Finding freedom and friendship in 1848 San Francisco while her father searches for gold, Tory embarks on a mud-caked search for her kidnapped brother throughout San Francisco Bay’s treacherous Rotten Row area and its hundreds of abandoned ships. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

Victoria (Tory) Blaisdell longs to live a life as adventurous and independent as that of her heroine, Jane Eyre. When Tory's father loses his job and decides to seek a share of the newly discovered gold in California, Tory stows away on the westbound ship carrying her father and younger brother, Jacob. Though San Francisco is mud-caked, frenzied, and full of wild and dangerous men, Tory quickly finds friends and independence - until her father leaves for the gold fields and the care of Jacob falls to her. Then Jacob vanishes, kidnapped, perhaps hidden among the hundreds of ships - called Rotten Row - that have been abandoned in the bay. If he is there, Tory must find him in a treacherous search. Tory comes close to losing everything in her quest for her own and her brother's freedom. - (Baker & Taylor)

Newbery Medalist Avi brings us mud-caked, tent-filled San Francisco in 1848 with a willful heroine who goes on an unintended — and perilous — adventure to save her brother.

Victoria Blaisdell longs for independence and adventure, and she yearns to accompany her father as he sails west in search of real gold! But it is 1848, and Tory isn’t even allowed to go to school, much less travel all the way from Rhode Island to California. Determined to take control of her own destiny, Tory stows away on the ship. Though San Francisco is frenzied and full of wild and dangerous men, Tory finds freedom and friendship there. Until one day, when Father is in the gold fields, her younger brother, Jacob, is kidnapped. And so Tory is spurred on a treacherous search for him in Rotten Row, a part of San Francisco Bay crowded with hundreds of abandoned ships. Beloved storyteller Avi is at the top of his form as he ushers us back to an extraordinary time of hope and risk, brought to life by a heroine readers will cheer for. Spot-on details and high suspense make this a vivid, absorbing historical adventure. - (Random House, Inc.)

Newbery Medalist Avi brings us mud-caked, tent-filled San Francisco in 1848 with a willful heroine who goes on an unintended ' and perilous ' adventure to save her brother.

Victoria Blaisdell longs for independence and adventure, and she yearns to accompany her father as he sails west in search of real gold! But it is 1848, and Tory isn't even allowed to go to school, much less travel all the way from Rhode Island to California. Determined to take control of her own destiny, Tory stows away on the ship. Though San Francisco is frenzied and full of wild and dangerous men, Tory finds freedom and friendship there. Until one day, when Father is in the gold fields, her younger brother, Jacob, is kidnapped. And so Tory is spurred on a treacherous search for him in Rotten Row, a part of San Francisco Bay crowded with hundreds of abandoned ships. Beloved storyteller Avi is at the top of his form as he ushers us back to an extraordinary time of hope and risk, brought to life by a heroine readers will cheer for. Spot-on details and high suspense make this a vivid, absorbing historical adventure. - (Random House, Inc.)

Avi is one of the most celebrated authors writing for children today, having received two Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, a Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, a Christopher Award, a Newbery Medal, and two Newbery Honors. He lives in Colorado. - (Random House, Inc.)

Avi is one of the most celebrated authors writing for children today, having received two Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, a Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, a Christopher Award, a Newbery Medal, and two Newbery Honors. He lives in Colorado. - (Random House, Inc.)

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Life for the Blaisdell family in 1840s Providence, Rhode Island, is nice and normal, but this state of affairs chafes at 13-year-old Victoria (Tory), who yearns for adventure. She's frustrated by the lack of opportunities in Providence, including not being allowed to attend school. Tory snatches education where she can, learning to read from her mother and having her younger brother, Jacob, share his lessons with her. The family's stability abruptly ends when her father loses his accounting job and her mother becomes ill. Father chooses to take Jacob with him to San Francisco to join the California gold rush, but Tory's determined not to be left behind. With her mother's permission, Tory secretly stows away on board the ship. The three face life as they've never known it, one marked by mud, tents, and lawlessness. When Father heads to the gold fields, leaving Tory and Jacob alone in San Francisco, Tory resents being in charge of Jacob. But when her brother goes missing, she launches a frantic search to find him. With his characteristically suspenseful style, Avi crafts a rousing historical adventure helmed by a spirited protagonist whom readers will love. Tory's first-person narration further connects readers to the gold rush–era story, which concludes with room for future exploits. One of Avi's best. Grades 5-8. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

At the midpoint of the nineteenth century, thirteen-year-old Victoria Blaisdell endures the stifling existence of a proper young lady. Initially comfortable financially, Tory's family hits rock bottom when her father loses his job and decides to sail to the California gold fields to regain his fortune. Taking a line from her beloved Jane Eyre (Your will shall decide your destiny), Tory chooses to accompany Father and younger brother Jacob--as a stowaway, disguised as a boy. At this point, readers will have to suspend disbelief, for after two days at sea, Tory sheds her disguise but somehow travels undetected (only three other women are on board) for seven months. Upon their arrival in San Francisco (with its shockingly squalid, overcrowded living conditions), Father takes off for the gold fields, leaving Tory in charge of Jacob's care and responsible for finding work. She makes three friends: Thad, a young man from Maine; Senor Rosales, owner of a nearby restaurant; and Sam, an African American bugle player performing in the local saloons. Tory's self-liberation and her relationships with both Senor Rosales and Sam are tinged with twenty-first-century sensibilities but nonetheless underscore her spunk and independence. When a thug (or crimp, in the local vernacular) kidnaps Jacob to force him into maritime service, it's up to Tory, Thad, and Sam to find him. Readers are thrust into a rip-roaring adventure, filled with suspense and danger, and open-ended enough for a sequel. Copyright 2021 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

