I finished Boston Jane by Jennifer L. Holm, and I found it delightful.
Set in the 1850s, the story chronicles a young lady growing up and learning etiquette in Philadelphia. But then she leaves her home, with only a friend, and undertakes the 6-month sea voyage to the Pacific Northwest territories. Upon her arrival, she encounters numerous difficulties, which make her voyage characterized by seasickness seem delightful.
Sure, it’s not necessarily a new plot line, but it is an enjoyable book.
I got past my prejudice to pioneer stories and really had fun reading this one.
A young adult novel, I was surprised when, near the end, I discovered how recently it was published (2002). There are a couple more books that follow this one, that I’ll definitely seek out sometime soon. Holm received a Newberry Honor for her book Our Only May Amelia.
