The Jumping-Off Place

By Marian Hurd McNeely, William Siegel (Illustrator)

Four orphans face harsh prairie life, battling squatters and nature's fury to claim their land.

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320 pages

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Bookroo's summary

In 1910, four orphaned siblings, led by 17-year-old Becky, venture to the South Dakota prairie to secure their land claim. With Uncle Jim gone, they confront hostile squatters, drought, and brutal winters. As they struggle against these odds, unexpected community bonds and newfound resilience offer hope. Can they overcome the relentless challenges of homesteading and make the land their own?

From the publisher

In the summer of 1910, four orphans leave their home in Wisconsin to prove up their claim to a parcel of land on the South Dakota prairie. Seventeen-year-old Becky Linville and her younger siblings – Dick, Phil, and Joan – hadn’t intended to move to the newly opened Rosebud Reservation by themselves. But with their Uncle Jim’s untimely death, the children are forced to follow up on the claim without adult supervision. Uncle Jim left detailed instructions for his young relatives; but right from the start, homesteading turns out to be far more difficult than they expected. A family of ornery squatters have set up a shanty on the Linville claim and vandalized the property. A drought threatens the summer corn crop, and winter brings blizzards, relentless cold, and near-starvation. But prairie life isn’t as lonely as it seems, and the Linvilles gradually form strong bonds within their far-flung community. The support of their new neighbors, together with their own growing self-reliance, helps the children rise to each challenge. An exciting tale of adventure, resilience, and triumph over adversity, this 1930 Newbery Honor Book was inspired by author Marian Hurd McNeely’s homesteading years.