The Water Seeker

by Kimberly Willis Holt

Amos Kincaid is the son of a dowser – a person gifted in knowing how to "find" water deep in the ground. As a young person, Amos doesn't reveal his gift to others; he's not sure he wants the burden. But through his experiences growing up and crossing the Oregon Trail, Amos learns about life's harsh realities, especially the pain in losing loved ones. As he cares for those around him, Amos comes to accept his dowsing fate. This epic novel is a fascinating period piece about the westward expansion and one man's destiny as he searches for love and family.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Juvenile

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 2010

About the author

Kimberly Willis Holt is the author of the Piper Reed series, including Piper Reed, Navy Brat, Piper Reed, Clubhouse Queen, and Piper Reed, Rodeo Star. She has written many award-winning novels, including The Water Seeker and My Louisiana Sky, as well as the picture books Waiting for Gregory and Skinny Brown Dog. A former Navy brat herself, Holt was born in Pensacola, Florida, and lived all over the U.S. and the world—from Paris to Norfolk to Guam to New Orleans. Holt long dreamed of being a writer, but first worked as a radio news director, marketed a water park, and was an interior decorator, among other jobs. A few years after she started writing, her third book, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, won a National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She resides in West Texas with her family.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/kimber...

Reviews

[Dest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous! Epic! Transporting!

One of my librarian colleagues took this book out of the running for our Mock Newbery early (back when the title was "The Dowser's Son") because of a couple lines right at the book's opening: "...he'd not been with a woman in a long time. Without thinking he said, 'Well, I reckon I could marry you.'" Out of context, I can see how this might make the book seem too mature for the Newbery age range (up to and including 14-year-olds). But I think this is a Higher Power of Lucky scrotum-esque fallacy. Adolescents are not necessarily going to read "been with a woman" as "had sex with a woman" so they won't necessarily go so far as to read that line as, "he was horny," which is how most adults would read it. Just like how kids aren't scandalized by reading the world "scrotum." Which is to say, I'm going to argue that this should totally be included in our Mock Newbery. In fact, it just jumped to the top of my list.

Now back to the actual book. I would put The Water Seeker in a class with Anne of Green Gables and Sarah Plain and Tall, i.e. excellent historical fiction about families and communities. They have drama, humor, and the fascinating details of an earlier time in history. They're beautifully written. The characters seems real enough to touch.

This story's hero is Amos Kincaid. Amos is born in 1833. His father is a beaver trapper, but he also has a special talent passed down to him from generations of Kincaids: he can find water in the ground. Amos inherits this skill, but it's a long time before he can use it.

Amos loses his mother at birth and is raised by a patchwork of communities: a minister and his wife at a mission near an Native American community, a family farm run by a widow and her six sons, traveling with his father and his new Shoshone wife, and on the Oregon Trail in a community of people seeking their fortunes out West. Along the way, the spirit of his mother follows him, almost haunting the women who come into his life.

There's so much in this story it's hard to believe it's just 300 pages. A sampling of the issues addressed: inheritance, domestic violence, racism, first love, death, what it means to be a family (or a tribe), and what it means to grow up and become a man. It's a beautiful story, filled with memorable characters, moments of joy and sadness, and a satisfying conclusion.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I liked this book or not. I certainly enjoyed the plot (I'm a sucker for a storyline that uses the Oregon Trail), the characters, and the flow. Even the little magical bits. But it seemed to be missing something... bigger. I suppose the moral (for lack of a better term) was about growing up and becoming yourself, but this wasn't expressed strongly. I wanted a reason to read this, an ultimate "ah ha!" which I guess I didn't get.

I expected there to be more dowsing in this book, but it was mostly used as a way to kick start and end the book. It wasn't so much a disappointment as just something that made me go, "hmm" and later wonder why, but also, whether she could have used something else.

I wasn't sure what the point of the birds were. What did they symbolize? Yes, I know, that "mom" was hovering nearby. So once mom stopped showing herself to Blue Owl and Gwendolyn, why did they keep hanging around? What does water have to do with birds? Maybe I'm too dense to get it, but if someone on here has an idea, let me know.

The foreshadowing was pretty obvious - not too much to enjoy the book, but I knew every time someone was going to die (except one - but I can't tell you who without spoiling it!). Usually it was a pretty direct link: happiness = sudden death. That makes it sound depressing, and I think that Holt's greatest triumph was writing a book with so many sad events that was not actually sad (at least to me).

