Boston Jane Series: An Adventure [Paperback]

Jennifer L. Holm (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Boston Jane

Sixteen-year-old Jane Peck has ventured to the unknown wilds of the Northwest to wed her childhood idol, William Baldt. But her impeccable training at Miss Hepplewhite's Young Ladies Academy in Philadelphia is hardly preparation for the colorful characters and crude life that await her in Washington Territory.

Thrown upon her wits in the wild, Jane must determine for herself whether she is truly proper Miss Jane Peck of Philadelphia, faultless young lady and fiancée, or Boston Jane, as the Chinook dub her, fearless and loyal woman of the frontier.

An exciting new novel from Jennifer L. Holm, author of the Newbery Honor Book Our Only May Amelia.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Imagine being seasick for five months, two weeks, and six days as you--a girl from Philadelphia--sail farther and farther away from everything and everyone you've ever known to the unknown wilds of the Great Pacific Northwest in 1854: "I felt certain that luck had nothing to do with anything aboard the Lady Luck, a poorly named vessel if ever there was one. I had just spent the morning of my sixteenth birthday puking into a bucket, and I had little hope that the day would improve." Meet Boston Jane, a new reluctant young lady heroine from Jennifer L. Holm, author of the Newbery Honor Book, Our Only May Amelia.

Impulsive Jane, ever on the path to leaving behind her rough-and-tumble tomboy childhood to become a proper young lady, agrees to meet her very genteel fiancé on the rugged west coast of America. Unfortunately, William is not there when she arrives. Suddenly, Boston Jane, as her new Chinook neighbors call her, must cast aside her "faultless young lady" demeanor and depend on her long-suppressed pioneer spirit to survive. Holm cleverly weaves in lessons from Jane's Philadelphia finishing school, Miss Hepplewhite's Young Ladies Academy, in dramatic and often-hilarious contrast to the trials and tribulations Jane faces at sea and in Oregon country. Readers will be charmed by teenage Jane's ironic tone and inner conflicts and will cheer her on as she sheds layer after layer of decorum. Granted, the budding romance between Jane and sailor Jehu, "hidden" beneath the surface love story of Jane and the more uppity William, is an at-least-twice-told tale; but young readers will get caught up in the excitement of it nonetheless. The intricate details of mid-19th century life on an untamed frontier--complete with carefully researched Chinook tribal history and real-life incidents of white settlers--are absolutely fascinating. A thrilling, entertaining read. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

A 16-year-old blossoming society lady must abandon etiquette in order to survive on the frontier. "The series of challenges that transform Jane into an outspoken, self-reliant young woman forms a tale that readers will long remember," said PW. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064408493
• ISBN-13: 978-0064408493
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,691,288 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Turtle in Paradise started with a story my mom liked to tell about her childhood. During the summers, her grandmother would take her to Key West to visit her relatives. Her mother made her promise to "shake her shoes out." My mom didn't know why her mother wanted her to do this, but she did it anyway. And then one hot day, she shook her shoes and out popped . . . a scorpion!

Writing Turtle in Paradise was a wonderful way to re-connect with my Key West heritage. My great-grandmother, Jennie Lewin Peck, emigrated from the Bahamas to Key West at the turn of the century. She considered herself a "Conch," what the local Key West folks called themselves, after the native mollusk that so many fished for in the Bahamas. Nana was always talking about how she missed sugar apple ice cream and Spanish limes. When my editor, Shana Corey, started asking me about Nana and my Key West family, I just knew that there was a story somewhere in there.

Researching this book was also an interesting way to experience a different side of living through the Great Depression. While Key West suffered significant economic hardship (the town went bankrupt and the majority of the citizens were on economic relief), it didn't have the same sort of feel as most of the depression stories I was used to hearing--soup lines, tent cities, and the Dust Bowl. Key West was warm for one thing, and there was plenty of free food, courtesy of the sea. One man told me, he ate lobster during the Depression! Key West was a freewheeling town full of characters and bygone industries--sponge fishing, rumrunners, and, of course, pirates! It had all the ingredients for a fabulous setting.

