He Will Go Fearless

by Laurie Lawlor

Overview

Immediately following the Civil War, Billy, a fifteen-year-old runaway, sets out for the gold fields of Virginia City in treacherous Montana Territory. Good fortune for Billy is not so much about finding gold, though, as it is about finding his father. Finding the truth. Before crossing the Missouri River to embark on his journey, two cunning travelers commandeer Billy's life savings of twenty-nine dollars and two bits and convince him to join them as ox-drivers on a team headed with supply wagons for Montana. At first, being paid to make the trip doesn't sound half bad to Billy — but he quickly discovers that truth never comes cheaply.

The arduous journey tests him for all he's worth. Across miles of arid plains, wild rivers, and steep mountains, Billy struggles to tame his unruly oxen and his own dangerous passions. He must find his place among unlikely traveling companions on a trek through hostile country that conceals Chief Red Cloud's warriors as well as armed highwaymen. Billy's rite of passage challenges everything he knows about survival and loss, reconciliation and discovery.

In this vivid historical novel inspired by the real diaries of photographer William Henry Jackson, award-winning author Laurie Lawlor takes readers on a sweeping quest through the perilous old West.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689865800
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	09/06/2012
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Laurie Lawlor has published more than thirty books for children and
young adults. Magnificent Voyage: An American Adventurer on Captain James
Cook's Final Expedition was a VOYA Nonfiction Honor Book called
"fascinating" by the New York Times. Helen Keller: Rebellious
Spirit was named an American Library Association Notable Book and a Best
Book for Young Adults. Shadow Catcher: The Life and Work of Edward S.
Curtis won a Golden Kite Honor Award and the Carl Sandburg Award. Ms.
Lawlor lives in Evanston, Illinois.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5-8-Set in the Wild West, Fearless tells the story of Billy, 15, who is on a quest to find the father he has never known. Misunderstood at home, he leaves Saint Joe, MO, after learning vital information about his past. He is swindled by two enterprising strangers; after they help themselves to his money, Billy is compelled to join them as they hook up with teamsters transporting supplies by oxen over the dangerous trail to Virginia City, Montana Territory. Along the way, mysterious Frenchy hires on and teaches Billy about oxen and life. Hard work makes the teen grow from a boy into a man. Readers witness him climbing a sheer rock face in search of a horse and driving oxen along narrow mountain passes and through rushing rivers. While he is a keen, thoughtful observer of his companions, Billy is also a young man of action. He finds his own way in a world with few rules and no one to trust but himself. Danger, adventure, and survival combine to make this a richly detailed story. By the end, the teen has not reached his intended destination, leaving readers to wonder whether a sequel is forthcoming. If not always fearless, Billy is certainly courageous. Boys, especially, will enjoy this book.-Christina Stenson-Carey, Albany Public Library, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

From snake-oil salesmen to a stormy Platte River crossing, Lawlor's coming-of-age tale creates an authentic sense of place in the aftermath of the Civil War. Fifteen-year old troublemaker Billy learns the truth about his parentage and plans to travel to Virginia City in Montana Territory to meet the father he never met. His money is swindled away and his plans are changed when he encounters conniving yet affable Jackson and his hot-tempered sidekick Rock on the steamboat ride out of St. Joseph, Mo. Under Jackson's silver-tongued influence, Billy soon finds himself one of Whitman's "fearless" oxen tamers, driving a team on the western trail. Some of the dialogue between the adults is stilted and formal, the pacing in certain places plods much like Billy's stubborn cattle and the resolution is less than satisfactory. Yet it is Billy himself, his timeless aspirations and his mentorship by the enigmatic loner Frenchy that warms the heart and affirms the power of perseverance and hope. A worthwhile rite of passage. (Historical fiction. 11-14)

Kirkus Reviews