So, to sum up, the book had lots of weird little things that nag at me now that I'm looking back, but when I was reading it I was really enjoying it, and that's worth a LOT to me.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am struggling with the summary of this book. I could list all of the things that happen, but that doesn’t capture the wonder of this book, the tiny touches that make it so very special and the overlying theme of water and family that tie it all together. I could talk about the special moments but at its heart this book is the story of a boy who becomes a man before our eyes and builds his own sort of family out of the people he loves. It is the story of Amos, a boy who loses his mother the moment he is born, is loved by his father who cannot settle down and stay with him but makes sure he is cared for. It is the story of a mother’s love that continues to guide, embodied in birds and reflections. It is the story of the Oregon Trail, of homesteading, of hardship and pain. It is the story of humanity captured in one boy’s life. And I apologize that that is the best I can do for a summary, because it only grazes the top of this deep book.

I am amazed that Holt was able to put so much love, soul and power into a book that reads like an adventure story. It is a book that can be enjoyed on different levels, but is wonderful to plunge into and be carried away by like a strong river current. It is a book that celebrates all sorts of loves, doesn’t turn away from pain and loss, and shows how life continues after devastation meets us. It is a story filled with strong women and men. Men who are both physically strong but also emotionally there. Women who shoulder the burden of entire families, survive horrific abuse, and continue to life and love.

Holt has created great characters here who are a joy to spend time with. Amos is a humble protagonist who grows into greatness. He is complicated, a wonderful amalgam of all who cared for him in his life. And yet at the same time he is simple and always himself. Holt manages to do both in this boy. And through it all runs a current of water. Water as life. Water as death.

Get this book. I am afraid I can’t capture it any more clearly, because my words don’t seem to be able to match the depth and power of this novel. It is amazing, wondrous and special. My Newbery pick so far.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a little diamond in the rough. Kimberly Willis Holt writes a coming-of-age story about young Amos Kincaid, born to an artist mother and a wandering father in early 19th century America.

The story is mostly about Amos and his family, the lives they lead and their experiences as a pioneering family. From the beginning, TWS sucks you right in. Holt spins her web masterfully, introducing you to her numerous characters and making them so real that you wish you had lived in their time. You come to care very deeply for Amos and his kin, you root for them at every turn through adventures and dangers of the Oregon Trail. You get to meet the pioneers that settled this country and appreciate the dangers they fare to realize their dreams.

Holt's characters are human and she presents them to us warts and all. But, warts and all, we come to care for the prejudiced Henrietta, and the loving Rebecca, the distant Jake and the silent Blue Owl, whose quiet strength wins Amos over completely.

Holt gives us a glimpse of the hardships of life on the frontier. A winner of the National Book Award, this novel deserves a place among the works selected for classroom reading.

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Water Seeker compares well with some of the classic literary tales of simple living, novels such as The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. The Water Seeker is a book completely comfortable with bucking the recent trend toward stories with modern settings, and gives us a chance to experience the rawness of human emotion in a place and time that certainly was not lacking for such excruciating feelings of personal upheaval. In the lives that most of us live today, the sudden death of a family member would be a shocking blow; however, on the Oregon Trail during the middle of the nineteenth century, sudden death of perfectly healthy individuals, even very young children, was an ugly reality that everybody had to be prepared to endure. Today, most of us can only imagine what it would have been like to travel two thousand miles by covered wagon with little pre-made coffins bumping around among your luggage, ready to be used when your children died. Honestly, the potency of that emotional tide sweeping down through the centuries makes my head swim.

One wouldn't know it by the title, but The Water Seeker actually has very little to do with dowsing. Rather, it is mostly the account of the first twenty years or so in the life of young Amos Kincaid, a normal boy who faces all of the adversity common to residents of the United States in the 1840s. Slavery is still legal and doctors of any kind are all too rare, making it frighteningly easy for a person to die from a relatively mild injury or disease. The vast western section of the United States remains chiefly uncolonized, with territories (and future territories) such as California, Washington and Oregon attracting fortune hunters who want to claim their own stake in the free land being offered by the government to those pioneers who are intrepid enough to make the journey. Despite being only on the cusp of adolescence himself, Amos is drawn into taking this dangerous journey, along with his father and dozens of others looking to settle in the open west. They will attempt to brave the substantial risks that go along with walking the long and isolated trail in order to begin a new life for themselves.