I hope you enjoy reading Turtle in Paradise as much as I enjoyed writing it. And if you ever go to Key West, be sure to shake out your shoes!







Brother and sister team, Matthew Holm and Jennifer Holm, grew up playing with stuffed mice. Today Jennifer is the author of several highly acclaimed novels, including the Newbery Honour book, 'Our Only May Amelia'. Matthew is a graphic designer and freelance writer. Neither of them have mice, although Jenni does have a small son who likes cheese a lot and Matt has a weasel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To be a lady..., August 7, 2002

By 

hiphopgirl_1000 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boston Jane Series: An Adventure (Hardcover)

Sixteen-year-old Jane Peck used to be the tomboyish, unladylike sort, until she decided to enroll herself into Miss Hepplewhite's Young Ladies Academy and become a "proper lady". For Jane things couldn't be better now that she is a lady, and when her childhood crush, William Baldt, asks her to marry him and go to the Northwestern Territory, Jane consents, even against the wishes of her beloved father. Soon though, Jane begins to kinda regret her decision as she suffers seasickness, deals with the young, despicable, yet charming sailor Jehu Scudder, and sees her companion Mary die in a storm. Jane knows, however, that William will be waiting for her and she perseveres. Unfortunately when she arrives, she learns that Willliam won't be back for months after he was sent on a mission by the Governor. Soon Jane learns that the wilderness life is quite unsuitable for her ladylike ways, and she finds herself going back to her old ways, the person she truly is. In just a few short monthes Jane has had as many adventures as we might have in a lifetime, from forage for salmonberries, almost drowning, sharing a cabin with flea-bitten, dirty men, and the one thing that Jane fears the most: her growing relationship with the young sailor Jehu Scudder. Her mind tells her though that she must stay loyal to William, even though her heart says something else, so she rejects Jehu, telling him she has no choice. The hurt Jehu leaves the settlement and for the first time Jane feels very much alone...until finally William returns! However William has brought secrets back with him, and when Jane finally finds out the truth she learns how ignorant she was to her father's warning, but the thing that she regrets the most is telling Jehu she had no choice...

This is the first novel I have ever read by Jennifer L. Holm and I must say I have become a quick fan of her. Jane has the charm and wit that is hard to resist. It was also really fun to read how Jane reminded herself how to be a lady and quoted alot from her etiquette book. I can't wait to read the new book in the Boston Jane trilogy: Boston Jane: Wilderness Days!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Adventure!, July 25, 2002

By 

Amelia Merwin (Burbank, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boston Jane Series: An Adventure (Hardcover)

Boston Jan tell the story of Jane Peck in the 1800s. Her father is a surgeon and she gets to help him cure people. In her spare time, she enjoys spitting and throwing things. But things change when her father's apprentice, William, tells Jane that she should be a lady. Because she had a crush on him, she enrolls in a girl's school. Within a few years she is a lady. Willaim goes west to the fronteir, and sends a letter asking Jane to marry her. To her father's dismay, she goes. You have to read the book to find out what happens next. This is a fantastic book! I felt so sorry for Jane at certain parts of the book. And, this book is way better than Our Only May Amelia, the other book by the author.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another wonderful book by Jennifer L. Holm, August 17, 2001

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boston Jane Series: An Adventure (Hardcover)

Motherless Jane Peck ran wild until age eleven when, against her father's wishes, she decided to become a proper young lady at the urging of her father's apprentice, William. When William leaves for the wilds of the Northwest frontier, Jane is devastated. When, at age fifteen, Jane receives a letter from William proposing marriage, she is eager to accept, even though her father does not want her to. But Jane gets her way, and she sets sail from Philadelphia on a ship bound for Washington. But the year is 1854, and sea travel is not easy. Jane faces dangers and hardships on board, and when she finally arrives at her destination, she finds that William is not there to meet her. Alone in this harsh wilderness, Jane is going to have to work to survive, even if it's something no "proper lady" would ever do. I highly reccomend this historical novel. It's very different in style from Jennifer Holm's first book, but is just as good nonetheless.