Hope's Path to Glory: The Story of a Family's Journey on the Overland Trail
Hope's Path to Glory: The Story of a Family's Journey on the Overland Trail
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Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Annotation: From the author of Eliza’s Freedom Road and Calico Girl (a Kirkus Best Book of the Year) comes a dramatic historical mid... more
 
Reviews: 1
Catalog Number: #351891
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Copyright Date: 2023
Edition Date: 2023 Release Date: 02/07/23
Pages: 228 pages
ISBN: 1-665-92471-3
ISBN 13: 978-1-665-92471-9
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 2022028270
Dimensions: 22 cm
Language: English
Reviews:
School Library Journal (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Gr 4–7 —The 1848 discovery of gold in California provides the catalyst for this story of 12-year-old enslaved girl Hope (called "Clementine" by her mistress), and her parents, who accompany the family's eldest son as he heads West. They travel from Virginia to St. Louis and then with a group along the arduous Overland Trail. Told through Hope's journal, the trek is peppered with historical details: their diet, dangers to livestock, and harsh weather. Some anecdotes may be familiar, particularly the tragedy of the Donner-Reed party whose catastrophic journey looms large. Themes of freedom, manifest destiny, and the constant threat of racism punctuate the story as Hope grapples with what the future might hold for her family—if they survive. Deep research provides ample material about the little-known lives of enslaved people on the journey as well as the treatment of the displaced Indigenous peoples. Readers may wish for more depth; Hope, her family, and the other members of their wagon train act more as inhabitants of a rich history lesson than fully-formed characters. Accompanying the novel is detailed backmatter including a bibliography, providing opportunities for further research. VERDICT The unique lens through which to examine the 1849 Gold Rush will enhance historical fiction collections, though readers may long for deeper character connection.—Rebecca Kirshenbaum

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School Library Journal (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2023)
Bibliography Index/Note: Includes bibliographical references.
Reading Level: 5.0
Interest Level: 4-7
Chapter One: A Broken Home
CHAPTER ONE A Broken Home


Excerpted from Hope's Path to Glory: The Story of a Family's Journey on the Overland Trail by Jerdine Nolen
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

From the author of Eliza’s Freedom Road and Calico Girl (a Kirkus Best Book of the Year) comes a dramatic historical middle grade novel that is “a unique lens through which to examine the 1849 Gold Rush” (School Library Journal) following an enslaved girl taking the chance to find freedom on the Overland Trail to California.

In Alexandria, Virginia, in the mid-19th century, a slave-owning family is facing financial trouble. The eldest son, Jason, thinks going to California to mine for gold might be the best way to protect his father’s legacy. He’ll need a cook, a laundress, and a hostler for the journey, and one of them is twelve-year-old Clementine, whose mother calls her Hope.

From Independence, Missouri—the “Gateway to the West”—she and the others join a wagon train on the Emigrant Overland Trail. But what Jason didn’t consider is taking the three enslaved people west will give them an opportunity to free themselves—manifesting their destiny.


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