However, there is much more to this book than just an insightful look into a boy embarking on the odyssey of a lifetime. When Amos is first born, it is from less than fortuitous circumstances; his mother dies during the delivery, and his father, Jake, isn't prepared to take care of a newborn baby on his own. Therefore, he passes his son on to his childless brother and sister-in-law, who raise Amos almost as their own, with infrequent visits made by Jake to keep in touch with his son. Yet this arrangement doesn't last forever, and eventually Amos, by then a young child, is out on the move with Jake. Jake comes from a family line of dowsers, people born with a gift for divining water, but he has always run from his strange ability. Even now, he avoids turning to dowsing as a profession, opting to get work anywhere else in any field of expertise that he can learn.

The Water Seeker has a deep, complex and rich plot, building well on what comes before to set up more significant meaning later on in the story. The tone of the writing is generally serious and perhaps a bit on the somber side, though author Kimberly Willis Holt doesn't fail to lighten the gloom with some moments of levity here and there. In fact, I'd say that the light spots of humor are made more important by the sadness that marks this story most of the way. It's historical fiction that definitely feels like historical fiction, sobering in its unflinching look at a grueling time in U.S. pioneering history when the lives of real people were being lost along the Oregon Trail at an alarming rate, but there's never any gratuitous death in The Water Seeker. I think you'll find that the deaths are all important in what they do to set the realistic tone of the novel, and help us best see what the lifestyle that so many people were opting to live at the time actually was like. Sudden death isn't something that anyone ever gets used to, even if it's happening all around you, and the horror in the reactions of Amos and his traveling companions also serves to keep the situation in perspective for us.

Amos Kincaid, himself, is a compelling character, but there are others within the story who will be no less unforgettable to passionate readers. There's Finn, Amos's very young cousin, for whom I feared most viscerally of all while they were on the Oregon Trail. When he quietly mentions one night about having nightmares "That I'm dead", it's like a portent of something too horrible to believe that's about to come around the bend. Then there's Gwendolyn, a girl of Amos's age who is accompanying her parents on the long land voyage. Her face had been seared in an episode of physical violence at the hands of her abusive father, but she loves Amos from a distance and hopes that someday he will return her affection even as she accepts that such a turn in fortune is unlikely. Then you have the Reverend McBride, a sincere Christian man who stands firmly by his beliefs without the stain of hypocrisy, truly wanting only to better the world by his endeavors on the trail. Many others join together to comprise the cast of characters and all of them feel authentic and complete, clearly the master work of an excellent writer. More than anything else, I would say it's the depth and realism of the characters that makes the emotion of the story come to life as painfully as it often does.

Not much is directly taught in this book. For the most part, potential life lessons from the story are sitting there to either be gleaned or not by observant readers, depending on how much of an emotional education one wishes the experience of reading this book to be. I've found that any powerful, richly constructed story is naturally going to evolve into an object lesson about life, but The Water Seeker never seems to strive to boil itself down to those kinds of teaching points, instead just letting the weighty emotion of its plot drive home the truths that the action presents.

There were some minor points to the narrative that I didn't fully understand, but those considerations were more than made up for by the strength of the story. I've got to go back to the phrase I used in the beginning paragraph to describe this book, saying that it's a story filled with "rawness of emotion". That's the The Water Seeker at its best, a vehicle for raw emotion that hits the reader hard numerous times during the story, ensuring that at least we'll never forget what we felt as we read it. I'm certain that I'll never forget. All things considered, there's a good chance that I would give three and a half stars to this book.

[Linda Lpp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another book collecting dust on my book shelf for far too long. Ok the dust cover initially attracted me with the type of paper used and the texture ( there is likely a name for this paper). To me it represented superb quality, and a story well worth reading. At least thats what drew me in.
I'm not keen on re itterating the story here. From the beginning you are pulled in, and want to become entertained with where the story was going to lead you.
More to add. The story was laden with sadness, death of loved ones, tragedies that drove people to dream of opportunities if they made the arduous journey out West along the Oregon trail in the 1880's. The mode of transport was wooden wagons. Driven by mules or oxen formed a caravan of hopeful families joining forces. And this the epic trek began.
I loved the story, and was sad when it ended. I doubt any of us today would have the stamina to endure such hardships and unlikely bonds formed.
I recommend to join the journey back in time, that settlers took, which opened up America for descendents. Take your time. Put your electronic devices down and imagine. And dream as they did.

