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Walk on Earth a Stranger
Walk on Earth a Stranger
Walk on Earth a Stranger
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Walk on Earth a Stranger

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this ebook

A New York Times bestseller and National Book Award longlist selection

The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times–bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush–era America. Walk on Earth a Stranger begins an epic saga from one of the finest writers of young adult literature.

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?

Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns series, dazzles with the first book in the Gold Seer Trilogy, introducing a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance, as only she can.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateSep 22, 2015
ISBN9780062242938
Author

Rae Carson

Rae Carson is the author of two bestselling and award-winning trilogies, as well as the acclaimed stand-alone novels Any Sign of Life and The Empire of Dreams. Her debut, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, was named a William C. Morris Award finalist and an Andre Norton Award finalist. Walk on Earth a Stranger was longlisted for the 2015 National Book Award and won the Western Writers of America Spur Award. Her books tend to contain adventure, magic, and smart girls who make (mostly) smart choices. Originally from California, Rae Carson now lives in Ohio with her husband. www.raecarson.com

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Reviews for Walk on Earth a Stranger

Rating: 4.044736872631579 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Thoroughly enjoyable first book in a romantic trilogy set against the backdrop of the westward expansion of the US. The first part of Lee's story walks her in a wagon train along the Oregon Trail. There's a tiny bit of magic (Lee can sense the presence of gold), but far more historical worldbuilding, full of details of the dangers of the Trail. (Sorry, no one dies of dysentery.)

    Diversity gets more P.C. box-checking than authenticity here: runaway slave, check... gross racism against the half-Cherokee love interest and Indians in general, check... irredeemably awful ranchers shooting indiscriminately at buffalo, check. The characters say all the right things, but none of them get to be well-rounded people. Of course, neither does Lee -- she's a stock feminist romantic heroine, who shoots better than the men and dresses up as a boy to seek her fortune. "Original characterization" isn't really what this book is here for.

    Escapist historical melodrama that reads like fantasy is catnip for me, and this is a solid example of the genre. If you love Jacky Faber, Alanna, Rae Carson's first trilogy, etc., you'll probably eat this one up, too.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I initially started this as part of Nook's serial reads, but started reading like... two days before the next month started, whoops. Low fantasy historical fiction- Leah Westfall has "witchy" gold-sense, but as far as I can tell that's in for supernatural in this world, as the rest of it is very much our historical 1849 gold rush to California emigration as she escapes after tragedy strikes her family in Georgia.

    For those who recall history class (or maybe played a lot of Oregon Trail), landmarks and the timeline will be familiar. As with actual history, character deaths happen. The only part I audibly groaned at was two of the German family's kids being named Martin and Luther (a little on the nose imo, though I'm sure there are parents who do themed names). I hadn't heard of the Dahlonega gold rush in Georgia prior to the Sutter's Mill find, so I learned something!

    I enjoyed it, though I hadn't realized it was YA until checking it out from the library. Maybe that's why it was a brisk read after starting?

    When I checked this out from the library, I also got the second book and am a third of the way through that, so... yeah. California, where my people actually show up?? cool.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book from the first page. It was basically a historical novel with a paranormal twist, and was a story about survival, friendship and trust. Carson managed to capture the hardships and struggles men and women faced on their way to the Californian goldfields. Lee was such a great character who grew stronger and more confident in her abilities as the book progressed. "Walk on Earth a Stranger" could easily be read as a stand-alone novel but it was a terrific start to, hopefully, an exciting trilogy, with drama and adventure all the way.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love Rae Carson, but I agree with other reviewers that say this book has a pacing problem. In the beginning it's established that Leah can sense gold, but once she's on the road to California, this rarely comes into play.

    I do appreciate all of the historical detail and character work, though, and the writing js fabulous. Carson seems to be setting up the building blocks, and I'm hoping the sequel(s) are more fulfilling.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An historical YA novel set during 1849, about fifteen year old Leah’s journey across the US to the goldfields in California. Leah’s voice is engaging, her predicament is compelling, and the way she deals with things feels very believable for a teenager with her skills and experiences. I liked realising just how much she had grown by the end of her journey.Leah has a magical ability to detect gold, but that doesn’t help her with the day-to-day life in a wagon train, so a lot of the time the fantasy element fades into the background. But that’s just fine, because there’s a lot of drama involved in running away from home, travelling incognito, dealing with tensions between fellow travellers and the challenges of the journey, and I found the historical details fascinating. (Well, mostly fascinating. Sometimes horrifying.)The Californian gold rush is a part of history I know very little about. I’m curious to see what details of life on the goldfields the sequel highlights.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Really pleasant historical fiction with a slight magical twist. Hardy characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Review from Tenacious Reader

    4.5/5 stars


    At the end of every year, I think no matter how many books you read, there are a few that people rave about that you for some reason skipped over. Walk on Earth a Stranger was one of those books for me. Admittedly, I do not read a ton of books labeled as YA, so that could be part of the reason why this one fell under my radar. But, its also books like these that make me stick to my Backlist Burndown initiative.

    What I found most striking about this book is the character’s voice. It just came across as authentic, making everything in the story that much more interesting. The protagonist’s personality really shines on every page. It pulled me in from the first paragraph, and quite frankly left me wanting to hear more even after the story was done.

    It’s hardly a secret, I love the girl dressing as a boy trope, so I was even more excited about this book once I found out it also incorporated that! I know, I’m silly and predictable that way, but we all have to have our favorite tropes, and that is one that I really enjoy. Maybe partially because the girls that tend to do that also tend to have strong, independent personalities that buck social expectations at least on some level. Our protagonist Lee is no exception. She has been working to keep her family afloat, hunting, taking care of the horses and such. Jobs that are often assigned to men. But with her father unable to do them, Lee has taken over, and she is great at it.

    But her tasks on her family land are not all that Lee excels at. Set during the California gold rush, Lee has an amazing ability. One that could make her rich or get her killed. She can sense and find gold, which is an amazing talent, but also something that could get her branded as a witch. It could also be dangerous as the wrong people could try to use her for their own schemes. So, it is a secret that she has held on to, not even trusting her best friend with the knowledge.

    When tragedy strikes, Lee is forced to run, and what better place to run than to California where gold is rumored to be plentiful? With a talent like Lee’s it doesn’t even have to plentiful, as long as there is some there, she can seek it out. Her journey challenges her, forces her evaluate when it is worth trusting someone and when it is not.

