about the book
Fifteen-year-old Leah Westfall lives happily with her parents in Georgia in 1894, near the end of the gold rush there. Leah is no average girl, though, as she has a secret; she can sense the very presence of gold. Whether it’s deep underground or a nugget barely hidden in the dirt, she’ll find it. To keep nosy neighbors from becoming suspicious and poking around, the Westfalls live a simple life until the day her parents are murdered. Leah’s evil uncle has discovered her abilities and will stop at nothing to control her and use her mystical skills for his own gain.
What her cruel uncle doesn’t know is that Leah is tough and won’t let him take advantage of her. Disguising herself as a boy and calling herself Lee, she escapes on a wagon train heading west. She hopes to reunite with her best friend Jefferson, a half-Cherokee, half-white boy, on his journey to California, where the incredible U.S. gold rush is in its heyday.
On the trail, not only does Lee have to hide her true identity, but she is also faced with the hardships of such a long and treacherous route. Diseases run rampant, injuries and starvation are everywhere, and those travelling are faced with extreme weather conditions and the ever-present danger of buffalo stampedes.
Leah knows her uncle is hunting her down and will stop at nothing to find her. Will she be able to escape his clutches and live happily, knowing that the people with whom she’s grown close can never know her true gender—or her secret ability?
about the author
When Rae Carson was three-years-old, she was moved to tears by Rudolf the Red-Nose Reindeer. She felts so bad for Rudolph that she even went through the picture book and scratched out his red nose to make him like all the other reindeer.
Growing up she moved a lot and was unable to make friends quickly, which caused her to be a social outcast like Rudolph. It sure didn’t help that she was clumsy and awkward too!
College was better because she was surrounded by others who valued thinking and introspection. During this time, she played women’s flag football, overcame her depth perception issues, and learned to catch a long-bomb pass. She blames football for the fact that she tends to write about young women who overcome physical inadequacies to find the hero within. Rudolph may be responsible too.
Rae is married to novelist C. C. Finlay. She lives in Ohio with her husband, two stepsons, and two naughty kitties.
Sources:
Author website
Author biography: Amazon
Also by Rae Carson:
Like a River Glorious (Gold Seer Trilogy, Book 2). Greenwillow. September 2016.
The Bitter Kingdom (Fire and Thorns, Book 3). Greenwillow. 2013.
The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns, Book 2). Greenwillow. 2012.
The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, Book 1). Greenwillow. 2011.
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