A stubborn, irreverent and resourceful young woman discovers that it is the bonds of family, faith and friendship that will tie her to the wild and unpredictable land she comes to love so fiercely.
Seventeen-year-old Rebecca has traveled by covered wagon from Utah to the North-West Territories of Canada, where her parents and brothers are now homesteading and establishing a new community. Despite the back-breaking work, Rebecca decides that she, too, must have her own land. She sets to the seemingly impossible task of earning enough money to buy her homestead, while surviving the relentless challenges of pioneer life – the ones that mother nature throws at her in the form of blizzards, grizzlies, influenza or flood, and the ones that come with human nature, be they government bureaucracy, exasperating neighbours or the breathtaking frailty of life.
All the while, her quest opens a floodgate of questions. Why should she be expected to marry and be subject to her husband’s domain? What kind of a man would she marry, anyway? Someone gallant and exciting like Levi Hunt? Or a man of ideas like Coby Webster? How can she make this land she loves her own?
Key Text Features
biographical note
chapters
epigraph
historical note
timeline
A stubborn, irreverent and resourceful young woman discovers that it is the bonds of family, faith and friendship that will tie her to the wild and unpredictable land she comes to love so fiercely.
Seventeen-year-old Rebecca has traveled by covered wagon from Utah to the North-West Territories of Canada, where her parents and brothers are now homesteading and establishing a new community. Despite the back-breaking work, Rebecca decides that she, too, must have her own land. She sets to the seemingly impossible task of earning enough money to buy her homestead, while surviving the relentless challenges of pioneer life – the ones that mother nature throws at her in the form of blizzards, grizzlies, influenza or flood, and the ones that come with human nature, be they government bureaucracy, exasperating neighbours or the breathtaking frailty of life.
All the while, her quest opens a floodgate of questions. Why should she be expected to marry and be subject to her husband’s domain? What kind of a man would she marry, anyway? Someone gallant and exciting like Levi Hunt? Or a man of ideas like Coby Webster? How can she make this land she loves her own?
Key Text Features
biographical note
chapters
epigraph
historical note
timeline
| Published By | Groundwood Books Ltd — Apr 25, 2023 |
| Specifications | 256 pages | 5.5 in x 8.5 in |
| Keywords | Oregon Trail; LDS; Southern Alberta; prairies; Yellowstone; |
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Supporting Resources
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Excerpt |
| Written By |
MARTINE LEAVITT is the author of several award-winning books for young readers, including Calvin (winner of the Governor General’s Award), My Book of Life by Angel (finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and winner of the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year) and Keturah and Lord Death (finalist for the National Book Award). She teaches in the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Martine lives in High River, Alberta. |
| Written By |
|
MARTINE LEAVITT is the author of several award-winning books for young readers, including Calvin (winner of the Governor General’s Award), My Book of Life by Angel (finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and winner of the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year) and Keturah and Lord Death (finalist for the National Book Award). She teaches in the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Martine lives in High River, Alberta. |
| Audience | ages 13 to 18 / grades 7 to 12 |
| Key Text Features | biographical note; chapters; epigraph; historical note; timeline |
A vivid celebration of life and insightful exploration of faith, this novel proves the enduring importance of sometimes undervalued historical fiction for YAs. STARRED REVIEW
” —BooklistThrough deliberately paced, relationship-driven storytelling overflowing with witty humor and gritty Western imagery, Leavitt … presents Rebecca's faith as a tender, sometimes fraught, ever-evolving dynamic that honors those struggling to define themselves within religious traditions. STARRED REVIEW
” —Publishers WeeklyRebecca is a funny, focused, and believable young woman who battles internally over right and wrong, especially when it comes to dealing with romantic feelings and appreciating people who are hard to get along with.
” —Kirkus ReviewsLeavitt's writing is suffused with the beauty of the earth and sky.
” —Horn BookA richly lyrical novel.
” —Globe and MailLeavitt's prose shimmers with the land's beauty, its appreciative lyricism balanced with down-to-earth spirituality and humour.
” —Toronto StarA pioneer story full of accounts of inclement weather, endless labour, floods and plagues, it also shows the self-sacrifice and solidarity that held these communities together.
” —Winnipeg Free PressThis coming-of-age historical YA fiction sensitively handles life and death issues, and beautifully emphasizes spirituality, family values and perseverance.
” —Calgary HeraldA stunning love letter to the land and to community.
” —Prairie Books NOWBuffalo Flats runs the gamut of emotional experiences and allows Rebecca to feel joy, love, sorrow, resentment, and more while staying true to her beliefs.
” —CM: Canadian Review of Materials