I really enjoyed the second half of this book, once the main character, Janey, and her family reached Seattle. As someone who grew up in the Northwest and now lives near Seattle, I enjoyed the glimpse of Seattle of the past. Janey's character arc throughout the book was good, and the emotional arc of the story was compelling.

What bumps me down to 3 stars though is that the first half of the book, covering the family's voyage to Seattle, was interesting but too long. I feel like if it had been closer to a third of the total, the book would have been stronger overall.

Still, given that it's historical children's fiction about the area I live in, I'll save it for my daughter's collection. The unique angle makes up for the limitations. ( )

I found this book wildly appealing -- my inner history dork was delighted with the pacific NW slant, with the inclusion of Mercer's brides, even with the depiction of the textile mills in Lowell. I'm not entirely sure why I could not put it down (probably the excellent writing and pacing), but it kept me up late as I wanted to see the end of Jane's adventures. Love the plucky heroine, not least for growing during the book. Love the pragmatic depiction of the hardships many people faced in this time, but also the threads of kindness and strength that flow through the book. Jane has many caring adults who fight for her to the best of their abilities, even though it's clear that she doesn't always understand all the aspects of their care. That sounds cryptic, but even the very contentious relationship she has with her stepmother has another side to it -- she never abandons Jane, and Mrs. D does, in the end, do whatever she can to ensure their survival as a family.

Anyway, my last favorite bit is that this is a great recommendation for history kid readers who are on the sensitive side -- unlike the wonderful Our Only May Amelia, this Northwest adventure remains tragedy free, or at least the tragic loss of Jane's father happens well before the book opens. Also, props to the author for due diligence in consulting a Duwamish tribal member for a Native perspective. ( )

Jane's father died in the War Between the States, and now Jane, her little brother, and her young stepmother are traveling to Seattle with Asa Mercer's "Girls," a group of young women bound to be seamstresses, schoolteachers, and brides for the lonely men of the frontier. Jane is too young to marry, but her stepmother hopes to snag a gentleman of importance -- a banker or a lawyer, perhaps. The rough conditions of 1866 Seattle come as a bit of a shock to all of them. Will they be able to forge a new life in Washington Territory?

I enjoyed this story very much. The characters are strong, and the setting is interesting. Asa Mercer's ambitious plan to bring brides from the east coast to the Washington Territory by ship is a real event, adding to the historical interest of the piece. I'd recommend this to fans of Boston Jane: An Adventure and Sarah, Plain and Tall. ( )

With both her parents dead and a stepmother who can be a harsh taskmaster, Jane is thrilled by the opportunity to move out west to the new Washington territory. Here she hopes to finally finish her education and for her stepmother to get her wish of re-marrying so she no longer has to work outside the home. But nothing seems to go to plan, even from the beginning of their long boat trip around South America and to the other side of North America.

This was a very interesting and compelling read. Typically, I am not the hugest fan of historical fiction, especially when it's an event that you know how it ends. In this case, Coats kept throwing in monkey wrenches so that I did not know where the book was going. The characters were well done and felt realistic.

It appears that Coats did her research and faithfully re-created the time and setting (to the best of my knowledge, which is albeit limited). She also did a good job of describing how things were done without being bogged down by too many details of every meal eaten and every step the characters take. (This is a criticism I have of some historical fiction books, in which the author clearly did the research but doesn't do a great job of distilling it down so that the main story doesn't get lost in the nitty-gritty.)

While the book does tackle some weighty subjects (death, poverty, etc.), it manages to stay overall upbeat. Positive messages about perseverance and grit abound. The main character learns many life lessons without the book seeming didactic.

I would recommend this title for middle grade readers (and even adults), especially for fans of historical fiction. ( )