There was alot of issues going on in this book. It's so sad at times, but enjoyable. There are so many things I love about this book too. My favourites were how she dressed up as a boy just to save her family, and all her spunk and determination. Great qualities in a likeable charecter's. The only little thing was that sometimes Harriet seemed to much like a boy, and used more modern language. Otherwise, read this amazing addition to the Dear Canada Series!

[Molly]

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It could be better

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved!!! I really enjoyed the whole cross-dressing part! Definitely one of my favourites!

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was excellent

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to determine its appropriateness for an eight-year-old. It's a well written balance of adventure and historical accuracy, handling the realities of the subject matter in an age appropriate way. Highly recommended.

[Ellen Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very, very good Dear Canada adventure. It also a very sad one, a very hard one, and a very humorous one too.

Harriet "Harry" Palmer is one spunky girl. Yes, she is stubborn, but it's that particular quality which sees her through her journey from the Red River Settlement overland to the Cariboo, where she hopes to find her father.
I think this adventure was funnier than the other ones because the "heroine" disguises herself as a boy, and so is exposed to a lot more things than the other girls I've read about.

I love reading about these historical moments and seeing them through the eyes of young girls who lived through them. It's very enlightening, even if the characters are mostly fictional. I find it interesting, though, that these girls managed to make it through! I wonder if I would have been able to withstand such conditions.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typical story of the hardships going along the trail overland from Winnipeg to the Cariboo during the Cariboo Gold Rush of British Columbia. I've read so many books about the various gold rushes that this had nothing new to offer and was a fairly uneventful tale; though I did find the ending picked up and went in a different direction than I had at first expected. The story also has a girl pretending to be a boy and I really don't like this device in juvenile historicals as it usually, as it does here, follows the expected tropes of "wow! how much easier it is to be a boy. I can wear pants and swear!" Haworth is a good writer though, and if you've not read anything about the Cariboo before the experience is fully realised here, for the intended age level. Not bad.

[Shanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book from the Dear Canada series which provides the readers with more knowledge on Canada's history. This book is a really good read as it keeps the readers on the edge of their seats in suspense, wondering what will come next. Although A Trail of Broken Dreams is one of the shorter books in the Dear Canada series, it keeps the readers wanting to read more of the adventures of Harriet Palmer.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the first ever dead Canada book I had read, and after reading this book I hoped that ever other dear Canada book was like this( sadly not). This book was written extremely well and I loved Harriet and her determination. This book had a mixture of adventure and romance and I couldn't put it down!

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-Read: July 2022
What can I say? I like historical fiction novels where women try to pass as men.

Original Review
I'm almost positive that the only reason I loved this was because this was my favorite book when I was 8, but I still love it. The nostalgia is strong with this one.

[Shanelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Trail of Broken Dreams is one of my absolute favourites from the Dear Canada series. I loved reading about Harriet Palmer's journey to the Cariboo goldfields and the struggles that she faced on her way there. She is an inspiring and powerful character and this is definitely one book worth reading.

[Neill Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of the Dear Canada series and is a diary of a young girl’s trip from Fort Gary to the Cariboo in 1862 in search of her gold-seeking father after her mother had died. It explains the hardships and events of her four month journey and her subsequent life south of Barkerville.

[Renae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another plucky heroine. Very similar to Willo Davis Roberts' Caroline from the Sunfire series but with less emphasis on the romance.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favourite Dear Canada books. I actually thought it was real for a year or so until I realized it probably wasn't, that's how genuine the story was. A great book, most definitely. With lots of twists and turns! As well a great way to learn history!

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sad story that follows a young girl trying to find her father after her mother dies.

[Jenna Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had an exciting storyline, and was different than other books in the series. However, Harriet was kind of an annoying narrator, and I think that stylistically this book was a bit clunky.

[Chelsea C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fabulous Dear Canada Diary. This one being about Harriet "Harry" and her journey as an Overlander traveling to the Cariboo during the Goldrush in 1862.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book but can get boring and give you a headache from time to time.

[Meaghan Steeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this was great and the story strings were complete I still felt as thought it could have been just a bit longer.

[Angela Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ordinarily I wouldn't give four stars to a Western themed book, but this was so cute. Harriet's journey disguised as a boy was creative and entertaining. everything concluded most satisfactorily.

[Irene Cole]

Is this the one where she married her best friend’s father?

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The gold rush diary of-" more like the traveling to the location of the gold rush diary of-. The majority of this book is Harriet (aka: Harry) TRAVELING to Cariboo.

