First published 1992
Jim Keath has spent six years living among the Crow Indians when word reaches him that his blood relatives are traveling west to claim new land. His younger brothers and sister represent a world he barely remembers from childhood. Jim decides his obligation lies with these family members, despite the gulf that separates them. His siblings view him with suspicion and fear. He struggles to reconnect with people who feel like strangers. The westward trek to Oregon tests everyone as they face the brutal realities of frontier existence. When their youngest brother gets kidnapped, the crisis forces them to depend on each other. Jim must bridge two cultures while his family learns to see past their prejudices. The journey strips away their assumptions and reveals what family truly means. Through shared hardships and mutual survival, they discover that acceptance requires letting go of old fears and embracing what they can become together.
Genres: family, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, adventure, 19th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Crow, Oregon
Period: 19th-Century
247 pages · Paperback · Scholastic paperback