ADALINE FALLING STAR

Osborne (Favorite Medieval Tales, 1998, etc.) spins a wisp of history into this glittering, many-layered tale of a child struggling to reconcile within herself the clashing cultures in which she’s immersed. Having lost his Arapaho wife and all her family to cholera, wilderness scout Kit Carson leaves his daughter, Adaline, with a St. Louis cousin, promising to return after a mapping expedition. Dismayed to be saddled with a “half-breed” but determined to do his Christian duty, cousin Silas and his family force her to become a servant while praying that she will be able to overcome her “savage” nature. Refusing to admit that she can read, or even speak, grieving Adaline finds solace in her Arapaho memories and beliefs, even as she wrestles with the conflicting values of her beloved father’s religion and science. Finally, believing that Kit has lied to her, she disguises herself as a boy and sets out to track him down. Osborne adds threads of mystery to the journey: a canoe appears, then vanishes when no longer needed, Adaline is sometimes guided by voices and visions, and a seemingly inept stray dog repays her feeding and affection by saving her life. Smart, strong-willed, and with a distinct narrative voice, Adaline makes a memorable protagonist, her adventures will keep readers riveted, and, gratifyingly unlike so many fathers in contemporary fiction, Kit comes back for her. (bibliography) (Fiction. 11-13)