Walk On Earth A Stranger - Rae Carson
Synopsis
Leah Westfall has a gift: she can find gold. When her parents are murdered, she joins the migration west to California. Disguised as a boy, she makes the perilous journey across the continental United States, learning what it means to trust and have friends, and also learning more of who she wants to be.
Review
This was a really good book. I was expecting a bit more magic, but what I got was more Western. And I didn't mind at all. I enjoyed reading about the trek west in the California gold rush in 1849. As someone who grew up in California and learned about this as part of my history in school, and also as someone whose ancestors were pioneers and made the same trek, it made me feel connected to the book and the characters.
The plot was good, fast-paced, and pulled me in. A couple of times it was like EVERYTHING happened all at once. But I know that pioneer treks were hard and dangerous and people endured everything described in the book and more. The writing was great, and I liked the Western way of talking. I also like that the title comes from the hymn "Come Thou Fount", which is a favorite of mine.
There are some good characters, especially in the protagonist. Leah Westfall is a strong, independent teenage girl. Because of her father's health, she is the one that takes care of the farm and goes out hunting. After her parents die, her uncle inherits everything. He knows about her gift for finding gold, and plans to keep her prisoner and use her to make himself rich. She hatches a plan to escape and has the courage to do it. I like that she was a bit naive towards the beginning of the book, but that she uses her wits to make it through losing everything and come out okay. She isn't perfect, but what I like most about characters is seeing them struggle, learn, and grow.
The secondary characters were also well-written and I felt like they were very real and three-dimensional. There was always more under the surface and they didn't just fill a needed cliché.
Her best friend, Jefferson, is with her on the trek, and their budding romance is perfectly set for this book. For most the story it's only an attraction that's hinted at, and only a side element to the overall plot, but it rounded out the book.
I liked the various themes addressed in the book, especially about learning to trust people and how people can become like family. Beyond that, the main theme in the book was Gender. Leah is treated vastly different when she's a woman than when she's disguised as a boy. She remarks at one point that she as a woman feels like she's an object that men think they can toss around. She feels more freedom as a boy, but she doesn't want to be a man. She also says at one point that she's "rather be treated with respect than like a lady". The gender roles of the mid 1800s are definitely different than those we see today, and it made me appreciate how far we've come, but also recognize attitudes that still permeate society today.
Another theme, though not as strongly addressed, was race and prejudice. Leah's best friend, Jefferson, is half Cherokee, and we see the tension that causes, as well as the tension that arises between the white pioneers and the native Americans they meet on the trail. There's also the issue of slavery that's touched on every so often.
Overall, a fun, gripping read that I enjoyed form start to finish. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy.
Rating
I give this book 4 stars.
Details
Genre: Western, Fantasy.
Sex: Non-existent.
Violence: There's a little blood and gore, but it's not graphic.
Language: Hardly any swearing at all.
Synopsis
Leah Westfall has a gift: she can find gold. When her parents are murdered, she joins the migration west to California. Disguised as a boy, she makes the perilous journey across the continental United States, learning what it means to trust and have friends, and also learning more of who she wants to be.
Review
This was a really good book. I was expecting a bit more magic, but what I got was more Western. And I didn't mind at all. I enjoyed reading about the trek west in the California gold rush in 1849. As someone who grew up in California and learned about this as part of my history in school, and also as someone whose ancestors were pioneers and made the same trek, it made me feel connected to the book and the characters.
The plot was good, fast-paced, and pulled me in. A couple of times it was like EVERYTHING happened all at once. But I know that pioneer treks were hard and dangerous and people endured everything described in the book and more. The writing was great, and I liked the Western way of talking. I also like that the title comes from the hymn "Come Thou Fount", which is a favorite of mine.
There are some good characters, especially in the protagonist. Leah Westfall is a strong, independent teenage girl. Because of her father's health, she is the one that takes care of the farm and goes out hunting. After her parents die, her uncle inherits everything. He knows about her gift for finding gold, and plans to keep her prisoner and use her to make himself rich. She hatches a plan to escape and has the courage to do it. I like that she was a bit naive towards the beginning of the book, but that she uses her wits to make it through losing everything and come out okay. She isn't perfect, but what I like most about characters is seeing them struggle, learn, and grow.
The secondary characters were also well-written and I felt like they were very real and three-dimensional. There was always more under the surface and they didn't just fill a needed cliché.
Her best friend, Jefferson, is with her on the trek, and their budding romance is perfectly set for this book. For most the story it's only an attraction that's hinted at, and only a side element to the overall plot, but it rounded out the book.
I liked the various themes addressed in the book, especially about learning to trust people and how people can become like family. Beyond that, the main theme in the book was Gender. Leah is treated vastly different when she's a woman than when she's disguised as a boy. She remarks at one point that she as a woman feels like she's an object that men think they can toss around. She feels more freedom as a boy, but she doesn't want to be a man. She also says at one point that she's "rather be treated with respect than like a lady". The gender roles of the mid 1800s are definitely different than those we see today, and it made me appreciate how far we've come, but also recognize attitudes that still permeate society today.
Another theme, though not as strongly addressed, was race and prejudice. Leah's best friend, Jefferson, is half Cherokee, and we see the tension that causes, as well as the tension that arises between the white pioneers and the native Americans they meet on the trail. There's also the issue of slavery that's touched on every so often.
Overall, a fun, gripping read that I enjoyed form start to finish. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy.
Rating
I give this book 4 stars.
Details
Genre: Western, Fantasy.
Sex: Non-existent.
Violence: There's a little blood and gore, but it's not graphic.
Language: Hardly any swearing at all.
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