Synopses & Reviews
Life in a 1905 Nevada mining town is not easy for any thirteen-year-old. For Kit Donovan, it seems downright impossible. When her mother dies of a fever, Kit is certain she is to blame. Guilt-ridden, she is determined to honor her promises to her mother — namely to be a "proper lady." Only being a lady is tougher than it looks. When Kit discovers that Papa's boss at the gold mine (the menacing and self-serving Mr. Granger) is profiting from unsafe working conditions in the mine, she convinces her dad to speak out. But sometimes doing the right thing leads to trouble. Now Kit must find a way to expose Granger's misdeeds before it's too late. Aided by an eccentric woman, a Shoshone boy, and a drunken newspaperman, Kit puts her big mouth and all the life skills she's learned from reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to work. With a man's hat and a printing press, Kit defies threats of violence and discovers that justice doesn't always look like she imagined it would.
Review
"The Tragically True Adventures of Kit Donovan is a rip-roaring tale of love, friendship, and betrayal set in the gold mines of Nevada. The bad-tempered, outrageous, courageous, and determined Kit will steal your heart. This is a romping good read!" Karen Cushman, author, Catherine, Called Birdy
Synopsis
Life in a Nevada mining town in 1905 is not easy for thirteen-year-old Kit Donovan, who is trying to do right by her deceased mother and become a proper lady. When Kit discovers Papa's boss at the gold mine is profiting from unsafe working conditions, she realizes being a lady is tougher than it looks. With a man's hat and a printing press, Kit puts her big mouth and all the life skills she's learned from reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to work, defying threats of violence, and finds that justice doesn't always look like she imagined it would.
Synopsis
2018 Oregon Book Award Winner--Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children's Literature
2018 WILLA Literary Award Winner--Children's/Young Adult Fiction and Nonfiction Category
Life in a Nevada mining town in 1905 is not easy for thirteen-year-old Kit Donovan, who is trying to do right by her deceased mother and become a proper lady. When Kit discovers Papa's boss at the gold mine is profiting from unsafe working conditions, she realizes being a lady is tougher than it looks. With a man's hat and a printing press, Kit puts her big mouth and all the life skills she's learned from reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to work, defying threats of violence, and finds that justice doesn't always look like she imagined it would.
Synopsis
2018 Oregon Book Award Winner--Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children's Literature
2018 WILLA Literary Award Winner--Children's/Young Adult Fiction and Nonfiction Category
A plucky heroine's search for justice in the lawless West.
Life in a Nevada mining town in 1905 is not easy for thirteen-year-old Kit Donovan, who is trying to do right by her deceased mother and become a proper lady. When Kit discovers Papa's boss at the gold mine is profiting from unsafe working conditions, she realizes being a lady is tougher than it looks. With a man's hat and a printing press, Kit puts her big mouth and all the life skills she's learned from reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to work, defying threats of violence, and finds that justice doesn't always look like she imagined it would.
About the Author
Patricia Bailey has a BA in English and an MA in Education. She lives in Southern Oregon, where she's taught literature and writing to teens and adults. A recipient of an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship and a Fishtrap Fellowship, Patricia writes novels for young people.