Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 3^-6. In a lively historical novel, Ryan draws on the true life story of Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst ("One-Eyed Charley"), in the mid-nineteenth century, who disguised herself as a boy at the age of 12 and ran away from a grim New Hampshire orphanage. Always hiding the fact that she was female, she made a life for herself working with horses, first as a stable hand, then as an expert coach-driver, and later, out west, where she found her own place at last. Middle-schoolers will love the horse adventures and the stories of her trickery (she even used her male disguise to vote, more than 50 years before women were allowed to do that). Brian Selznick's full-page shaded pencil illustrations show the quiet, daring young woman in man's stiff clothing; they express her yearning and loneliness as well as her deadpan mischief and her bond with the horses she loved. --Hazel Rochman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The true story of Charlotte "Charley" Darkey Parkhurst, a woman who lived her life disguised as a man so she could be a stagecoach driver, is the basis for this ebullient and tautly structured novel. Charlotte, a girl who "couldn't sew a stitch and didn't know a petticoat from a pea pod," does have a deep respect and a sixth sense for horses. When the head of her New Hampshire orphanage tells her she's banned from riding because she's a girl, she disguises herself as a boy, runs away to Worcester, Mass., and secures a job as Mr. Ebeneezer's stable hand. He takes "Charley" under his wing, teaching her to be the finest horseman and the best coachman in the state. As she guides her coach across the countryside, she tells her passengers, "I know my horses by heart and I'm not one for bad drivin', so hold tight!" Along the way, she encounters a wealth of characters, some good (Hay, her orphan friend; Vern, a freedman who tends the orphanage stables) and some bad (Mr. Millshark, the orphanage head), but all fully realized by Muñoz (Armadillos Sleep in Dugouts). Eventually, the heroine moves West, suffers a blow to her left eye that earns her the name "One-Eyed Charley," realizes her dream of owning her own property and, still disguised as a man, votes in the 1868 California presidential electionnow recognized as the first woman ever to vote in the U.S. With a pacing that moves along at a gallop, this is a skillful execution of a fascinating historical tale. Selznick's drawings, which have an "American Gothic" feel, highlight the dramatic moments. Ages 8-12. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Starred Review. Gr 4-6-Equestrian Charlotte "Charley" Parkhurst had the will to overcome challenges and the courage to follow her dreams. In Pam Munoz Ryan's fictionalized biography (Scholastic, 1998) set in the mid 1800s, Charlotte was raised in an orphanage, loved tending and riding the horses, and yearned for a ranch of her own one day. Banned from the stables, the 12-year-old ran away from the orphanage, disguised herself as a man, became a skilled stagecoach driver, and eventually was the first woman to cast a vote in the California presidential election. Listeners will admire Charley's grit and determination, refusing to give up her dream, even when she was seriously injured and blinded in one eye. Melissa Hughes's narration is superb. She uses her mellifluous voice well, switching easily from raspy Charley to several other male and female characters and employing different regional accents. After the story, Ryan provides additional historical information about Parkhurst's interesting life. Horse aficionados will appreciate the author's attention to detail in recreating the bustling activity of stable and ranch life, while others will enjoy the well-paced adventure and respect Charlotte's determination to meet life head on. A gem.-Ruth Lorbert, East Woods School, Oyster Bay, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In this largely fictionalized biography, Ryan offers some reasons why Charlotte (Charley) Pankhurst, who pretended to be a boy to escape from an orphanage, continued the masquerade throughout her life as a stable boy, stagecoach driver, and rancher in Gold Rush California. Full-page pencil drawings give readers a sense of characters' emotions by focusing on close-ups of individuals or small groups. From HORN BOOK Fall 1998, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A fictionalized account of the true story of Charlotte Parkhurst, opening with the death of her parents when she was two years old, and covering, subsequently, her life in an orphanage, her decision to run away dressed as a boy, and her career as a stagecoach driver. The tale ends with the fulfillment of her dream to own a ranch. Along the way, and always disguised as a man, she loses the use of an eye, votes in an election (thereby becoming the first woman to do so), and gains renown as a safe and expert driver. Ryan (Armadillos Sleep in Dugouts, p. 1537, etc.) provides the facts of Parkhurst's life in an author's note that also indicates places where she took creative license. The story flows along effortlessly; the details of the stagecoach driver's life and skills are fascinating. Without exaggerating, Selznick's black-and-white drawings convey a character who could easily pass as a woman or a man, further enhancing this credible and entertaining depiction of an interesting and little-known person. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
