Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Candlewick (2020), 320 pages
Description
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.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member librarian1204
An excellent new book by Avi that has adventure , action and plenty of excitement that will please young readers.
It also has an abundance of historical facts that will give readers a look at a part of American history that they may not be acquainted with.
Tory and Jacob and their father leave their
Of course reality is a big surprise.
Nothing like this family has ever known ,greets them. Dad takes off for the gold diggings while Tory and Jacob fend for themselves in San Francisco.
Tory soon realizes that she must step up and find work so that they can survive until their father returns with gold.
Tory enjoys her independence and makes a friend. Then Jacob disappears and it seems apparent he has been kidnapped.
Tory must find him before it is too late.
Filled with authentic detail about San Francisco in 1849 and the ships that made up rotten row, this is definitely one of Avi’s best.
Read from an ARC from LibraryThing.
It also has an abundance of historical facts that will give readers a look at a part of American history that they may not be acquainted with.
Tory and Jacob and their father leave their
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New England home to travel west on a ship to San Francisco. Father has gold rush fever and feels certain he can make the family a fortune just by picking up the gold laying around in California.Of course reality is a big surprise.
Nothing like this family has ever known ,greets them. Dad takes off for the gold diggings while Tory and Jacob fend for themselves in San Francisco.
Tory soon realizes that she must step up and find work so that they can survive until their father returns with gold.
Tory enjoys her independence and makes a friend. Then Jacob disappears and it seems apparent he has been kidnapped.
Tory must find him before it is too late.
Filled with authentic detail about San Francisco in 1849 and the ships that made up rotten row, this is definitely one of Avi’s best.
Read from an ARC from LibraryThing.
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LibraryThing member ChazziFrazz
I received this ARC from LibraryThing.
I've read a number of books by Avi and enjoyed them immensely. He writes for kids, but his work can be enjoyed by adults as well.
It is 1849. Victoria Blaisdell (Tory) lives in Rhode Island with her parents and brother, Jacob. She yearns for adventure and being
When her father loses his job and decides to try and strike it rich in San Francisco, Tory thinks she has a chance. Disguising herself as a boy, she stows away on the ship her father and young brother are on. When they are far out to sea, she reveals her presence to her father and brother. Her father can't send her back, so she goes to San Francisco.
When they arrive, they find San Francisco is nothing like home. It is rough, muddy, populated with mostly men, dangerous and wild. Not the proper place for a young girl.
Her father takes off for the gold fields, leaving Tory responsible for Jacob's care. Living in a tent is rough and the work available to earn money is also rough and usually men's work. Tory takes on the challenge. Dressing as a boy gives her the ability to get work and not catch the eye of any man. This gives Tory some of the freedom and independence she has been looking for.
When Jacob vanishes, the best guess is he has been kidnapped (shanghaied) to be sold to work as a cabin boy on one of the outgoing ships. Tory realizes she must find Jacob before her father returns.
Tory is a determined girl and will do anything to find her brother. She enlists the help of two friends, Thad and Sam, and they set off to search the abandoned ships on Rotten Row.
Avi provides good descriptions of the time and place. You can feel the dampness and fog, visualize the people and the constant mud under foot. Also the dangerousness of the men.
A very good read.
I've read a number of books by Avi and enjoyed them immensely. He writes for kids, but his work can be enjoyed by adults as well.
It is 1849. Victoria Blaisdell (Tory) lives in Rhode Island with her parents and brother, Jacob. She yearns for adventure and being
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independent, but in 1849 this is not an option for girls. No travelling by herself. Not even being able to go to school!When her father loses his job and decides to try and strike it rich in San Francisco, Tory thinks she has a chance. Disguising herself as a boy, she stows away on the ship her father and young brother are on. When they are far out to sea, she reveals her presence to her father and brother. Her father can't send her back, so she goes to San Francisco.
When they arrive, they find San Francisco is nothing like home. It is rough, muddy, populated with mostly men, dangerous and wild. Not the proper place for a young girl.
Her father takes off for the gold fields, leaving Tory responsible for Jacob's care. Living in a tent is rough and the work available to earn money is also rough and usually men's work. Tory takes on the challenge. Dressing as a boy gives her the ability to get work and not catch the eye of any man. This gives Tory some of the freedom and independence she has been looking for.
When Jacob vanishes, the best guess is he has been kidnapped (shanghaied) to be sold to work as a cabin boy on one of the outgoing ships. Tory realizes she must find Jacob before her father returns.
Tory is a determined girl and will do anything to find her brother. She enlists the help of two friends, Thad and Sam, and they set off to search the abandoned ships on Rotten Row.
Avi provides good descriptions of the time and place. You can feel the dampness and fog, visualize the people and the constant mud under foot. Also the dangerousness of the men.
A very good read.