That aside, I did enjoy the journey as it was far more interesting then some journeys written about in the Dear Canada series. Harriet disguises herself as a boy in order to get away with joining the large group of travelers, lying by claiming her father is among them in order to avoid detection. Some people think it's a bit too easy, but I believe it. If you're traveling with a large group, on foot or wagon, with your own family to look after, what are the chances you are going to notice a younger boy wandering about the procession line and not assume that his parent is just busy or neglectful else where in the line? Boys will be boys, as they say.

It's amusing when the author talks about locations you are very familiar with, granted they are talking 150+ years in the past. But none the less, amusing.

I don't think Harriet got to Cariboo until you're about 75% of the way through the book and from there she spends several more pages hanging about the town making inquires about her father as she works in a saloon. There is literally just a handful of pages devoted to the finding of her father on his claim. Everything else that happens is in the epilogue.

I do so enjoy the historical notes in these things though. Nothing like looking at a picture of a camel used to haul goods IN CANADA over 100 years ago. Definitely spreading that info about unnecessarily!

Conclusion

A cute, age appropriate story about a stubborn girl dressing up as a boy in an attempt to find her father and bring what remains of her family back together again. The only real warning I have is the mention of fist fighting, a horse falling off a cliff, animals dying (and being eaten because people are starving) and someone drowning 'off screen' so to speak. None of it is graphic and I imagine it is all a very realistic possibility for the times.

A good introductory novel to the hardships of traveling in the 1862 in order to join in the gold rush.

[Sapphire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally like Harriet, she’s determined to do whatever it takes just to prevent her siblings from being sent to Toronto, she really is brave for going to Cariboo disguised as a boy just to find her father, which is something I like. I also liked Talbot, he’s kind to Harriet and just wants to help her, one thing though, who on Earth thought that the name Talbot was a decent name for your son? I’m so glad that they got married in the epilogue. I didn’t like John, he was mean. Also, Harry almost killed John which was impressive, she almost became a murderer! I’m glad that Harry was able to find her father in the end, it must have been a relief for her really. I still have some complaints about the book. The first one being that Harriet had some type of plot armour, she wasn’t sent away when everyone found out her true identity which sounds unrealistic. My second complaint being that the book is too short being 133 pages long, this is the second shortest book in the collection (the first one being Pieces of the past by Carol Matas being 127 pages long), I think the book could’ve been better if it were longer, 163 pages would do the trick. Even with my complaints, this book is amazing and I highly recommend it.

[Holly L'Heureux · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was eye opening. The gold rush happened all over the North American continent, people would leave their families and their whole lives just to find gold. While the men were gone you never knew what would happen to the family you left behind. Just like in "Harry's" case; people would die, families would get ripped apart, and the men wouldn't even know because contact was scarce between different parts of the country. Women had it rough no matter what time period or country they were in especially when it came to traveling across the continent. Men always assumed that women could not handle the cold or the taxing parts of travel. But women are always stronger than you would think. The author did a very good job discussing the history of the gold rush in Canada and used many real people in this fictional telling of this time in history. Adding historical figures to novels makes them so much more real to me and it is one of the things I love most about this series.

[Erin Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this volume in the Dear Canada series. Harriet is one of the bravest, most dedicated protagonists in the series (including the larger Dear America and Royal Diaries pantheon). After the death of her mother, Harriet disguises herself as a boy to join a wagon train heading to the gold fields in what would become the interior of British Columbia. She is searching for her father, who left to prospect for gold months earlier, in the hopes that bringing him back will prevent her siblings from being separated. For most of the book, Harriet lives as a boy, and her observations about the different treatment she gets as a boy or a girl are a great addition to the book. There are also at least a handful of laugh out loud moments and some real tear-jerkers.

Side note: Parents and teachers using this book as part of a history education should be aware that it uses the term "half-breed" to refer to people of mixed European and First Nations heritage. Given that this series was also published in French, i suspect this may be a literal translation of Métis, which carries the same meaning without (or with less of?) the negative connotations.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Still reeling from the death of her mother, Harriet sets out on a dangerous journey - disguised as a boy, since no "petticoats" are allowed on the trip - determined to find her missing father in the gold fields of British Columbia's Cariboo. The journey itself is incredibly difficult, and Harriet still has to find her father before the winter snows close down the entire Williams Creek area. Will she be able to find him, or will her journey be for nothing?"

I knew about the hardships Americans endured during the California Gold Rush in 1850 but didn't realize that Canada had similar situations in 1862. This diary helps to teach middle grade children how difficult it was for families to survive.

[Annora · Rating 1 out of 5]

The tone changes were jarring from page to page. It didn’t read like a 12 year old wrote it and frankly the plot was ludicrous. Ridiculous. As of now, it’s the worst Dear Whatever book I’ve read, but that’s subject to change.