cover image Jenny of the Tetons

Jenny of the Tetons

Kristiana Gregory. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt P, $13.95 (119pp) ISBN 978-0-15-200480-4

Carrie hates the Indians for killing her parents and stealing her brothers. But when she is taken in by an Englishman named Beaver Dick to help with his children, Carrie quickly learns the gentle, reverent ways of his Indian wife, Jenny. Like them, Carrie learns to respect and work with the land. When smallpox spreads through the country, neither Jenny nor any of her children are spared, and Carrie learns just how deeply she had come to love her adopted family. Gregory's story is dotted, chapter by chapter, with excerpts from the journal of the real Beaver Dick. His spelling and grammar make the story authentic, and leave readers with a vivid account of the hardship and beauty of living in the new land. In her author's note and epilogue, Gregory offers the facts behind some of the tragedies in the book. This is heartfelt historical fiction, and readers will relish each page of the adventure. Ages 8-12. (May)