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LibraryThing member keristars
I'm of a mixed mind about Gold Rush Girl. On the one hand, it's a vivid adventure set in the lawless San Francisco of the Gold Rush with lots of period details, including the language used in the first-person narration. On the other hand, it's a bit of a fantasy for the main character to be a young
I was excited about this book because I enjoyed the others by Avi, and I have fond memories of Charlotte Doyle when I was in the target age group. I had hoped that Gold Rush Girl would be a more updated story along similar lines. It is, but also...it isn't. I hate that Tory is another historical fiction girl who seems to hate everything about what it means to be historical fiction, and that the big adventure plot is about saving her little brother, and it's two other boys who have all the knowledge and connections. This makes the story drag a little and Tory feels whiney and selfish.
But, reading closely - I enjoyed that Tory thinks and says she dislikes and feels stifled by her clothing and social expectations, but once she gets the adventure she claims to have craved, she discovers that she misses those clothes and manners. She doesn't actually want to be on the adventure, which in reality is dirty and rough and not at all romantic or heroic. When she has the opportunity to prove herself by searching for her lost brother, she realizes that she doesn't know as much as she thought, and she has responsibilities towards others.
So while the story is superficially irritating to me, the deeper themes are about dreams vs. reality, accepting help and keeping one's promises, and of course the ever-present MG theme of the fallibility of adults. I wish the ending didn't suggest that Tory abandons her responsibilities for more adventure, though. It seems to undercut these themes.
The setting of 1848 San Francisco makes a point of describing how rough and dangerous it is, but it's still softened for the target audience. I would be shocked if a real life Tory wasn't harassed or raped, as one of the few women (or girls) in the tent city, but there's not a peep of such a thing. Everyone is shocked at a girl living alone with her little brother and dressing as a boy, but the main dangers are the mud and fog, possibly violent drunks, and crimps.
I expect that a lot of young readers will enjoy this book a lot, but I'm still not sure if I can wholeheartedly recommend it, or if I'd rather suggest a different book with a similar setting instead.
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teenage girl, and it is a little bit mired in some of the more tired tropes. I thought the plot was a bit draggy, and had trouble getting into the story. New readers in the target audience will likely enjoy reading about Tory and not notice the old saws or slow plot, though they may have difficulty with some of the vocabulary. (It's not too troublesome, just old fashioned.)I was excited about this book because I enjoyed the others by Avi, and I have fond memories of Charlotte Doyle when I was in the target age group. I had hoped that Gold Rush Girl would be a more updated story along similar lines. It is, but also...it isn't. I hate that Tory is another historical fiction girl who seems to hate everything about what it means to be historical fiction, and that the big adventure plot is about saving her little brother, and it's two other boys who have all the knowledge and connections. This makes the story drag a little and Tory feels whiney and selfish.
But, reading closely - I enjoyed that Tory thinks and says she dislikes and feels stifled by her clothing and social expectations, but once she gets the adventure she claims to have craved, she discovers that she misses those clothes and manners. She doesn't actually want to be on the adventure, which in reality is dirty and rough and not at all romantic or heroic. When she has the opportunity to prove herself by searching for her lost brother, she realizes that she doesn't know as much as she thought, and she has responsibilities towards others.
So while the story is superficially irritating to me, the deeper themes are about dreams vs. reality, accepting help and keeping one's promises, and of course the ever-present MG theme of the fallibility of adults. I wish the ending didn't suggest that Tory abandons her responsibilities for more adventure, though. It seems to undercut these themes.
The setting of 1848 San Francisco makes a point of describing how rough and dangerous it is, but it's still softened for the target audience. I would be shocked if a real life Tory wasn't harassed or raped, as one of the few women (or girls) in the tent city, but there's not a peep of such a thing. Everyone is shocked at a girl living alone with her little brother and dressing as a boy, but the main dangers are the mud and fog, possibly violent drunks, and crimps.
I expect that a lot of young readers will enjoy this book a lot, but I'm still not sure if I can wholeheartedly recommend it, or if I'd rather suggest a different book with a similar setting instead.
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LibraryThing member Sheila1957
Historical fiction for middle grade/late elementary school ages. Victoria stows away when her father and brother sail to the California gold fields. When they get there their father goes alone to the gold fields while Tory and Jacob stay in San Francisco. Tory works while Jacob falls in despair.
I enjoyed this story. I liked that it is historical fiction and I learned more about the gold fever that struck the country from a young person's point-of-view, especially since it was a girl's first person account. I would have liked to hit Jacob up along side of head and tell him to quit looking for problems and troubles. Tory formed friendships with boys which would have been frowned upon back East. I loved her independence. I also liked her solution when finally reunited as a family. She is no damsel in distress and works hard to keep her independence.
I hope there will be more stories of Tory and the changes that are happening in the West as well as in the rest of the country. The open endedness of this book leaves that possibility open.
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Jacob is then kidnapped and it is up to Tory to find him before their father comes back from the gold fields and their mother comes from the East..I enjoyed this story. I liked that it is historical fiction and I learned more about the gold fever that struck the country from a young person's point-of-view, especially since it was a girl's first person account. I would have liked to hit Jacob up along side of head and tell him to quit looking for problems and troubles. Tory formed friendships with boys which would have been frowned upon back East. I loved her independence. I also liked her solution when finally reunited as a family. She is no damsel in distress and works hard to keep her independence.