    Overall, this was a very enjoyable book. It has great atmosphere, and I just genuinely like the main character’s voice and personality. Highly recommend, and I look forward to the next one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    From the very start, I had a feeling that Walk on Earth a Stranger would be just the book for me. I have a huge weakness for fantasy western settings and themes exploring wild frontiers, so a story set in Gold Rush-era America about a young woman trying to make her way to California sounded exactly like something I would enjoy.Ahem. Then came several of my Goodreads friends’ reviews comparing it to The Oregon Trail.Okay, hold up a second. The Oregon Trail? THE OREGON TRAIL?!! I loved that game growing up. I’m not ashamed to admit that I still dig it up to play every few years, just to relive the nostalgia. If this book lives up to even just a fraction of those descriptions, it was going to be awesome.But the best has yet to come. Not long after I started this book, I was delighted to discover that In Walk on Earth a Stranger, the protagonist is a girl named Leah Westfall who has to take on the guise of a boy, becoming Lee McCauley in order to strike it out on her own cross-country.Why, yes, the girl-disguised-as-boy trope happens to be one of my favorites, actually.Perhaps my love for this book was a forgone conclusion, perhaps not. Regardless, I don’t hand out full marks lightly, especially when it comes to Young Adult fiction. Folks know I’m super picky about my YA. As I was reading, I was looking for other things to fall into place, because nothing frustrates me more than a great idea undermined by shoddy execution. This being my first book by Rae Carson, her writing and storytelling was also a big question mark to me so I had no idea what to expect.As you can see though, I ended up enjoying every moment! I was also very impressed with Carson’s writing, so much so that I want to rush to add her other books to my TBR, post-haste.Still, I’m not sure that I would enjoy anything as much as I did Walk on Earth a Stranger. True, this book features several themes I like, but it also deviates from a lot of YA conventions, which is probably another reason why I took to it so completely.First of all, if you like a lot of magic in your fantasy, you’re not going to find much of it here. The only fantasy element in this book is Lee’s special power, her ability to sense gold around her. A most handy talent for someone with plans to head out west during the Gold Rush hoping to make their fortune, but it doesn’t come into play throughout much of the story, which mostly involves a lot of traveling. And traveling. And more traveling.Which brings me to my second caveat. If you’re seeking action and excitement, a fast-paced plot to get your blood pumping in your veins, Walk on Earth a Stranger is not really that kind of story. It is a tale of survival, with as much focus on the emotional journey as the physical one. Let’s go back to The Oregon Trail comparison. You remember all the horrible things that could befall your company, right? You had everything from buffalo stampedes to little Mary has the measles. The point is, not every danger or threat is immediate; some, in truth, are pretty boring and routine. Doesn’t mean they still can’t kill you though, if you don’t have help. Thus, while brute force and personal determination might help get you to California, so too does the power of cooperation and forging lasting friendships. No, this book isn’t exactly a page-turner, but what you do get is your character development and meaningful relationships in spades. The people you meet in this book will become your family. Whenever good things happened to the characters, I couldn’t help but feel giddy with joy. And when they experienced tragedy, my heart ached along with theirs.Third caveat: If you need a love story, you can forget it. While the slightest hint of lovey-dovey feelings are ever present between Lee and her best friend Jefferson, the romance is so slow-burning that it is virtually non-existent. Wait, you mean, there’s no unnecessary romantic drama to get in the way of the story? Perfect! Lee does end up feeling jealous towards another girl in their wagon train, but eventually the two of them actually become friends. I can’t tell you how refreshing that is, especially these days when it feels like every four out of five YA novels I read that has a female character who’s not the main protagonist, they inevitably become bitter enemies. It’s nice to see a potential rival end up an ally for a change.Another nice thing about this book is that it can be read as a self-contained story. Of course, Rae Carson leaves plenty of breadcrumbs along this journey to pick up for the later books, but she’s not leaving us with any burning questions or an infuriating cliffhanger. Honestly, I don’t need any of those to want to read the sequel; a chance to spend more time with the wonderful characters I met in this book is already incentive enough for me. This is YA fiction done right, in my opinion, with a charming approach to history and just a light brush of fantasy. I loved it, and I want more like this.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In Rae Carson’s last series I was super harsh and mean. I hated the main character and hated the ending she got because in my opinion it wasn’t deserved. But I did like the side characters and the fantasy world that Carson created was one that I really enjoyed. But finishing The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy was more a hate-reading experience for me. What makes Walk on Earth a Stranger different? It’s totally the new main character. Leah Westfall is a resourceful girl with the skills necessary and believable to survive. While she depended on others for certain things, not at one point was she completely incompetent or incapable of thinking her way out of a situation. She is on a long trek to escape her murderous uncle and to find her best friend Jefferson who left towards the California gold rush. This book had a tiny element of magic where Leah had the ability to sense gold and even then it wasn’t the main focus of the story. In her attempts to run away from the uncle that murdered her parents Leah takes her horse Peony and decides to further hide her identity and dress as a boy. She soon joins a wagon of people about to cross towards the west and into California and from there we follow her journey of self-discovery and the family she gains along the way. The themes of identity and family were woven in so nicely. There were many characters that became instant favorites for me. The world built around Leah was well done and I enjoyed every mile of the journey. Carson did her research well and in my opinion, captured the feelings and blatant racism of the company men whenever they came across Natives on the same path they were on. It would be naive to think that you could tell a story like this without exploring that reality even if the catalyst for Leah’s tragedies were a tale of fantasy. What I liked was how Carson counteracted that ugliness with the beauty of the growing closeness of Leah and those who like her, wanted nothing to do with those men aside from the strength in numbers to confront thieves, hauling heavy wagons over hills and fixing broken wheels. Between her other series and this one, I would highly recommend the Gold Seer trilogy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When I was growing up, I became slightly obsessed with a game called The Oregon Trail... It was a Western survival game with tough choices about health, animals, supplies, and mapping out routes. This book brings that game to life (well life in the book world that is).

    Leah/Lee is a on the journey of a lifetime. She loses everything she knows and decides to flee to the West with her best friend soon to be love interest. In order to escape without being noticed she has to don men's clothing and act as a lad. She works for her passage and eventually finds what she is looking for. It's a unique story with emotional turmoil and charming twists. I found myself intrigued and fascinated by the western frontier. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and when I finished, I instantly went to purchase the next book.

    It was a historical fiction with fantasy elements, a tough heroine, and a slow burn romance. It captured the essence of a new time period and was able to bring aw upon the gold panning days. I fell in love and think readers of all ages will too. It's a total MUST READ!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this book. I started it this morning and I couldn't put it down when I picked it back up this evening. I really enjoyed Lee's character and her development throughout the novel. Her journey was realistic and I liked that she had to find herself again and figure out just who she is. This novel is definitely about the journey and not about the action and things that are happening. The events are significant, but this is a very character driven book. I did find that the secondary characters weren't as well developed and there is definitely room for more to come. Hopefully in the next instalment we'll get to see that. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one :)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When I saw this was a western, I was unsure of it, since that is a genre I have never liked. But Carson's brilliant writing made this so enjoyable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Walk on Earth a Stranger depicts a strong female character in an era when that was frowned upon. Lee, forced to disguise herself as a man, runs away from her new guardian and joins up with many others on the quest for gold in California. She meets many great characters along the way, each with unique and lively personalities.

    I felt Carson did a great job portraying the issues of the 1840s. The way women were treated as inferior and incompetent; slavery and the split between Northern and Southern states; the treatment and views on Indians; all were handle with finesse and rang true of the times.

    I was unsure how the mix between Western, historical fiction, and fantasy would play out, but in the end I loved it.


