Lesa Cline-Ransome

In 1879, ten Black families set out from Mississippi toward Nebraska, where they can claim free government land (stolen, of course, from indigenous peoples) under the Homestead Act. Lettie, a smart girl and close observer, keeps track of her family's spending in a ledger, and documents their journey; her mother, Sylvia, provides the second voice in this verse novel; and in Independence, Missouri, the 18-year-old orphan Philomena joins their group, heading west for a teaching job. The wagon train faces hardships and obstacles: a boat that was supposed to take them up the river won't stop for Black families, so they have to walk the entire way; crossing rivers is dangerous, sometimes fatally so; travelers get ill and injured. Lettie observes all, and Sylvia perseveres despite all, and Philomena becomes part of the family by stepping in and stepping up when they need help.

Author's note (VERY small font, 2 columns)

Nothing bad happens to the dog (Sutter).

See also: Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park

Quotes

If I learned one thing
it was
in order to keep going
you had to forget
Think only of
tomorrow
and never of
yesterdays
and todays
(Sylvia, 183)

All that stood
between us
and our new home
was wind
our very first snow
and a river
called the Platte
(Sylvia, 243)

"...sometimes men
need to feel
like they got a job
bigger than everybody else's
and looking out for folks
maybe who don't need looking out for
is how men get to feeling
important I suppose"
(Mr. Cole to Lettie, 249)

...sometimes you got to keep quiet
about your dreams
because dreaming out loud
can make other folks
feel like you're thinking too big
(Agnes to Lettie, 261)

...there wasn't no shame
in dreaming
out loud.
(Lettie, 261)

When something's got to be done
I just go on ahead and do it
(Mr. Cole, 285)

What do you think
it's going to be like there?
I asked

I think it's going to be
what we make it
(Lettie and Mr. Cole, 285)… (more)