Gold Rush Girl

By Avi

A daring girl braves 1848 San Francisco's chaos to rescue her kidnapped brother.

3.8/5 Goodreads · 720 ratings

320 pages

$10.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In 1848, Victoria Blaisdell defies convention by stowing away to San Francisco, seeking adventure and freedom. Amidst the gold rush frenzy, her brother Jacob is kidnapped, thrusting her into a perilous quest through the treacherous Rotten Row. Can Tory navigate the dangers of a city teeming with abandoned ships and desperate men to save him? This gripping historical adventure promises high stakes and unexpected alliances as Tory fights for her brother and her own independence.

From the publisher

Newbery Medalist Avi brings us mud-caked, tent-filled San Francisco in 1848 with a willful heroine who goes on an unintended – and perilous – adventure to save her brother. Victoria Blaisdell longs for independence and adventure, and she yearns to accompany her father as he sails west in search of real gold! But it is 1848, and Tory isn’t even allowed to go to school, much less travel all the way from Rhode Island to California. Determined to take control of her own destiny, Tory stows away on the ship. Though San Francisco is frenzied and full of wild and dangerous men, Tory finds freedom and friendship there. Until one day, when Father is in the gold fields, her younger brother, Jacob, is kidnapped. And so Tory is spurred on a treacherous search for him in Rotten Row, a part of San Francisco Bay crowded with hundreds of abandoned ships. Beloved storyteller Avi is at the top of his form as he ushers us back to an extraordinary time of hope and risk, brought to life by a heroine readers will cheer for. Spot-on details and high suspense make this a vivid, absorbing historical adventure.

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