I've been reading Avi books since my childhood and really enjoyed this one. The setting and characters were exactly what I would expect from this author. This is a great read for middle grade readers who are looking for likeable characters, a fun setting, and adventure.

San Francisco in 1849 is very different from how it is now. That is the part of this novel that is so cool to read about, when the excitement of this crazy town, when the action starts.

Tory, who came from Rhode Island with her father and younger brother, to hunt for gold, was not supposed to come, and far too many pages are made up of what her life was like before. It is really, really dull. But once she sneaks away to be with her father and brother, and lands in San Francisco, the story takes off.

If you can get past the first, oh, 50 pages, the pace picks up and it is an exciting adventure, in old San Francisco. The father goes off to hunt for gold, and leaves the kids alone, in a tent, somewhere near where the Financial district is now. What could possibly go wrong, right?

Avi is a good story teller, and I like where this story went, which was quite plausible.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

14-year-old Victoria sneaks aboard a ship with her father and younger brother bound for stinky, muddy San Francisco and the hope of gold. She's surrounded by mostly men and no other kids and soon realizes that no one is getting rich but ships and people keep pouring in. Their dad leaves them in a tent for months while he searches for gold. Victoria makes the best of it but her 10-year-old brother doesn't. Then he gets kidnapped and sold and Victoria and two friends race to rescue him. It's an interesting story that gives readers a strong sense of setting and historical perspective.

E ARC provided by Netgalley



Victoria Blaisdell (who likes to be called Tory even though her mother doesn't think it is proper) has a good life in Providence, Rhode Island in 1848 until her father loses his job. While there is a wealthy aunt on whom the family can depend, they are not pleased with drawing her criticism, so the father decides to go to the California gold fields to make his fortune. Fearing that staying to watch her mother as she is expected will be confining and boring, Victoria stows away on the ship taking her father and brother Jacob to San Francisco. Once her father finds out she is there, he tells her that she will be in charge of the new household and of making sure that Jacob goes to school, until her mother arrives. Once there, however, the family finds that living conditions are not what they are used to in Rhode Island-- most people live in tents, there is constant mud, and there are no schools. Undeterred, the father buys a tent for the children and takes off for the gold fields. Victoria throws herself into working, wearing boys' clothing and making friends such as Maine born Thad. Jacob, who is about ten, refuses to stir himself to do anything but pout, although he occasionally works at the nearby restaurant whose owner has become their friend. When Jacob goes missing, Victoria seeks help from Thad and also a new boy she has met at a theatre where she thinks Jacob had been. Sam is a free born Black from the East Coast, but there is prejudice in California and he and his father are afraid of being sold back into slavery. It looks like Jacob has been kidnapped by men who find sailors for ships, and Victoria, Thad and Sam embark on the dangerous job of trying to find him. Will San Francisco ever become a place where the Blaisdells can live in comfort and safety?
Strengths: I'm a huge fan of Avi's historical fiction, and this story reminded me a bit of Charlotte Doyle. There's action, adventure, a strong female character, and lots of details about daily life during this time period. I especially loved that Victoria's Providence house still exists and was occupied during this time period by a family named Blaisdell. As always, the research is fantastic, and the story telling top notch.
Weaknesses: Avi's style is a bit old fashioned, but strong readers will not be too surprised by the language and descriptions. While I liked this book, I wish that less of it had been concerned with finding Jacob. He was rather a brat, so I couldn't get too invested in trying to find him! It did add an air of danger to the story, though.
What I really think: Jennifer Holm's Boston Jane, about the Alaskan Gold Rush, is very popular in my library, so I think I will purchase this, since more of my sixth graders are reading historical fiction.