This is a tale of the American West through the eyes of Josie Belle, the daughter of a train engineer, who struggles to keep a steady job and leads her large family to relocate often, even though her father is generally absent, riding on the rail. The life of Josie’s family is a hard one where poverty is scratching at the door and survival isn’t possible without the kindness of neighbors. After the untimely death of Josie’s mother and at the risk of a forced marriage to a much older man who appalls her, Josie takes the brave decision to leave home and find a job and life of her own. This was a beautiful and at times a heart-rending tale that manages to sustain hope even in tough circumstances.

This was a really well done historical fiction book, I enjoyed going on this journey with Josie and how everything flowed with the story. I enjoyed how good that this novel had multiple locations and it worked well overall. Teresa H. Janssen has a great writing style.