[Zora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coming of age story set in the American west. This is not really a children's book and is definitely not one I'd recommend for a boy, despite the male protagonist. It has magical realism properties as well.

The writing is pretty, but the story was unbalanced, I thought. The more interesting bits happened in the second half, but some were played out too quickly, while duller bits in the first half should have been edited down.

I nearly subtracted another star for the poor conversion to e-book. The big 5 publishers overcharge for e-books and then don't spare two hours' proofreading cost to correct 100 errors like "per for mance" and weird line breaks. It's as if they haven't bothered to notice yet that e-book sales are beginning to beat physical book sales and keep treating e-books like the unwanted stepchild. Perhaps I should subtract the star...it's not as if the author couldn't get final approval of her own e-book written into the contract she signs, and if she had pride in her work, she would.

[Gwen the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this excellent and tender coming-of-age story about a boy and his relationship with his father, his yearning for a mother, and his adventure on a wagon train going to Oregon. While some mature young readers will enjoy the story, the harsh opening chapters tilt this read toward an older audience.

[Stiina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this story was so pure and engaging. It flowed and meandered just like water, mesmerizing you and making you yearn for it to go on forever. It's a plodding story where nothing really happens and yet it still felt interesting and I always wanted to know more. There were some supposed-to-be-sad parts that didn't affect me, yet I was moved to tears by the simple wholesomeness of some other moments. Masterfully crafted and thoroughly enjoyed.

The narration in the audio book version was fantastic and suited the story perfectly.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really reallyenjoyed this. It hit all my personal happy spots: excellent character growth, easily followed plot line with reasonable challenges, a wonderful cast of characters, etc. I don't know why I love books set during the United States' pioneering days but I do, and this is one of the best. I had trouble putting it down.

[Margo Tanenbaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Award-winning children's author Kimberly Willis Holt offers a lyrical coming-of-age story set against the harsh reality of pioneer times and the Oregon trail in her newest novel. The central character is Amos, born in 1834, the son of a dowser, or water-seeker. His father, Jake, has the mystical gift of finding water, a gift handed down from son to son in his family. His mother, Delilah, died while giving birth to Amos but appears repeatedly in the novel as a ghost visible to those women who care for her son. Because his father is away most of the year trapping and dowsing, Amos is raised by his childless aunt and uncle at an Indian mission. Amos is an unusual child who has inherited both his mother's gift for drawing and his father's gift for dowsing.

Life on the frontier was not easy, with a smallpox epidemic killing off not only a slew of Indians but also Amos' aunt, the only mother he has known. His care is given over to neighbors, until his father comes back to town with a new wife, Blue Owl, a Shoshone Indian. Amos, who wants to stay where he is, joins his father and Blue Owl in their itinerant lifestyle, until, a few years later, his father decides to join a wagon train to the Oregon territory as a scout.

The second half of the book tells the story of the journey on the Oregon trail; almost fourteen by this time in the story, Amos' journey takes him from a boy to a man. From the trail's jumping off point in Independence, Missouri, Amos' father recruits a diverse group of people for their wagon train, characters who will populate the rest of the book. Among them are a British family with a young girl, Gwendolyn, whose face has been disfigured by her father's abusive behavior. Also joining the group is a beautiful young girl Jubilee, her deaf brother, and her parents. Amos is enchanted by Jubilee, but Blue Owl knows that she is not meant for him.

Holt brings us into the preparations for this almost unimaginable journey--the purchase of supplies, the outfitting of wagons with oxen or mules, the decisions on which route to take, even the preparations of coffins of cloth, in case the worst happens. We see the travelers' distrust of Blue Owl; many had never seen Indians up close.

The action in the book steps up as the wagon train leaves for Oregon; terrible accidents, sickness, death, buffalo hunts, and young love are among the experiences that turn young Amos from a boy to a man. At the conclusion of the book, Holt takes us to 1859, when we see Amos, now with his own family, carrying on the family tradition of dowsing, "as his father had done, as his father had done before him...the gift never failed Amos."