  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The first book in a historical fiction trilogy, WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER follows the arduous journey of Lee Westfall, a15-year-old girl, from Georgia to California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Lee is special in that, like some people can sense water in the ground, she can sense gold—it “will be like a string tugging my chest.” The problem is, her nefarious uncle Hiram Westfall has murdered her parents and is now chasing Lee in the hopes of using her gold sensing abilities in California. An exciting, dramatic, and interesting take on the Gold Rush, Rae Carson’s latest trilogy is full of bold action and well-defined characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Rae Carson continues to write heroines I can truly root for. Lee is a strong, resourceful woman who likes wearing dresses, but doesn't want to be forced into the role expected of a young woman in 1849. When her parents are murdered, she turns down a proposal from Gale Jefferson, but agrees to meet him in Independence, Missouri so they can head West to California together. She steals her horse from her uncle (it's complicated and the uncle is basically evil), dresses herself as a boy and begins working her way Westward. Things do not go smoothly, but she finally manages to make it to Independence and meet up with Jeff. They join up with the most ragtag wagon train ever and begin the long overland journey to California. Of course, this being 1849, the journey is not an easy one and not all members of the wagon train complete the journey. But, the friendships that form during this journey constitute a new sort of family for Lee and allow her to be as strong as she needs to be when she finally encounters her uncle again. Oh, and Lee can sense gold, which is part of why her uncle is evil, but the ability often felt like an incidental thing over the course of the book. It occasionally came in handy and I'm sure it'll be huge honkin' deal now that she's landed in California, but it's far from being the most important or even most interesting thing about Lee. This is the first book in a trilogy, but I can't see how subsequent volumes are going to be able to top the danger and excitement provided by a cross-country wagon journey. Even lawless California at the height of the Gold Rush is going to be a bit of a let down.

    I really liked this book a lot and if I were less vaguely cranky with the world, it would probably have gotten five stars. But, considering that I've been "meh" about everything recently, four stars is a glowing recommendation.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Intriguing read with a strong beginning and end. However, the story really lagged in the middle with hundreds of pages of monotonous travel across America. The pace was so slow that I wasn't sure I would finish it. But I pushed through and am glad I did. Despite the 'western' frontier travel, I enjoyed the book. The characters were all memorable and the plot was compelling enough to finish.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In 1849, Leah Westfall practically does the work of a man on her family's farm to keep everything running while her father is sick. But Leah also hides a secret: she can sense the pull of gold from anywhere - in the ground, in jewelry or household items. No one other than her parents know her ability, but when her parents are murdered and someone does find out, she has to get away and take the dangerous trip to California along with all the other gold-seekers.Leah's tale is a little genrebending but mostly read to me like historical fiction, especially on a trip that had all the elements of Oregon Trail (sorry, but that game my frame of reference when it came to most of the landmarks and a few of the events on their trip). Leah especially was a really fleshed-out character, and I loved her for being complex and herself in a story where it would be easy to fall into tropes. The secondary characters were fun too, and despite the fact that there was a whole list of them at the beginning it really wasn't hard to follow along and keep them all straight. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!I’ve been hearing a lot about this book. Westerns are making a come back this year with books like Vengeance Road, Under a Painted Sky, and Walk on Earth a Stranger. I never used to read them before, but I’m so glad they’re back – I’ve been very into them lately.At first, I thought this was a high fantasy book. I don’t know why, maybe it was the vibe the fancy cover gave off or Rae Carson’s other book – The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Imagine my surprise when I read the synopsis a few minutes before getting into the book and realizing it was Western.This book got me out of a terrible reading slump, you know, that one after Queen of Shadows? Yeah. Anyway, let’s just get into this review.Leah Westfall has a secret – she’s a gold witch. She can sense and dig up gold deep beneath the earth around her. But one day, her parents are murdered and she is forced to go west, to the land of plenty gold, where no one will think twice about her gold-finding skills. She disguises herself as a boy – Lee – and takes to the trail, fighting hardships and finding friends as she goes.However, to top it all off, Lee is being chased by her parents’ murderer so that he could control her and make a fortune off her. Damn.This book gets a solid 4 stars from me because I think that it is a very great start to the trilogy. I didn’t know this was going to be a trilogy until I finished the book, so I’m really pumped to see where things go! There are so many things I’d like to see happen and I’m sure we’ll be seeing them as the series progresses.The main character was so strong! Sure, she let herself cry but she wasn’t weak. Our main character is fierce, smart, strong, and loyal. This is only the second Western book I’ve read but I’ve noticed these traits as a pattern in the genre – which really appeals to me. Strong characteristics in MCs are very essential to me and this book definitely did not disappoint.Another thing I loved about this book was the slow-burn romance, I’m a sucker for these. They’re painful but it all ends up totally worth it in the end when the characters get together. That makes me even more excited for book two!There’s just one teeny tiny issue I had with this book. The secondary characters weren’t developed enough. I felt like they had potential to become something more, something more complex. However, they were just kind of… basic. I’m hoping we get more intricacy in the remaining books.Other than that, this was a very enjoyable read and a great kick-starter to the trilogy! Solid, action-filled plot, slow-burn romance, and a fierce heroine. Everything you’d need in a book!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When Leah Westfall finds herself alone in the world and subject to the devious machinations of a greedy uncle, she does what thousands of others are doing: she goes west. Gold has been discovered in California, and the gold fever has struck the general public hard. Disguising herself as a boy, "Lee" makes her way up the Mississippi to Independence and finds a wagon train to join. There will be plenty of hardships over the next months, and not all of Lee's companions will make it to their destination. For Lee the stakes are high, because she's hiding not one, but two secrets: not only is she a girl dressed as a boy, but she also has the magical ability to sense gold hidden in the ground. And the only person who knows is her uncle -- the man who will stop at nothing to bring Lee back under his control.This is a highly enjoyable story, rich in historical detail and character development. Carson doesn't pull her punches: readers will get quite attached to some characters who won't make it to the end of the book. Despite (or because of?) that, this is a great read, especially for those who have an interest in historical fiction set in this period. People I'd recommend it to: fans of this author, people who enjoyed Patricia C. Wrede's Frontier Magic trilogy, and everyone with a nostalgic fondness for Oregon Trail.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Carson's latest book, Walk on Earth a Stranger, title taken from a hymn, set in the Gold Rush era in the United States, has a promising beginning with more books yet to come from the Gold Seer trilogy. Without previewing this book, I simply delved headfirst into reading, and all I can say is that I was hooked! Carson has a way words. I was immediately drawn into Lee's pioneer story. Lee Westfall, a teenager who can "sense" gold, joins other goldwishers heading toward California. Her mystique camouflages her real purpose for heading west, to escape her uncle's devious plans for her. Feeling alone in the world, Lee is anything but that, as she learns that family has many meanings. Death and anguish follow these pioneer trekkers across the plains and Rockies. Death has no preferences, and Lee and the others learn this firsthand. As the book concludes, Lee's story feels mostly complete; yet, anyone attached to Lee can rest assured that her story will continue in 2 more books. Audience: grades 7-12, historical fiction readers, Gold Rush and American pioneer enthusiasts
