Like its predecessors in Lawton's Daughters of the Faith series, this fourth
installment offers an invigorating blend of historical information and
imaginative writing. The real-life Olive Oatman was 13 when her family pulled
up stakes in 1850, leaving their Illinois farm to head west with a wagon
train. A renegade band of Yavapai Indians attacked the Oatmans and left them
for dead, except for Olive and her younger sister, whom they enslaved. After a
year of near-starvation, the girls were ransomed by a Mohave tribe that had
heard of their plight and pitied them. Given all the ground that Lawton
covers, it may not be surprising that some sequences feel comparatively sparse
(e.g., Olive's time among the Mohave). For the most part, however, Lawton
shows a remarkable facility for conveying the contradictory emotions, thoughts
and motives of the pioneers, and for illuminating the details of daily life.
While she demonstrates the importance of faith to her characters, she also
portrays a range of religious sensibilities. The original leader of the
Oatmans' wagon convoy bills himself as a prophet and continually attempts to
change their destination. Olive's mother firmly believes God is at their
sides. Olive is more tentative: "If God was walking alongside, she wondered if
He missed the others as much as she did." The Mohave chief and his daughter,
who personally ransoms the Oatman girls, have their own spirituality but
clearly respect Olive's beliefs. Readers do not have to share Olive's
convictions to find themselves engrossed in Lawton's presentation of her
story. Ages 8-12. (June) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
