Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas

 

After their mother dies, Haidie Richards and her younger brother, Boots, are put to work in an orphanage. Their father left four years earlier to find a gold mine in Colorado Territory, and since then he’s sent only three letters. Still, Haidie is certain that he is alive, has struck gold, and will soon send for them.

But patience is not one of Haidie’s virtues and soon she and her brother make a break for it. Boots and Haidie, disguised as a boy, embark on a dangerous journey deep into Western territory. Along the way, Haidie learns fast not only how to handle mules, oxen, and greedy men, but also that you are better off in a community. Hers includes a card shark, independent “spinster” sisters, and a very fierce dog. Once she arrives in Colorado and finds out the truth about her father, Haidie will need all her new friends for a get-even plot worthy of The Sting.

Filled with vivid period detail, colorful characters, and the irreverent voice of our scrappy heroine, Tough Luck celebrates both the tenacity of youth and the persistence of the heart in the great American West.

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About The Author

 Dubbed "a quintessential American voice" by Jane Smiley, in Vogue Magazine, Sandra Dallas is a New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen adult novels, several children's novels, and numerous works of non-fiction about Western subjects. Her adult novels, which include Prayers for Sale, Tallgrass, and The Persian Pickle Club, all share themes of loyalty, friendship, and human dignity and have been translated into a dozen foreign languages and have been optioned for films. Her work has won or been nominated for numerous awards and prizes and in 2021, she was inducted into the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame. A former bureau chief for BusinessWeek magazine, Sandra lives in Denver and Georgetown, Colorado with her husband and with her two grown daughters nearby.

 

My Review

 

I have read many books by this author, and she doesn't disappoint, this one was a page turner.
As I was reading, I felt like I was watch a movie, and was drawn in. What an excellent job the author did of placing the right people at the right time in the right place!
The children are delightful, loved Haidie, so resourceful and yet compassionate!
We travel with Boots 10, and Haidie 14, from their escape from the orphanage to the Gold Hills of Colorado. How they get there is a real adventure, and we are there every step of the way.
If you like justice, in a round about way, we do get it here, and wow what a journey for answers, but the people put in their path, although unconventional are awesome!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive review.