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review. This is the first book in the Gold Seer trilogy by Carson. Previous to this book I had read Carson’s Fire and Thorns series which I really loved. This was an excellent start to a new series and I thoroughly enjoyed it.Leah (aka Lee) Westfall can sense gold. It’s a secret that only her and her family know. Her best friend Jefferson lives with a very violent father and, when it is announced that gold has been found in California, Jefferson decides he will journey to California to find his fortune out there. He asks Lee to join him, but she refuses because she loves her family and wants to stay and help them out. Then Lee’s family is brutally murdered by a man who wants Lee’s powers for his own. So Lee disguises herself as a boy and starts the long journey to Independence, Missouri in hopes of meeting Jefferson there before he continues on to California.This book was an excellent western type of adventure story with a twist. At times it reads like a novel version of the Oregon Trail game I used to play on the computer in elementary school. Life is hard on the journey west as Lee and the folks she travels with battle nature, disease, each other and the natives. There are a couple things that really make this story grab the reader. Lee having this power to sense gold during the Gold Rush is amazing and intriguing; it makes her a hot commodity and is an ability that controls her as much as she controls it. The story also takes place in a time where women don’t have a lot of rights; so masquerading as a boy gives Lee a lot of freedom. However Lee is torn between having to lie about being a boy and the freedom it gives her.I also really loved reading about the friendships Lee makes and the hardships she encounters on her journey west. They are things we’ve all heard about but Carson writes about them in a way that makes them feel very real and urgent. I absolutely loved their journey across what we would call Yellowstone today; having recently visited Yellowstone I often wondered what early travelers would think about it and Carson does an excellent job portraying this. I loved the hope throughout this story; every one of these characters is absolutely convinced that California holds their salvation and future life.Additionally I really enjoyed the friendship between Lee and Jefferson; they have both faced ridicule by society but they have always had each other. They are loyal and steadfast friends and wonderful to read about. As you might imagine in a young adult book, they are both at the age right now where that friendship has potential to turn into something more. The story was beautifully written with a lot of adventure and some humor. It wa incredibly engaging and hard to put down. I constantly found myself staying up late to read this and having trouble stopping; it was just such an engrossing story.Overall I absolutely loved this book. It was engaging, full of wonderful adventure and entertaining and heartfelt characters. This story is a wonderful blend of western adventure with some magic. I would definitely recommend to those who are interested in reading a YA book with a western feel to it and lots of adventure and survival. The story reminds me a bit of Patricia Wrede’s Frontier Magic series, although I enjoyed this book more than that series. However if you are interested in reading another American Western themed YA novel with magic that is a good series too.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER combines historical fiction with fantasy. Leah Westfall is a pretty normal young girl living in Georgia in 1849 with her mother and her father on their homestead. Except, Leah can sense gold both in the ground and in finished form. Her talent is hidden by her parents for fear that she would be exploited. Because he father is ill, Lee does the farm work, takes care of the animals, and does the hunting needed to feed her family. Naturally, this makes her an object of ridicule by the other girly girls who go to school with her. Her only friends are a young man named Jefferson, who is half Native American and who is being raised by his drunken and abusive father, and her palomino horse Peony. When her parents are murdered by her smarmy Uncle Hiram, Lee decides to disguise herself as a boy and go off to California since the gold rush has just begun. Jefferson left a few days earlier and promised to wait for her in Independence if she decides to come. Thus begins her harrowing journey from Georgia overland to California.Along her journey she meets evil people, including the three men who rob her on her first day away from home, and good people, including the men on the flatboat who offer her a job and get her closer to Independence. Once in Independence, she has to find her friend Jefferson and a wagon train to join for the long trip to California.The detail about the hardships of the trip overland - inadequate food, water, medicine - are well documented. Lee's wagon train includes a wide variety of people from immigrant families from Canada and Germany, to three college boys who are "confirmed bachelors," to a bunch of hard-bitten Missouri men, to a preacher and his pregnant wife, to a sheep farmer with ten wagons. Lee and Jefferson end up working for the Joyners who are a gentleman, his wife and two small children. They insist an hauling all their furniture with them including the dining room table that they set every night with a red-checked tablecloth. In the wagon train, we get a microcosm of life at the time with its prejudices against Native American and Black Americans, with its religious intolerance, with its rigid roles for the sexes. Lee is not going to be owned by a man and wonders why she is treated like she is stupid when she is dressed as a woman. This was the great beginning to a series. I can't wait to find out what comes next for Lee and company now that they have reached California.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I finished it in one sitting. I’m very impatient so if a book doesn’t capture me in the first couple of chapter or I lose interest halfway through, I’ll drop it. But this book had my emotions a mess and me on the edge of my seat for the entire ride!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Moving and powerful and hard to put down. Sometimes quite terrifying in its realistic portrayal of 1800s America, but mostly I appreciate an appealing character in a terrible situation, who is nonetheless fighting with all her spirit. I also particularly like that her gold witchery is just that -- a small talent like dowsing, that might be realistic in the context.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A deliberately paced story free of angst if not grief, of Leah whose secret ability to douse gold is not as secret as it needed to be. When her parents are abruptly murdered just as news of the gold strike in California reaches her town in Georgia, she decides to head west on her own rather than stay under her uncle's dubious protection. It is no easy trip. It is a girl with something special story, but her special ability is not really what's most important about her.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "I suppose I am a stranger walking on earth, but I'm no son of God. I'm no son at all."