This is a beautifully written, poetic tale that I would categorize as literary fiction for young readers. The book starts out with a very quiet, slow pace, and I can easily imagine many children abandoning the book after the first 25 pages or so unless they are required to read it for class. The story certainly would fit well into curriculum units on Western expansion, the Oregon Trail, and other pioneer themes, but the book does not have the action-packed pace that many children are accustomed to in other books. I do not see this book as having broad child appeal, but I can imagine that it might fare well in the awards season, since its more leisurely style may appeal to many adult readers of children's books.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book annoyed me. The story was fine - even good. But I was annoyed by the fakey mysticism - the image of Amps' mother appearing everywhere. And the birds - such a great chance to have good mysticism but she never did anything with them. And the dowsing - I thought that would be a major theme and metaphor but it just seems to be something she threw in at the beginning and end. And Amos' drawing. When Gwendolyn helps him draw pictures of people I thought, oh, now we are going to have an interesting development, but no - it just ends. It was as if the author had a bunch of good ideas and just threw them all into the book without any development. Very annoying. And I really don't need to read a book about teenage crushes on the Oregon Trail. A much better choice would be the Dear America book: West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscard.

I need to add, that one reason I was annoyed was that at the front of the book, the first thing you open to, is a beautiful map. I love maps in books. This one has all/most of the places on it that are in the book and it has lots of rivers identified. It gave me great hopes and probably set the bar too high. Actually, the author does a good job with places and rivers in the book.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's moving story, with themes about family, belonging, growing up, and learning to see past the surface of things, set during the 1830s and 40s. It pulls you in, makes you care for characters, doesn't spare you any of the pain of loss or change, takes you across the country on the Oregon Trail, makes you feel fear and first love. It manages to feel gritty without much violence, and it makes history close and immediate.

But will any kids pick it up off the shelf? I know, I know - just because it won't get checked out like crazy doesn't mean there aren't readers who want and need stories like this. But it's one of those children's books that you could imagine published for the adult market with a few small changes. On the other hand, it really is about the experience of being a child - of dealing with change and growing up. Definitely recommended.

Source: I picked up an ARC at PLA.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover of "The Water Seeker" is outstanding. The book begs to be picked up and opened. And what an opening it is!

This fast-paced historical fiction adventure story for teens will have them living in the frontier world of Amos who endures the hardships on the Oregon Trail.

The author does an excellent job making her main characters and secondary characters seem completely authentic. You care about what happens to them. With a deft touch Holt manages to weave mysticism into the story without overdoing it.

"The Water Seeker" is one of those rare books I know I'll re-read and will find even more gems to relish. It's not for the squeamish. I highly recommend reading this tale and experiencing all of the highs and lows through the eyes of its memorable characters.

[Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this book, taking place during the westward movement era of our country, was close to a fantasy fiction story for me. Far removed from how I live life now in a large modern city with technology amped, I thoroughly enjoyed the simple and sweet way of life presented in The Water Seeker, with its yesteryear problems and pure relationships that ebb and flow and strengthen over years of working together. I liked learning about dowsing, which I hadn't thought much about before and want to explore more about how people used to find a water source during the pioneer days. Loved this tender book. Amos melted my heart.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that falls into the Children's genre. I'm not sure I agree with that. Not only is this a book that I wouldn't read to my children, I'm absolutely sure that my kids wouldn't want to hear this book being read or would even want to read it themselves.

I liked the story. It was original and contained the early American westward movement, which is an era I thoroughly enjoy reading about. But I'm not sure I completely embraced the fantasy element.

I liked Amos. His life was a hard one. The author created many characteristics that made him clearly stand out as the MC. I just wish some of the other characters felt as real.

[Donalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book follows the story of Amos, a dowser's son, who travels along the Oregon Trail. You will become attached to the characters, rejoycing and crying along with them as the face the hardships of wilderness life. A masterful piece of storytelling and one of the best books I have read this summer.

Can anyone call the Newbery committee?

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I my heart got wrapped up in this magic-laced historical tale! Amos is a sweet, motherless boy who gets handed around, endures tragedy of many kinds, and has the ultimate adventure crossing the country on the Oregon Trail. I was delighted to find he would end up in my current backyard. Pioneer stories rock!

