Critical Praise

"Pioneer history comes alive in this fast-paced story set in Minnesota frontier country. Means relies on solid research and accurate detailing to depict the harsh realities and challenges settlers faced, while crafting a story that will enthrall young readers with a feisty heroine and plentiful suspense as the plot moves from one adventure to the next."

—Jan Dunlap, Author, Chaska, Minnesota.

"This story of a young girl left on her own and drawn into a westward journey with a strange and uncongenial family takes us through a rich variety of landscapes and of human encounters, and through very real hardships and dangers. I particularly like the scenes in the native village, drawn with knowledge and tact --- a reminder that not all threads started in a novel need to be wound up. We share in Sarah Pearl’s discoveries and inner growth, as privation, struggle, and responsibility open her way into a wider world."

—Jay Macpherson, Author, Researcher, Toronto, Canada