    A rich, captivating tale of a fearless young woman who embarks on a perilous journey following the tragic death of her parents. Bound for California and gold, Leah carries with her two dangerous secrets, her hidden identity and her magical ability to sense gold. Whip smart with a talent for horseback riding and sharpshooting, Leah, now known as Lee, is an ideal hired hand on a wagon train with its sights set on the West. Yet tensions run high and blood flows as Lee and her band of misfit pioneers and gold rushers struggle to survive six months trekking across the unforgiving wilderness.

    Walk on Earth a Stranger is a breakneck-paced Gold Rush-era adventure with an unforgettable heroine. A story of courage, resilience, and finding family in the unlikeliest of places and the start of an exhilarating new series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I rarely pick up historical fiction, but I couldn't pass up ya historical fiction about the gold rush, especially with such a pretty cover. I am glad more females are being represented as leads in YA fiction but lately the trope has been wearing on me because so many of those books still rely on a male character to rescue the girl. This book blessedly avoided that in a wonderful way. Lee Westfall has the power to sense gold in the earth, and for years her family has been saving the gold she finds in order to support themselves. They aren't greedy, and they keep Lee's power a secret. But after her family is torn apart and her power and money hungry uncle steps in to be her new guardian, Lee flees and sets off on a journey across the country to find her fortunes, and her best friend, in gold rush country. I played the Oregon Trail game growing up and this novel is like watching a more in depth version of that game play out. I doubt it is 100% historically factual, but I really enjoyed it. There is so much subtlety in how the author treats things like childbirth, disease, the treatment of Native Americans/women/queer people that makes the story flow really well while still addressing these issues in the time period. The characters are well developed, and you mourn each loss and praise every achievement the group makes as it toils on toward its goal. I have already recommended (and will continue to) this book to several teens and adults who have trouble getting into historical non-fiction as a good soft introduction to history without being the dry bland text-book kind of stuff a lot of people think non-fiction is.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I did not like the direction Rae Carson took her first series in. The first book was strong, the second a little wobbly, and the third was meandering and had lost all the impact of the first. I was reluctant to pick up a new series by her, and even though Walk on Earth a Stranger sounded appealing in the very early promo days, I promised myself not to get disappointed by her series again.I forgot about that promise and the appeal of a survival journey got to me. I grew up on The Oregon Trail games and Little House and everything, and can rarely resist a novel about a treacherous journey, whether by sea or land or rail. Happily, Walk on Earth a Stranger was very satisfying in that aspect, with near-death experiences (and actual death to certain villains), and a touch of suspense from the magical gold-sense in the main character.Unhappily, while it is obvious that Carson attempted to learn from and remedy some of the criticisms of her first series, she is still a bit uneven here and could use more work when it comes to writing about marginalized people. The narrative takes pains to show that while our narrator Leah is a second-class citizen in 1849 (she's a woman, she has to hide her magical ability), she is also highly privileged, especially when she is passing as a boy. In particular, she is confronted with her own racism, even though she is a good person who doesn't believe she is racist.I found, as a white woman myself, that this plot theme of privilege was depicted well. Leah has a lot of unconscious prejudices, and while they are not all called out, the narrative does suggest that they are wrong. Everywhere in the background are examples of racism or other bigotries, and it's always shown to be appalling or otherwise wrong. However, it is heavily White Savior leaning and many bigoted, racist actions or statements aren't explicitly called out as wrong. They are often committed by villainous characters, so I assumed that they were intended to be depicted as villainous actions or statements, but the narrative never explicitly says so. When it comes to the racism against Native Americans, it is especially bad, in part because Leah's best friend is Cherokee but expresses internalized racism at several points. I read these things as Carson trying to represent a wide spectrum of prejudice and privilege, and to say "this is how it is", but I was vaguely uncomfortable with the unevenness of the pushing back (if any racism is explicitly called out, it's only against black characters or immigrants) and had a lot of caveats about my enthusiasm for the book. I really like what she's trying to do, but the subtlety is going to pass over a lot of people, and besides, a lot of Native Americans have said that the depictions here are harmful to them, so I have to trust that I am too white to really understand.Some of the unevenness is also in what may or may not be a romance plot thread. I was initially pleased that Leah and her best friend are given a lot of screentime as friends and she is very clear that she has no romantic interest in him. There is, then, no romance plot. But as the pagecount increases, there are more and more hints that maybe there is a romance. I was disappointed by this, because it felt inauthentic to the character and too forced - like it's necessary for a YA fantasy novel. I liked that much of Leah's journey is also about her grief for her parents, and that she is trying to also understand and reevaluate her best friend relationship in the face of that grief and her orphan status, but the narrative is never clear (much like the privilege themes) if that is what is happening, or if it's legitimately supposed to be a slow build to a romantic relationship.Overall, I enjoyed the reading of this book a lot. It was engrossing and had me turning the pages quickly to find out what happened. I appreciated the subtle work Carson did to make the characters sympathetic and imperfect, all mixed up like real people. But I'm not sure I can recommend it as enthusiastically as I did when I had just turned the last page, and I'm wary of what will happen in the sequel, when the party gets to San Francisco (by the way, I failed to mention the gay-coded characters traveling out there, in 1849, and that's more unevenness - from a distance, it's a broad strokes stereotype, like so many characters and elements in the story, but the characters themselves were interesting and appealing).

Book preview

Walk on Earth a Stranger - Rae Carson

Chapter One

I hear the deer before I see him, though he makes less noise than a squirrel—the gentle crunch of snow, a snapping twig, the soft whuff as he roots around for dead grass. I can hardly believe my luck.

As quietly as falling snow, I raise the butt of my daddy’s Hawken rifle to my shoulder and peer down the muzzle. A crisscross of branches narrows my view. The deer must be allowed to wander into my sights, but that’s all right. I am patient. I am a ghost.

I’ve tucked myself into a deadfall, the result of an ancient, dying oak looming above me. Snow fills the cracks between branches, creating a barrier to the wind. I can barely see out, but I’m almost warm. The snow around me clinks and tinkles like bells, melting in the early morning warm snap. The hem of my skirt and the petticoats underneath are ragged and soaked. If the girls at school saw me now, I’d hear no end of it, but it doesn’t matter. We have to eat.

Which means I have to make this shot. If only I could conjure up fresh game whenever we needed. Now that would be a useful magic.

Finally, a deep, tawny chest and a white throat slide into view. He bends a black nose to the ground, and I glimpse tall, curving antlers—at least three points on each side. His neck is long and elegant, feathered with winter fur. He’s so close I can almost see the pulse at his neck. A beautiful animal.

I pull on the rear trigger—soft, steady pressure, just like Daddy taught me. The click as it sets is barely audible, but the buck’s head shoots up. I refuse to breathe.

I am patient. I am a ghost.

He takes a single dancing step, nose twitching. But I’m downwind, and after a moment he returns to grazing. I shift my finger to the hair trigger. The deadfall blocks my view of his skull, so I aim for the lungs.

It will only take the slightest pressure now, the effort of an exhale.

Church bells clang. The buck startles a split second before my gun cracks the air. He crumples, flails in the snow, scrambles to his feet, and darts away, tail sprung high.

Blast!

I rip off the ramrod from the barrel as I plunge through the windfall. In good conditions, I can load and shoot again in less than half a minute. Though my fingers are chilled, I might still bag him if I’m quick.

Of course, I wouldn’t need to reload if someone was hunting with me, ready with a second shot. Everything’s harder when you do it alone.

I’m reaching into my satchel for my powder horn when crimson catches my eye. Bright red, sinking wet and warm into the snow. He left a puddle where he fell, and a trail of lighter drops to show me the way. I flanked him good.

I follow at a brisk walk, loading as I go—first gunpowder, then a ball nestled in paper wadding, all shoved down the barrel with my ramrod. I won’t waste another shot on the deer, but there’s a big catamount been prowling these hills. In a winter this mild, the scent of fresh blood might even draw a bear. It’s not quite the hungering time—when a critter that’s naught but fur and fangs and ribs will attack a near-grown girl—but I’ll take no chances.

The trail veers sharply to the right. I pass a bloody depression in the snow where the deer’s legs must have buckled again. I stop to load the cap and rotate the hammer carefully into place, then I lift my skirt and petticoats with my free hand and run—smooth as I can so as not to jostle my gun. I have to reach that deer before anything else does. Never bring home meat that’s already been et on, Daddy always says.

The blood trail plunges down a steep bank thick with young birches. Crimson smears darken their white trunks. My wounded deer is heading toward the McCauley claim, where Jefferson lives with his good-for-nothing da. No sense paying a visit after my hunt, because they’re certainly not home. Jeff’s da attends church every single Sunday, no matter what, on the misguided notion that regular bench sitting makes him decent.

