Follow the Stars Home

In the lush latest from McPhail (The Seamstress of New Orleans), a pregnant woman aids her inventor husband on a daring test run of his new steamboat. In October 1811, Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt is just a few months away from giving birth. Nevertheless, she accompanies her husband, Nicholas, and their toddler daughter on a journey down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. If Nicholas’s prototype can retain its speed traveling against strong currents—something no steam vessel has achieved—the design could revolutionize river trading, get the family out of debt, and placate his dissatisfied investors. The ship’s speed (an astonishing 10 miles an hour) and sparks from its smokestack convince bystanders that either a British invasion or the end-times are at hand. The passengers’ safety and Lydia’s resourcefulness are tested when a powerful earthquake strikes Mississippi, and when the steamship is briefly pursued by Native Americans in war canoes. McPhail’s evocative narration captures Lydia’s strength and the many wonders of the voyage. Fans of Mary Benedict will relish this. Agent: Mark Gottlieb, Trident Media Group. (Sept.)