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took a bit to warm up to, but by the end, I appreciated the story. Amos Kincaid began life in a harsh existence, losing his mother during childbirth, having his father leave him in the care of his uncle and aunt, and then experiencing more hardship, death and abandonment. There were few glimmers of hope. I liked the contrast between Gwendolyn and Jubilee, demonstrating how one's background heavily influences one's personality and how one's outward appearance becomes insignificant once one's inner beauty shines through. It was equally interesting to have historical events woven through the narrative, such as the wagon train experiences on the Oregon Trail and the spread of infectious diseases such as smallpox and typhoid fever, and the inconsistent origins and false blame ascribed to them.

[Rhayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

kimberly Willis holts book "THE WATER SEEKER" is a story of a boy who becomes a man before your eyes and builds his own sort of family out of the people he loves. Amos, a boy who loses his mother the moment he is born, he is loved by his father who cannot settle down and stay with him but makes sure he is cared for. It is the story of the Oregon Trail, with hardship and pain. it's about a boys life while he is growing up. but... this boy isn't an ordinary boy, he has a sixth sense. he has the gift of being able to find water, magically. I would recommend this book for someone looking to read a very adventurous book about the Oregon Trail.

[Lou Maresca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was interesting and somewhat enjoyable, but I did not know beforehand that it is essentially a book for young adults. I am not sure how from the synopsis I would have surmised this, but decided to stick with the book by the time I figured it out.
I have given it a (3) here. If I were, say 16, I would give it a (4).
I did find that the book was fairly formulaic, but, again, likely I wouldn't say this if I were much younger.
Overall, it was enjoyable, but most of the prose, the phrasing and the dialogue make it clear that it is a book for young adults.

[EmmaB · Rating 4 out of 5]

How delightful to find a book that doesn't exactly give away its ending, but still projects a satisfactory one at that. Not really a fantasy book at all (maybe a little bit- but whether mama is looking after her boy doesn't need to be determined one way or another, and whether scars actually fade or become less important) -a great story of the expansion west, with a few caricatures (especially of Native peoples, but perhaps okay), and a great final line of a book- that water flows like stories, or is it stories flow like water. Definitely up to EB White standards -Charlotte was both.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable tale of a boy coming of age as he travels the Oregon Trail. The story takes us from his birth to adulthood in only 300 pages, but it doesn't feel like the story is rushed. I enjoyed the window into his thoughts which were skillfully age appropriate, and the world of a young man in the 1800s.

The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because I could have done without the ghost references.

[Eunice Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am normally stingy with 5 stars but this was a good one. Holt knocks it out of the park with The water seeker. I love the flawed characters and the unusual details. This book kept me enthralled. I am an audio book listener because I drive a lot. It is narrated by Will Patton and you can't go wrong when he narrates. He puts you right in the story with his unique talent for voices and inflections. I highly suggest you check out this book.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very sad tale with occasional foul language.
The journey west does not start until halfway through the book. The ending is happy with frayed edges for the survivors of disaster.
It seemed as though the author began by making a list of any bad thing that could happen to a kid in the 1830s. Then she wrote a story about a child and his friends that experienced all those things.
It was so depressing, I need to immediately cleanse myself with ice cream and comedy.

[GreedyGremlins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upon rereading this book as an adult, I give it 3 stars. If I was a teen/YA as I was when I first read it, I'd bump it up into 4 star territory.

It was very enjoyable book, and I liked reading it, but it definitely has parts that show it's meant for a younger audience. Still, if this type of premise interests you and you don't mind reading books geared towards teens, I'd definitely recommend giving it a go!

[Shannon Ozirny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will Patton's narration is spot-on which is not surprising because it is Will Patton and he is one of the best. I think this is a 3.5 start book with a 5 star narration.
I am uncomfortable and inquisitive any time a white author writes from an Indigenous perspective and there are a few things in here that I have questions about and which kept me from full-out loving this.

[Hal Melnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read

Loved all the characters in this novel. Each had a special place in a dynamic community. The slow development of the interconnected relationships of characters was woven together brilliantly. I feel I know who they were and why they each thrived through challenges we in the 21st century couldn’t possibly survive. Bravo Kimberly Willis Holt.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a find on Libby. Had a little of everything I love to read about: typhoid, smallpox, orphans, births out in the wilderness, blended families all wrapped up in a tale about a great Oregon Trail journey. It was a great length and the audiobook reader is A+
My only criticism was the predictability of the last 25% of the book.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio. I enjoyed this book though the adult in me is disappointed by its reliance on time worn stereotypes. I gave it 4 stars because my inner pre-teen would have LOVED this book. My inner adult would only award three stars.