The slope ends at a shallow but swift creek. The water’s edge glitters with ice, but the creek’s center runs clear and clean. My boots are well oiled. If I’m quick, I can cross before the water seeps into my stockings. I hitch my skirt and petticoats higher and plunge in.

Midway across, I freeze.

The gold sense sparks in the back of my throat, sharp and hard. It creeps down my throat and into my chest, where it diffuses into a steady buzz, like dancing locusts. My stomach heaves once, but I swallow against the nausea. We don’t have enough food in the cellar for me to go wasting a meal.

I force my belly to relax, to embrace the sensation. Best to let it wash over me, through me. Allow it to settle in like an old friend come to stay.

It’s only bad like this the first time I’m near something big. A nugget, usually, but sometimes a large vein. From habit, I close my eyes and focus hard, turning in place to find where the sensation is strongest. If I hit it just right, it will be like a string tugging my chest, like something sucking . . . There. I open my eyes. Just across the creek, behind a young, winter-stripped maple. The blood trail leads in the same direction.

All at once I’m shivering, my feet icy with cold. I splash through the creek and scramble up the opposite bank, which is slick with snowmelt. How long was I standing in the water? It seemed like only moments. I wriggle my toes inside my soaked stockings, hoping I haven’t ruined my boots. We can’t afford another pair right now. Good thing I wore my old hunting skirt. The hem is already a disaster and won’t suffer much from being dragged through the stream.

At the top of the bank, I check my rifle, and it seems dry. At least I had sense enough to not let it dangle in the water. As I step around the maple’s trunk, the gold sense grows stronger, but I ignore it because the deer lies in a small depression banked with bloody snow.

He pushes up with his forelegs, antlered head straining in the opposite direction. I whip up my rifle just in case, but he collapses back into the snow, his sides heaving.

I prop my gun against the tree and pull the knife from the belt at my waist. I’m so sorry, I whisper, approaching cautiously. Neck or kidney? He’ll fight death until the very last moment. They always do. I know I would.

His antlers still pose too great a threat for me to slice his jugular. He squirms uselessly as I near, head tossing. It needs to be a quick thrust, aimed just right. I raise the knife.

My hand wavers. The gold sense is so strong now, its buzzing so merciless that I feel it down to my toes. It’s almost good, like being filled with sunshine. It means gold is somewhere within reach.

Deer first, gold later.

I plunge the knife into his left kidney. He squeals once, then goes still. Hot blood pumps from the wound for mere seconds before slowing to a trickle. It steams in the air, filling my nose and mouth with bright tanginess. I’ll have to work fast; if that catamount is anywhere near, she’ll be here soon.

He’s too large for me to carry over my shoulders. I’ll have to skin and butcher him and take only the best parts. The great cat is welcome to the rest, with my blessing.

I place the point of my knife low on his soft white underbelly. The gold sense explodes inside me, so much hotter and brighter than the scent of fresh blood. I can’t help it; I drop the knife and dig furiously at the snow—dig and dig until I’ve reached a layer of autumn rot. Muddy detritus jams under my fingernails, but still I dig until something glints at me. Sunshine in the dirt. Warmth in winter.

The nugget unsticks from its muddy resting place without much effort; this time last year I would have had to dig it out of frozen ground. I scrape away mud with the edge of my sleeve. It’s the size of a large, unshelled walnut and rounder than most nuggets, save for a single odd bulge on one side. Must have washed down the creek during last spring’s flood. I gauge its heft in my palm, even as I let my gold sense do its work. Close to ninety percent pure, if I don’t miss my guess.

Worth at least a hundred dollars. More than enough to buy meat to last the winter.

I sit back on my heels, nugget clutched tight, staring at the animal I just killed. I don’t even need it now. Waste not, want not, Mama always says. And Lord knows Daddy could use a fresh venison stew.

Today is my luckiest day in a long time. I shove the nugget into the pocket of my skirt, pick up my skinning knife, and get to work.

The sun is high over the mountains when I finally haul my venison up the stairs of the back porch. Everything I could carry is wrapped in the deer’s own skin, tied with twine. My shoulders ache—I carried it a mile or more—and though I bundled it up tight as I could, my blouse and skirt are badly stained.

Mama! I call out. Could use a hand.

She bangs out the doorway, a dishrag in her hands. A few strands of hair have already escaped her shiny brown bun, and the lines around her eyes have gone from laughing to worried.

Daddy’s not doing so good, is he? I ask.

Her gaze drops to the bundle in my arms and to the rifle balanced carefully across it. Oh, bless your heart, Leah, she says. She shoves the dishrag into the pocket of her apron and reaches out her arms. Give it here. I’ll get a stew on while you tend your gun and feed the chickens.

As I hand it over, I can’t help blurting, "There’s more, Mama. I had a find."

She freezes, and I leap forward to catch the package of meat before it slides out of her arms. Finally, she says, Been awhile. I thought maybe you’d outgrown it.

I reckon not, I say, disappointed in her disappointment.

I reckon not, she agrees. Well, take care of your business, and we’ll discuss it with your daddy when you’re done.

Yes, Mama.

She disappears into the kitchen. I hitch the Hawken over my shoulder and head toward the henhouse. Just beyond it is a break in the trees. We keep the land clear here, so nothing can sneak up on the chickens easily. It’s a good hundred-yard stretch—all the way to the scar tree, a giant pine I use for discharging my rifle. I whip the gun down and cradle the butt to my shoulder. The wind is picking up from the north a bit, so I aim a hair to the right. Best aim I ever saw from such a wee gal, Jefferson’s da once told me, the only compliment I’ve ever heard him give.

Rear trigger, soft breath, hair trigger, boom. Splinters fly into the air as my shot hits its target. The chickens squawk a bit but settle quickly. They’re used to me.

I lean the gun against the side of the henhouse. I’ll clean her while I’m at the table talking with Mama and Daddy. It will give me an excuse to avoid their worried gazes. You hungry? I say, and I hear my chickens—who are not nearly as stupid as most people think—barreling toward the door for their breakfast.

I lift the bar and swing open the door, and they come pouring out, squawking and pecking at the toes of my boots, as if this will summon their breakfast even sooner. They forget all about me the moment their feed is scattered on the ground. Except for my favorite hen, Isabella, who flaps into my arms when I crouch. I stroke her glossy black tail feathers while she pecks at the seed in my hand. It hurts a little, but that’s all right.

I have a strange life; I know it well. We have a big homestead and not enough working hands, so I’m the girl who hunts and farms and pans for gold because her daddy never had sons. I’m forever weary, my hands roughed and cracked, my skirts worn too thin too soon. The town girls poke fun at me, calling me Plain Lee on account of my strong hands and my strong jaw. I don’t mind so much because it’s better than them knowing the real trickiness in my days—that I find gold the way a water witch divines wells.

But there’s plenty I love about my life that makes it all just fine: the sunrise on the snowy mountain slopes, a mama and daddy who know my worth, that sweet tingle when a gold nugget sits in the palm of my hand. And my chickens. I love my loud, silly chickens.

Only four eggs today. I gather them quickly, brushing straw from their still-warm shells and settling them gently into my pockets. Then I grab my rifle and head inside to face the aftermath of witching up another nugget.

