In Cannon's (Shadow Brothers) strongly sketched pioneer novel, Mormons emigrating from Wales traverse the West with pushcarts, and a bold 12-year-old girl shoulders the additional burden of an infant whose mother has died in childbirth. Narrator Charlotte, a storyteller who dreams of fame, impulsively volunteers for the challenge to impress the grown women when they can't seem to make the baby's grief-stricken father attend to her. Cannon's realistic details do justice to Charlotte's humorous and exhausting experiences with the infant she names Rose, and to Charlotte's vacillating resentment and fierce love for her charge. The author populates the handcart train with a conflict-charged cast, including the imperious Brother and Sister Roberts, the pitiable widow who nurses Rose along with her own daughter, and the enigmatic and scarred Sister Catherine Jones, whom Charlotte initially imagines a witch but ultimately befriends. While offering some insight into Mormon doctrine, Cannon also proposes personal motivations for her Welsh characters' embrace of a new religion. Charlotte herself blossoms through her sacrifice, and her maturation will likely endear her to readers. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)