I hope there will be more stories of Tory and the changes that are happening in the West as well as in the rest of the country. The open endedness of this book leaves that possibility open.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
When 13-year-old Victoria “Tory” Blaisdell’s family’s fortunes take a turn for the worse, her father decides to try his luck in the California gold rush. Mr. Blaisdell plans to take Tory’s younger brother, Jacob, leaving Tory in Providence with her invalid mother and her stern Aunt
This coming-of-age adventure will appeal to tween readers who like historical fiction. Adult readers may not be quite as enamored with a 13-year-old heroine who declares her independence from her parents.
This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program.
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Lavinia. Determined to take charge of her own destiny, Tory stows away on the ship. When they reach San Francisco, Tory and Jacob are left on their own while their father goes to the gold fields. Then Jacob is kidnapped by “crimpers” to serve on one of the many ships whose crews have abandoned the sea and joined the gold rush. Tory must find Jacob before their father returns and her mother arrives from the East.This coming-of-age adventure will appeal to tween readers who like historical fiction. Adult readers may not be quite as enamored with a 13-year-old heroine who declares her independence from her parents.
This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program.
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LibraryThing member vivirielle
I've been a fan of Avi for years. This isn't one of my favorites, but it will certainly find an audience for adventure-seeking young readers. It's refreshing to hear the story of the gold rush from a young girl and how she takes a part in the historical events.
LibraryThing member shabacus
A nice adventurous book, and one with a POV character that actually feels like she comes from the era in which it's set! That is to say, our heroine does not feel like a modern girl thrown into the past, but rather a girl of her time who finds reason and motivation to do truly heroic things. The
As an adult reader, it took a bit of work to get through, but mainly because I've read a lot of other YA coming-of-age stories before, and this one treads familiar ground. For its target audience, especially for anyone who actually lives in the SF area, I think there is a lot to recommend this one.
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story does not shy away from presenting the realities of the time, including race, but neither does it really confront them head-on.As an adult reader, it took a bit of work to get through, but mainly because I've read a lot of other YA coming-of-age stories before, and this one treads familiar ground. For its target audience, especially for anyone who actually lives in the SF area, I think there is a lot to recommend this one.
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LibraryThing member antmusic
Lives up to Avi's authorship. Sadly, my daughter was not as intrigued as I expected her to be. She gave up a lot earlier than I expected, and I was shocked. I almost want to question if kids just aren't the readers they used to be. I HOPE not. My son is a voracious reader, but my daughter is VERY
The book is GREAT... or at least I think it is.
I received a free paperback review copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
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reluctant and this didn't float her boat without encouragement. The book is GREAT... or at least I think it is.
I received a free paperback review copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
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LibraryThing member blbooks
First sentence: Have you ever been struck by lightning? I have. I write not of the sparkling that bolts from the sky, but of gold, the yellow metal buried in the earth and the shatter-wit world of those who seek it. That world turned me topsy-turvy, so that I did things I never dreamed I would or
Premise/plot: Victoria 'Tory' Blaisdell leaves her Rhode Island home with her father and younger brother, Jacob, to go to California to find gold. The book chronicles their many adventures and misadventures. Tory did not want to be left behind with her mother in the care of a bossy aunt. But she didn't quite count on how rough, dangerous, and appalling the situation would be when they arrived. The dad soon leaves to go to the diggings leaving fourteen-year-old, Tory, in charge of Jacob. She has to be his caretaker yet also the one who earns enough money day by day by day to survive. Tory soon learns that she can do just about anything she sets her mind to, but, it is easier to dress as a boy if you want to find work. She makes a few friends--including Sam and Thad--but as the months go by....the family faces the unthinkable.... one day she returns home to discover that Jacob is completely missing. Can she find her brother????
My thoughts: It was a quick read. It was well-paced and packed with adventure, danger, and mystery. I loved Tory's narrative. I loved that she was brave and spunky. She was inspired by Jane Eyre to "take hold" of her own destiny. She was a positive person who tried to hold onto hope despite her circumstances. She wasn't one to let life just happen to her.
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could do.Premise/plot: Victoria 'Tory' Blaisdell leaves her Rhode Island home with her father and younger brother, Jacob, to go to California to find gold. The book chronicles their many adventures and misadventures. Tory did not want to be left behind with her mother in the care of a bossy aunt. But she didn't quite count on how rough, dangerous, and appalling the situation would be when they arrived. The dad soon leaves to go to the diggings leaving fourteen-year-old, Tory, in charge of Jacob. She has to be his caretaker yet also the one who earns enough money day by day by day to survive. Tory soon learns that she can do just about anything she sets her mind to, but, it is easier to dress as a boy if you want to find work. She makes a few friends--including Sam and Thad--but as the months go by....the family faces the unthinkable.... one day she returns home to discover that Jacob is completely missing. Can she find her brother????
My thoughts: It was a quick read. It was well-paced and packed with adventure, danger, and mystery. I loved Tory's narrative. I loved that she was brave and spunky. She was inspired by Jane Eyre to "take hold" of her own destiny. She was a positive person who tried to hold onto hope despite her circumstances. She wasn't one to let life just happen to her.
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Awards
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
8.51 inches
ISBN
1536206792 / 9781536206791