First published 2025
Haidie Richards refuses to wait any longer. Four years have passed since her father left for the Colorado Territory gold fields, and only three letters have arrived since. When their mother dies and Haidie and her younger brother Boots end up working in an orphanage, Haidie decides to take action. She cuts her hair, dresses as a boy, and sets out west with Boots to find their father. The siblings join a wagon train heading into dangerous territory. Haidie quickly learns to manage stubborn mules and oxen while fending off greedy men who threaten their safety. She also discovers the value of unlikely allies: a card shark, two independent sisters, and a fierce dog who becomes their protector. When they finally reach Colorado and learn the shocking truth about what happened to their father, Haidie realizes she needs every friend she has made. Her quest for family becomes a mission for justice that will test everything she has learned about survival and loyalty on the frontier.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, quest, survival
Setting: Colorado Territory
Period: 19th Century
288 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press