Thoroughly Enjoyable
Although this is essentially a children's book, it's a delightful read at any age. I picked up this title at random last year when my children were assigned to read anything by this author. I purchased three books and this was the book not chosen by either child so I read it. I raved about it so much to the kids that they in turn read it and we've been plotting a way to get to Santa Fe ever since.
The cover suggests that it's for an audience between 10 and 14 and I agree that it's a good fit for that age range developmentally.
The story is captivating and heartwarming though definitely not over-sentimentalized or sappy. The character development is excellent and the author does an wonderful job of painting a picture of life for a 13-yo girl in New Mexico Territory in the 1870's.
I particularly appreciated finding such a well-written book featuring a strong female main character. So much historical fiction is written for boys or with a boy's perspective; it can be a real challenge to find good literature that captivates the imaginations of pre-teen girls.
Anyone planning a trip to Santa Fe should put this on their "must-read" list with a follow-up trip to the Loretto Chapel museum on their "must-do" list.
