Under a Painted Sky

Samantha is a Chinese girl living in Missouri in 1849. She wants to return to New York and study music, a hard enough goal in her circumstances. Then a tragic accident strips her of everything she has, and in self-defense she commits a crime.

At the scene she meets Annamae, a runaway slave, and the two leave town together for the unknown frontier. The Oregon Trail is dangerous for two girls, so they disguise themselves as boys named Sammy and Andy, supposedly bound for the California gold rush. Each hopes to find some link to her past while avoiding notice.

Their path eventually joins that of a band of cowboys who become allies. Samantha falls for one of them, which complicates a journey already full of risk. Meanwhile the law is closing in, and fresh setbacks arrive every day.

This is young adult historical fiction, a western adventure built around the friendship of two girls and a slow-growing romance. The open trail offers few places to hide, and the pressure of pursuit keeps the pace moving. The novel won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award and was named an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick and an Amelia Bloomer Book.