He Will Go Fearless [Hardcover]

Laurie Lawlor (Author)

Book Description

Immediately following the Civil War, Billy, a fifteen-year-old runaway, sets out for the gold fields of Virginia City in treacherous Montana Territory. Good fortune for Billy is not so much about finding gold, though, as it is about finding his father. Finding the truth. Before crossing the Missouri River to embark on his journey, two cunning travelers commandeer Billy's life savings of twenty-nine dollars and two bits and convince him to join them as ox-drivers on a team headed with supply wagons for Montana. At first, being paid to make the trip doesn't sound half bad to Billy -- but he quickly discovers that truth never comes cheaply.

The arduous journey tests him for all he's worth. Across miles of arid plains, wild rivers, and steep mountains, Billy struggles to tame his unruly oxen and his own dangerous passions. He must find his place among unlikely traveling companions on a trek through hostile country that conceals Chief Red Cloud's warriors as well as armed highwaymen. Billy's rite of passage challenges everything he knows about survival and loss, reconciliation and discovery.

In this vivid historical novel inspired by the real diaries of photographer William Henry Jackson, award-winning author Laurie Lawlor takes readers on a sweeping quest through the perilous old West.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–Set in the Wild West, Fearless tells the story of Billy, 15, who is on a quest to find the father he has never known. Misunderstood at home, he leaves Saint Joe, MO, after learning vital information about his past. He is swindled by two enterprising strangers; after they help themselves to his money, Billy is compelled to join them as they hook up with teamsters transporting supplies by oxen over the dangerous trail to Virginia City, Montana Territory. Along the way, mysterious Frenchy hires on and teaches Billy about oxen and life. Hard work makes the teen grow from a boy into a man. Readers witness him climbing a sheer rock face in search of a horse and driving oxen along narrow mountain passes and through rushing rivers. While he is a keen, thoughtful observer of his companions, Billy is also a young man of action. He finds his own way in a world with few rules and no one to trust but himself. Danger, adventure, and survival combine to make this a richly detailed story. By the end, the teen has not reached his intended destination, leaving readers to wonder whether a sequel is forthcoming. If not always fearless, Billy is certainly courageous. Boys, especially, will enjoy this book.–Christina Stenson-Carey, Albany Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Billy runs away from his Missouri home, hoping to make his way across the Great Plains in order to find his father in Virginia City. Soon after starting his journey, he meets a couple of rough characters who tell him that the cheapest way to go west is to sign up as a teamster, handling oxen on a freight wagon train. Billy soon discovers how rugged the life of a teamster is, but he gradually learns the tricks of handling his unruly animals and deals with a host of dangers and deprivations. He's helped by an older, tall-tale-telling teamster named Frenchy, who contributes to later disasters. Lawlor paints a striking picture of the rough-and-tumble world of the post-Civil War western migration. Her vivid descriptions of hitching up the oxen each morning or the difficulties of fording rivers make Billy's Old West come alive. The ending, with several unresolved threads, suggests a sequel. Readers who like this may also enjoy Diane Lee Wilson's Black Storm Comin' (2005). Todd Morning
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 205 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (February 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689865791
• ISBN-13: 978-0689865794
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,579,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, March 12, 2007

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TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: He Will Go Fearless (Hardcover)

Billy has helped himself to his step-father's money, and run away from a home that he could no longer tolerate. St. Joseph, Missouri, is a long way from Virginia City, but he plans to go there to find the father that he doesn't remember. The fifteen-year-old is vulnerable, and two hard-case strangers, Jackson and Rock, manage to swindle him out of his money, but he joins them as a driver for a company transporting goods west by oxen.

Life is hard on the trail, and especially so for an inexperienced boy on his own. He learns how to handle the huge, obstinate animals, and gains the skills needed to travel the rough trails of the great plains and the frontier. The drivers suffer thirst, heat, storms, unending labor, and the threat of Indian attacks. The rough men who are Billy's companions are not always easy to get along with, but one man, Frenchy, befriends Billy to help and teach him as he leaves childhood behind.

Disagreements among the men lead to Rock's leaving the caravan, and then Frenchy's disappearance. The trail bosses' horse bolts in fear, and Billy sets out on his own to find and bring back the horse. The tension builds to a surprising climax.

A story rich in historical detail, with compelling characters and fast-paced adventure, it will appeal to even reluctant readers. Billy is an exciting new character that teens will love. This exciting book was hard to put down...I'll be watching for more from this talented writer, and the ending did leave an opening for a possible sequel.

Reviewed by: Grandma Bev