At the midpoint of the nineteenth century, thirteen-year-old Victoria Blaisdell endures the stifling existence of a proper young lady. Initially comfortable financially, Tory's family hits rock bottom when her father loses his job and decides to sail to the California gold fields to regain his fortune. Taking a line from her beloved Jane Eyre ("Your will shall decide your destiny"), Tory chooses to accompany Father and younger brother Jacob-as a stowaway, disguised as a boy. At this point, readers will have to suspend disbelief, for after two days at sea, Tory sheds her disguise but somehow travels undetected (only three other women are on board) for seven months. Upon their arrival in San Francisco (with its shockingly squalid, overcrowded living conditions), Father takes off for the gold fields, leaving Tory in charge of Jacob's care and responsible for finding work. She makes three friends: Thad, a young man from Maine; Senor Rosales, owner of a nearby restaurant; and Sam, an African American bugle player performing in the local saloons. Tory's self-liberation and her relationships with both Senor Rosales and Sam are tinged with twenty-first-century sensibilities but nonetheless underscore her spunk and independence. When a thug (or crimp, in the local vernacular) kidnaps Jacob to force him into maritime service, it's up to Tory, Thad, and Sam to find him. Readers are thrust into a rip-roaring adventure, filled with suspense and danger, and open-ended enough for a sequel. Betty Carter May/June 2020 p.118 Copyright 2020 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

Tory encounters the independence and adventure she longs for in the untamed city of San Francisco in 1849. Thirteen-year-old narrator Victoria Blaisdell, known to her family as Tory, lives a comfortably privileged life in mid-19th-century Providence, Rhode Island. She is frustrated and constrained by the influence of her maternal aunt, Lavinia, who believes that girls are to take care of boys and should be educated only at home. But when Tory's father loses his position and wages and decides to seek gold in California, Tory stows away on the ship that will take him and her fretful younger brother, Jacob, on the seven-month journey to San Francisco. There, Tory finds work to keep herself and Jacob going while their father heads off to the gold fields. When Jacob is kidnapped to be a cabin boy for a ship heading out of the Golden Gate, Tory must appeal to her new friend Thad from Maine and to Sam, a wary young black man from Sag Harbor, New York, to help her navigate an underworld of gambling, rogues, and abandoned ships. Sam and Señor Rosales, who runs the cafe near Tory and Jacob 's tent, are the only nonwhite principal characters. Tory is the only girl. Avi evokes Gold Rush-era San Francisco through Tory's eyes with empathy and clarity while keeping the action lively. A splendidly exciting and accessible historical adventure. (Historical fiction. 10-13) Copyright Kirkus 2019 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Writing from a young woman's perspective, Newbery Medalist Avi brings California's Gold Rush to life in this historical adventure. Thirteen-year-old Victoria (Tory) is tired of stifling social conventions in 19th-century Providence, R.I. When her father and younger brother, Jacob, leave for San Francisco, where they plan to find a fortune, she escapes by stowing away on their ship. Once united, the family is shocked to discover that "the land of glittering gold" is really a filthy place of squalor and crime. Left alone to care for Jacob while her father works in the gold fields, Tory casts aside restrictive gender roles, dressing like a boy, working odd jobs, and spending time with her new friend, Thad. She enjoys her freedom until Jacob disappears while she's out, and she fears that he's been kidnapped. Desperate to find Jacob, Tory follows every path, despite the risks. Containing strong feminist themes, this fast-paced tale vividly contrasts the wildness of 19th-century San Francisco with stuffier New England. Tory is a brave yet naive protagonist, who makes a number of mistakes before proving herself a hero, and her dangerous encounters with unscrupulous villains provide nonstop excitement and suspense. Ages 10–14. (Mar.)

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 4–6—Gold rush fever brings 13-year-old Tori, her father, and her younger brother Jacob to 1849 San Francisco. The untamed town is a world away from their staid life in Providence, but headstrong Tori embraces the move. Like her literary heroine Jane Eyre, Tori longs for a life of adventure. After their father leaves for the gold fields, Tori and Jacob fend for themselves in a city where the vulnerable are often exploited. Jacob's sudden disappearance compels Tori to set aside her dreams of independence and find her brother. Avi once more proves himself a master of historical fiction, effectively using Tori's search to immerse readers in the city's sights and sounds. Fully realized supporting characters reflect the mélange of cultures and dreams that brought people to California in search of gold. Tori is more than the "spunky girl ahead of her time" trope; she's a daughter, a sister, a friend, and an individual who is set on achieving her dreams but not at the expense of others. Avi speaks through Tori to convey appreciation for libraries, literature, and the true value of reading: "It is not to learn about others. It is to learn about oneself." VERDICT Tori discovers adventure in the novel's taut, suspenseful narrative, and self-determination in the final scene, which leaves readers' spirits as full as the sails on the little boat that carries her toward the future. A first purchase for all middle grade libraries.—Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY