Synopses & Reviews
When 12-year-old Joe Henry Grummond and his Pa board a steamboat going up the “Big Muddy” Missouri River to Fort Benton, Montana, in 1862, they plan to escape the desperation of the Civil War in their home state of Kentucky and make some money in the gold fields of Montana. Little does Joe Henry know that this river trip will lead him to untamed wild places where stagecoach robberies, claim jumpers, lawless towns, and back-breaking work are the everyday stuff of life in the Bannack, Montana, gold camp. Along the way, Joe Henry learns about all different kinds of people living in the west, finds a best friend, and meets the prettiest girl he's ever seen. He learns much more than how to pan gold. This frontier territory brings lessons in the struggle between law and lawlessness, vigilantism, and the question of what is justice. “In all my reading of the history of early-day Montana, this is the first time I've found it portrayed from the perspective of a youngster. It paints a completely different mind picture…and a more entertaining one to boot.” — Jim Moore, author of Ride the Jawbone
Synopsis
Eleven-year-old Joe Henry Grummond joins his twice-widowed father on an arduous journey from Kentucky to the gold fields of Bannack, Montana, in 1862, and as they try to earn enough to make a fresh start back home, they face a bully, outlaws, harsh winters, and back-breaking labor.
Synopsis
Joe Henry's Journey, by Marcia Melton, a historical novel for young readers, follows eleven-year-old Joe Henry Grummond and his Pa on an often perilous journey to find gold. When they board a steamboat to go up the "Big Muddy" Missouri River to Fort Benton, Montana, in 1862, they hope to escape the desperation of the Civil War in their home state of Kentucky and make money in the gold fields of Montana to take back to the family they leave behind.Little does Joe Henry know that this river trip will lead him to untamed wild places where ambush, robberies, claim jumpers, lawless towns, and back-breaking work are the everyday stuff of life in the Bannack, Montana, gold camp. Along the way, Joe Henry learns about many different kinds of people living in the west, finds a best friend, and meets the prettiest girl he's ever seen. He learns much more than how to pan gold. This frontier territory brings lessons in the struggle between law and lawlessness, vigilantism, and the question of what is justice.This novel accurately portrays the history of its time and places from the viewpoint of a child and wrapped in a story of adventure that will hold a young reader's interest.
Synopsis
Joe Henry joins his Pa on a quest for gold in the wilds of Montana in 1862. They travel from Kentucky to Fort Benton, Montana by steamboat,leaving two little sisters behind in the care of their grandparents. They hope to return with enough to get them out of the hard times brought on by the Civil War that was dividing their homeland.