Synopses & Reviews
When Naomis parents and younger brother are killed in a fire, she and her remaining siblings seek refuge in a Shaker village. The Shakers take the children in and begin to teach them their way of life. Naomi is upset by some of the Shaker traditions such as the way they separate boys and girls but she is also grateful for their help and for the opportunity to train with the village herbalist. As Naomis healing skills increase, she soon surpasses the knowledge of her teacher. She also comes to realize that, while she loves and respects the Shakers, she cannot fully embrace their way of life. So she leaves her siblings and travels to another village, where she builds a successful medical practice and gets engaged. When Naomi discovers the new religion of Mormonism, she decides to leave her comfortable life once again and venture west with the Mormons to Ohio. Naomis story introduces readers to the various religious communities that existed in the late 1800s. As they follow her adventures, readers will be inspired by this brave, spiritual young woman who does not simply accept the life that has been handed to her.
Synopsis
After twelve-year-old Naomi loses her parents in a fire and learns of her aunts plan to send her to work in a mill, she and her siblings seek refuge in a Shaker village. Because Naomi has some knowledge of herbs and doctoring from her mother, the Shakers assign her to an apprenticeship with the village herbalist in order to develop her skills as a healer. As Naomi matures, she senses that something big is missing in her life, but she doesnt know what it is. At sixteen she leaves the Shakers to go out into the world. Eventually she establishes a career as an herbalist within a community that offers comfort and security. But that, too, fails to satisfy her growing need for something more. When she meets Joseph Fairbanks, she thinks that perhaps she has found what she was seeking.
About the Author
Kimberley Heuston is a graduate of the Vermont College MFA Program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. A historian by training, she teaches school in Salt Lake City. She is also the author of The Shakeress, the paperback version of which is on the Spring 2008 list.