Red River Stallion
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Book 1 in the Historical Horses series!
“Beautifully written from the viewpoint of a vibrant young woman.” —Historical Novel Society
Amelia Otterchild is lost between two worlds. Her white father, a fur trader in northern Canada, has mysteriously disappeared. Her Cree mother teaches Amelia wilderness survival, but when her mother dies, Amelia must keep herself and her sister alive in a starving moon. Worse, Amelia’s vision quest provides nothing except troubling riddles. Alone in her canoe, Amelia is swept away in a thick fog, and expects to drown. Then an awesome creature, which she has never seen before, swims by. Is it her rescuing spirit guide … or a creature that will drown her in the depths?
In a heartbeat, Amelia makes a life-changing choice and begins an epic journey in the company of an amazing horse. Amelia will need all her wilderness skills to survive as she forges new and unlikely friendships, falls in love with horses, discovers secrets about an old family feud, and searches for her missing father. Bravely facing every hardship, Amelia comes of age and finds the promise of love in the prairie grasslands.
Based on true events, this novel traces the ancestry of Hackney and Standardbred horses in Canada through the imported Norfolk Trotter stallion, Fireaway, who travelled 600 miles by river in a boat.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Harrison's tale of a 14-year-old Native American girl's search for her father on the North American frontier after her mother dies is beautifully written, at times reminiscent of Scott O'Dell. Orphans Amelia Otterchild Mackenzie and her younger half-sister, Charlotte, have barely survived a recent famine that plagued their Cree tribe, which lives near the Hudson Bay. When Amelia connects with Foxfire a magnificent red stallion traveling with his English owner, Orchid Spencer, to the Red River Valley Amelia knows it is her destiny to join them on this trip and find her father. The journey and the overall story are slow, with great detail given to the time period, the land, and the horses; Amelia's (and Harrison's) affection for the animals is evident on every page. As a heroine, Amelia is determined, loyal, proud, and protective. For readers who enjoy being transported back in time and appreciate the careful way that Harrison (The Horse Road) lays out each scene (as well as those who are as fond of horses as Harrison is) Amelia's journey will be a delight. Ages 8 12.
