First published 1939
Bill Crawford shoulders his pack and sets out from New Hampshire with goods to trade. The seventeen-year-old has his sights set on the Ohio Country, where opportunity waits for those bold enough to seize it. The year is 1837, and the frontier beckons with promises of profit and adventure. Bill must navigate treacherous roads, unpredictable weather, and the countless dangers that face a young trader traveling alone through wilderness territory. Each mile tests his resolve as he encounters fellow travelers, hostile conditions, and the harsh realities of frontier commerce. Success means establishing himself as a trader in the growing settlements of Ohio. Failure could cost him everything he has risked on this journey. Bill discovers that the path to his dreams demands more courage and determination than he ever imagined.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, journey
Setting: New Hampshire, Ohio Country
Period: 1837
297 pages · Hardcover · Harcourt Brace and Company