Chapter Two

Daddy always says I was born with a gold nugget in my left hand and a pickax in my right. That’s why Mama had such a hard time birthing me; she had to squeeze a lot more out of her belly than just a bundle of baby girl. The first time I heard it told, I gave my rag doll to Orpha the dog and announced I would never have children of my own.

It didn’t take me long to figure it for a fancy lie, like the one about St. Nicholas bringing presents on Christmas, or how walking backward around the garden three times would keep the aphids out of our squash. But that’s Daddy for you, always telling tall tales.

I don’t mind. I love his stories, and his best ones are the secret ones, the mostly true ones, spoken in whispers by the warmth of the box stove, with no one to hear but me and Mama. They’re always about gold. And they’re always about me.

After shucking my boots and banging them against the porch rail to get off the mud, I walk inside and find Daddy settled in his rocking chair, his big, stockinged feet stretched as near to the box stove as he dares. He starts to greet me but coughs instead, kerchief over his mouth. It rattles his whole body, and I can practically hear his bones shake. He pulls away the kerchief and crumples it in his fist to hide it. He thinks I don’t know what he’s coughing up.

The bed quilt drapes across his shoulders, and a mug of coffee steams on the tree-stump table beside him. The house smells of burning pine and freshly sliced turnips.

Mama said you found some gold today, Daddy says calmly as I set my boots next to the stove to dry.

Yes, sir. I head back to the table, where I reach into my pocket for the eggs I gathered and set them beside Mama’s stew pot.

He sips his coffee. Swallows. Sighs. Did I ever tell you about the Spanish Moss Nugget? he asks. Then he doubles over coughing, and I dare to hope it’s not so violent as it was yesterday.

Tell me, I say, though I’ve heard it a hundred times.

Mama’s gaze meets mine over the stew pot, and we share a secret smile. Tell us, she agrees. I pull up a chair, then lay my rifle on the table and start taking it apart.

Well, since you insist. It happened in the spring of ’35, he begins. The easy pickings were long gone by then, and I’d had a hard day with nothing to show. I was walking home creekside, trying to beat the coming storm, when I chanced on a moss-fall under a broad oak. A wind came up and blew away the moss, and there she was, bright and beautiful and smiling; bigger than my fist, just sitting there, nice as you please.

Never in my life have I seen a nugget so big. I’ve heard tales, but I’m not sure I believe them. Still, I nod as if I do.

He says, But the storm was something awful, and night was falling. I couldn’t get to town to get her assayed, so I brought her home. I showed her off to your mama, then I hid her under the floorboards for safekeeping until the storm passed.

He pauses to take another sip of coffee. The fire inside the stove pops. As soon as I’m done cleaning my gun, I’ll take off my stockings and lay them out to dry too.

And then what happened? I ask, because I’m supposed to.

He sets down his cup and rocks forward, eyes wide with the fever. When I got up in the morning, what did I see but my own little Lee with that nugget in her chubby hand, banging it on the floor and laughing and kicking out her legs, like she’d found the greatest toy.

Mama sighs with either remembrance or regret over the first time I divined gold. I was two years old.

He says, So I re-hid it. This time in the larder.

But I found it again, didn’t I, Daddy? I cover the ramrod in a patch of clean cloth and shove it down the muzzle. It comes out slightly damp, which means I might have faced a nasty backfire the next time I shot.

"Again and again and again. You found it under the mattress, lodged in the toe of my boot, even buried in the garden. That’s when I knew my girl was special. No, magical."

Mama can’t hold back a moment more. These are rough times, she warns as she drops pieces of turnip into the pot. She has a small, soft voice, but it’s sneaky the way it can still a storm. Mostly, the storm she stills is my daddy. Folks’d be powerful keen to hear tell of a girl who could divine gold.

They would, at that, Daddy says thoughtfully. Since there’s hardly a lick of surface gold left in these mountains.

This is why we are not rich, and we never will be. Sure, the Spanish Moss Nugget bought our windows, our wagon, and the back porch addition. But the Georgia gold rush played itself out long ago, and it turns out that not even a magical girl can conjure gold from nothing or lift it from stubborn rock with just her thoughts. We’ve labored hard for what little I’ve been able to divine, and I’ve found less and less each year. Last summer, we diverted the stream and dug up the dry bed until not a speck remained. This year, we attacked the cliff side with our pickaxes until Daddy got too sick.

There’s more gold to be found deep in the ground—my honey-sweet sense tells me so—but there’s only so much two people can accomplish. Daddy refuses to buy slaves; he was raised Methodist, back in the day when the church was against slavery.

Today’s nugget is my first big find in more than a year.

Lord knows we need the money. Which is a mighty odd thing to need, considering that we have a bag of sweet, raw gold dust hidden beneath the floorboards. Daddy says we’re saving it for a rainy day.

But Mama says we hid it because taking so much gold to the mint would attract attention. She’s right. Whenever we bring in more than a pinch or two of dust, word gets out, and strangers start crawling all over our land like ants on a picnic, looking for the mother lode. In fact, I’ve earned my daddy a nickname: Reuben Lucky Westfall, everyone calls him. Only the three of us know the truth, and we’ve sworn to keep it that way.

In the meantime, the barn roof is starting to leak; the cellar shelves are still half empty, with the worst cold yet to come; and we owe Free Jim’s store for this year’s winter wheat seed. A big nugget like the one I found could take care of it all. It’s a lucky find, sure, but not so lucky as an entire flour sack of gold dust worked from a played-out claim.

So, Leah, Daddy says, and I look up from wiping the stock. He never calls me that. It’s always Lee or sweet pea.

Yes, Daddy?

"Where exactly did you find that rock?"

By a new deer trail, west of the orchard.

I heard the rifle shot. Sounded like it came from a long ways off.

Sure did. Longer still before I got him. I nicked him in the flank, and he ran off. I tracked him down the mountain and across the creek to . . . Oh.

I had crossed over onto McCauley land.

Daddy’s rocking chair stills. It doesn’t belong to us, he says softly.

But we need— I stop myself. Jefferson and his da need it as bad or worse than we do.

We’re not thieves, Daddy says.

I found it fair and square!

He shakes his head. Doesn’t matter. If Mr. McCauley came by and ‘found’ our peaches in the orchard, would it be all right to help himself to a bushel?

I frown.

She should put it right back where she found it, Mama says.

No! I protest, and Daddy gives me the mind-your-mother-or-else look. I swallow hard and try to lower my voice, but I’ve never mastered the gentle firmness of Mama’s way. I’m a too-loud-or-nothing kind of girl. I mean, if we can’t keep it, then the McCauleys should have it. Their cabin is in bad shape, and their milk cow died last winter, and . . . I’ll take it back. I’ll give it over to Jefferson’s da.

Mama carries her pot to the box stove and sets it on top. What will you tell him? she asks, giving the stew a quick stir.

The truth. That I was hunting, that I tracked my wounded buck onto his claim and chanced upon a nugget.

Mama frowns. Knowing Mr. McCauley, the story will be all over town within a day.

So? No one needs to know I witched it up.

