Review by Booklist Review
Sally is an outcast, first from an orphanage and now from her job at Miz Broome's hotel. Striking out on her own sounds good to this independent 13-year-old. Poor and hungry, she's suspicious when an old lady called Major offers her a free ride in her wagon, pulled by a mule. The other travel companions include Major's trusty dog, Sarge, and a spoiled brat of a little boy named Lafayette. Major has been hired to deliver the child to his new home with a distant cousin he has never met. The journey takes place in Oregon during the summer of 1894. Sally and her fellow travelers share food, opinions, and challenges along the way, gradually earning one another's trust. Cushman, author of Catherine, Called Birdy--a Newbery Honor book-- and The Midwife's Apprentice--a Newbery Medal winner--now offers a middle-grade page-turner that will work equally well for reading aloud or reading alone. As the story's narrator, Sally is straightforward, plain-spoken, and tough, but also quick witted and easily touched by kindness, having experienced it so seldom. Serious issues arise during the journey, but humor is woven into the story as well. A lively adventure tale for historical fiction fans.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Orphaned youth Sally hits the road with an empty belly, a few coins, and not much else in this evocative historical novel by Cushman (War and Millie McGonigle) that follows one girl's search for belonging and lauds the healing power of human connection. In 1894 Oregon, there's no going back to her job at the River Hotel and Mineral Spring after the establishment's ruthless owner dismisses Sally like "chewed-on chicken bones." An early stop for provisions prompts Sally to begin an epic journey "West. To the sea." She soon begrudgingly accepts a ride on a mule-powered wagon from an older woman named Major and her protective pup, Sarge; the small wagon grows even more crowded when Major later agrees to transport a spoiled eight-year-old to his relatives. As they progress, the motley crew faces sweltering summer heat, a dastardly highwayman, a terrifying river passage, and a tragedy. Immersive period details capture the smells and sounds of Oregon's developing cities, while old-timey vernacular ("Thunderation!" "Goldurn it!" "Gee whillikers!") heightens humorous antics and buoys emotional scenes. At the heart of it all is tough-as-nails Sally, whose boundless curiosity and capacity for empathy despite ongoing trials and tribulations will have readers clambering to hitch a ride on this entertaining and gratifying adventure. Ages 8--12. (Mar.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Sally, aged thirteen, is a plucky heroine in the best tradition of the orphan narrative. It's 1894 in central Oregon, and Sally has had it with being demeaned, so she heads off on a journey west to discover the sea. Lacking family, friends, and resources, she is thrown onto her own resilience and bravery. Linking up with a kindly trader woman who is traveling with a cart and donkey, Sally takes on the task of helping to deliver a small boy, a sort of Little Lord Fauntleroy figure, to his family on the coast. A loyal dog completes the cast. Along the way, as she deals with dangers and challenges, Sally comes out of her protective shell and learns to trust other people and her own strengths. The narrative style is jaunty: page two gives us "goldurn it," and along the way we are treated to generous helpings of historical linguistic color ("varmints," "jumpin' jiminy," "flapdoodle"). Some of the landscape descriptions tend toward the travelogue, but the choreography of peril and refuge is well managed as readers find themselves cheering Sally on to her happy ending. Sarah EllisMay/June 2025 p.85 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Orphan Sally O'Malley exudes gumption as she makes her way across 1894 Oregon in the company of a spoiled kid, a plucky donkey, and a wise woman. Sally doesn't mince words, not even when she's talking to herself. "Nobody was wanting me. Never had," she reminds herself as she runs away from the mineral spring hotel where she's worked since the orphanage sent her there at age 10. Following the suggestion of a store clerk, 13-year-old Sally, eyeing a brighter future, heads westward. All manner of obstacles hinder her path, but the offer of a ride with an older woman on her wagon, pulled by Mabel the donkey, leads to relationships that soften Sally's mistrustful heart. She and the woman, who goes by Major, take on a sniveling 7-year-old boy named Lafayette and make their way toward the coast over land and by riverboat. Sally's colorful vocabulary evokes the time period, and her irascible first-person narration, coupled with Major's sensible good nature and brook-no-nonsense attitude, are an appealing combination. The well-developed secondary characters and adventure-filled plot provide opportunities for highlighting gender restrictions of the time and accentuating Sally's growth. The short chapters are laced with historical tidbits, from saloons and dime novels to dungarees. The central characters present white; during her journey, Sally encounters people of other races for the first time in her life. An engrossing historical journey, filled with shenanigans that support trust and growth.(Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
