Tough luck A novel

Dallas (Little Souls) serves up a lively if simplistic tale of a spirited 14-year-old girl's journey by wagon train across the American West in 1863. After Haidie Richards's mother dies, her conniving older brother sells the family farm in Illinois and puts her in an orphanage, their father having left years earlier in the gold rush and dropped out of contact. Desperate to find her father and set things right, Haidie escapes the orphanage and disguises herself as a boy to win a job on a mule team. On the way west, she faces dangers typical to the genre, including bandits who steal a mule and an attack on horseback by a band of "savages." She also meets such colorful characters as a good-hearted gambler and a preacher's wife who was forced into prostitution. After Haidie reaches Denver and discovers her father's fate, she sets into motion a plan to redeem her family. Haidie, a self-confessed liar and sharp judge of character, is an entertaining narrator, and Dallas keeps the story moving at a brisk trot. Readers looking for an old-fashioned western will be satisfied. Agent: Danielle Egan-Miller, Browne and Miller. (Apr.)

Dallas's 24th novel (after Where Coyotes Howl) is historical fiction that features familiar elements from her oeuvre: a family focus, a Western setting, and a determined woman lead. In 1863, Haidie Richards and her younger brother Boots are left in an orphanage by their older brother when their mother dies. Their father headed west to search for gold two years before, and Haidie is sure that he has since struck it rich and is waiting for his children to find him. She breaks them out of the orphanage and goes west, dressed as a boy for safety. She's so convincing as a young man that even readers may forget she's actually a girl. Haidie discovers the importance of a supportive community as she and Boots travel. They connect with an honest trail driver, befriend two tough spinster sisters, and encounter a loyal gambler--all of whose help they'll need once they arrive in Colorado and realize that their father is alive but down on his luck. VERDICT Full of humor, heart, and hope, this novel is a delight for anyone looking for a Western with a little less grit and a little more gentleness. Readers who like happy endings to their adventures will be drawn in by evocative period details, engaging characters, and strong narrative voice.--Melanie Kindrachuk