She slams the pot lid into place and turns to brandish her wooden spoon at me. Leah Elizabeth Westfall, I will not have that word in my house.

It’s not a bad word.

If anyone hears it, even in passing, they’ll get the wrong idea. I know we live in modern times, but no one suffers a . . . that word. There’s no forgiveness for it. No explaining that will help. I know it full well.

Mama does this sometimes. She alludes to something that happened to her when she was a girl, something awful. But I know better than to press for details, because it won’t get me anything but more chores or an early trip to bed.

And I’ll not remind the entire town that we send our fifteen-year-old daughter out hunting on the Lord’s Day, she continues, still waving that spoon. Our choices are our choices, and our business is our business, but no good will come from throwing it in people’s faces.

I’ll take it back, Daddy says. I’ll tell him I was the one out hunting.

Reuben, you can hardly walk, Mama says. No one will believe it.

I’ll wait a few days. Let this cough settle. Then I’ll go. Maybe I’ll do it right before heading to Charlotte.

This is what Daddy tells us every day. That when his cough settles, he’ll take to the road with our bag of gold. He’ll have it assayed at the mint in Charlotte, North Carolina, where no one knows us and no one will ask questions.

Sure, Daddy. I don’t dare catch Mama’s eye and give space for the worry growing in both our hearts.

I rise from the table and walk with heavy steps to Daddy’s rocking chair. I pull the nugget from my pocket and place it in his outstretched palm. The gold sense lessens as soon as it leaves my hand, and for the briefest moment I am bereft, like I’ve lost a friend.

Well, I’ll be, he says breathlessly, turning it over to catch the morning light streaming through our windows. Isn’t it a beauty?

Sure is, I agree. It’s so much more than beautiful, though. It’s food and shelter and warmth and life.

His bushy eyebrows knit together as he looks at me, straight on. This nugget is nothing, Lee. Even your magic is nothing. You’re a good girl and the best daughter. And that? That’s something.

I can’t even look at him. Yes, Daddy.

I return to the table to finish cleaning my rifle. It’s a good time for quiet thinking, so I think hard and long. If Mama won’t let us sell our gold dust, and Daddy refuses to let me keep that nugget, then I need to figure out another way to make ends meet.

I pause, my rag hovering over the wooden stock. I could do it, I say.

What’s that, sweet pea? Daddy says.

I could take our gold to get assayed in North Carolina. I’ll drive Chestnut and Hemlock. The colts’d be glad for—

Absolutely not, Mama says.

It’s nice of you to offer, Daddy says in a kinder tone. But the road is no place for a girl all alone.

You’d be robbed for sure, Mama adds. Or worse.

I sigh. It was worth a try.

Mama’s gaze on my face softens. You are such a help, my Leah, and I love you for it. But you would do too much if I let you.

Tell you what, Daddy says. When this cough settles, maybe your mama will let you come with me.

Maybe I would, Mama says unconvincingly.

I’d like that, I say.

When this cough settles, when this cough settles, when this cough settles. I’ve heard it so many times it’s like a song in my head.

Maybe I’ll set traps this winter. Maybe we’ll have another big flood, which will give us an excuse to say we found more gold. Maybe our winter wheat will do better than expected. Maybe I’ll escape to Charlotte with that bag of gold and beg forgiveness afterward.

Maybe I’ll become a real witch, who can cast a spell that will keep our barn dry and fill our cellar.

Chapter Three

By morning, the air has warmed enough that fog slithers thick and blue through the creases of my mountains. Because of yesterday’s hunting success, Daddy lets me hitch Peony to the wagon and drive to school.

As soon as I pull up, I can tell something is amiss. Instead of pelting one another with snowballs or playing tag or hoops, the little ones stand clutched together for warmth, holding tight to their dinner pails, speaking in hushed tones. It’s like someone important has died, like the governor. Or even the president. But no, the courthouse flag is not at half-mast.

I hobble Peony and scan the schoolyard for Jefferson. He has a knack for seeing everything around him, and if anyone can speak truth to me, it’s him.

Annabelle Smith, the judge’s daughter, finds me first. Well, if it isn’t Plain Lee! she calls out. Driving to school like the good boy she is. The girls my age are clustered around her, and they giggle as I approach.

You seen Jefferson? I ask.

Shouldn’t you be out hunting? Her smile shows off two adorable dimples. God must have a wicked sense of humor to make such a devil of a girl look like such an angel. Or mucking around in the creek?

Please, Annabelle, I say wearily. Not today. I just want to talk to my friend.

Her smile falters, and she indicates a direction with a lift of her chin. I think he has something you’ll want to see.

I’m not sure what that means, but I nod acknowledgment and head off toward the outhouse.

Behind it is Jefferson, surrounded by a gaggle of braids and skirts, which is odd because the town girls—even the younger ones—usually avoid him. He stands at least a head above them all; tall enough so the hem of his pants sits high, revealing feet that are bare, even in winter— He must have outgrown his boots again. His face is framed by thick, black hair and a long, straight Cherokee nose he got from his mama. An old bruise yellows the sharp line of his cheekbone.

He sees me, and waves a bit of paper. He extricates himself from the girls and meets me halfway, at the entrance to the small white clapboard that serves as our schoolhouse. The girls eye me warily, but they don’t follow.

"It’s gold, Lee, he blurts before I can open my mouth to ask. Discovered in California."

My stomach turns over hard. You’re sure?

He hands me a newspaper cutout. It’s already smudged from too many fingers, and it’s dated December 5, 1848—more than a month ago.

President Polk announced it to Congress. So it has to be true.

Thoughts and feelings tumble around too hard and fast for me to put a name to them. I sink down on to the slushy steps, not caring that my second-best skirt will get soaked, and I rub hard at my chin. Gold is everywhere. At least a little bit of it. How much gold would it take for the president to make a special announcement?

Lee? he says. What are you thinking? His usually serious eyes blaze with fever, a look I know all too well. A look that might be mirrored in my own eyes.

I’m thinking you’re going to head west, along with this whole town. That’s why everyone’s so somber. Dahlonega was built on a gold rush of its own, and every child for miles will understand that change is coming, whether they want it to or not.

He plunks down beside me, resting his forearms on skinny knees that practically reach his ears. They’re saying the land over there is so lush with gold you can pluck it from the ground. Someone like me could . . .

Silence stretches between us. He hates giving voice to the thing that hurts his heart most; he hardly even talks about it to me. Jefferson is the son of a mean Irish prospector and a sweet Cherokee mama who fled with her brothers ten years ago, when the Indians were sent to Oklahoma Territory. Not a soul in Dahlonega blamed her one bit, even though she left her boy with his good-for-nothing da.

So when Jefferson says someone like me, he means a stupid, motherless Injun, which is one of the dumber things people call Jefferson, if you ask me, because he’s the smartest boy I know.

Daddy will want to go, I whisper at last. And I want to go too, to be honest. Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks of my eyes, and I love it the same way Jefferson’s da loves his moonshine.

But, Lord, I’m weary. Weary of trying to be as good to Daddy as three sons, weary of working as hard as any man, weary

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