Under a Painted Sky

Starred review from January 26, 2015
Lee debuts with a vivid, nontraditional Western, set in 1849 on the Oregon Trail during the heart of the California Gold Rush. Filled with the expected difficulties and dangers of traveling the rugged, often hostile terrain, the novel features an unlikely protagonist—15-year-old Chinese-American Samantha, a passionate violinist—who offers a fresh perspective on the era and setting. Trapped in Missouri when her father dies in a fire, the orphaned Samantha accidentally commits a fatal crime and, accompanied by a teenage slave girl named Annamae, flees for California. Disguising themselves as boys looking to make their fortune, the fugitives soon team up with a trio of young cowboys; adventures ensue, with plenty of twists, as the girls struggle to keep their secrets from their new friends and the strangers they encounter. Growing romantic undertones with hints of uncertain sexuality add bonus interest to a story that distinguishes itself by integrating strands of Chinese lore and wisdom, Christianity, and music with themes of friendship, diversity, and survival. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary Agency.

Starred review from December 15, 2014
Two girls on the racial margins of mid-19th-century America team up and head west. As the book opens, Samantha, a 15-year-old Chinese-American violinist, yearns to move back to New York City in 1849, though her kind and optimistic father, owner of a dry goods store in the bustling outpost of Saint Joe, Missouri, has great plans for them in California. When the store burns down and her father dies, she is forced to defend herself from their predatory landlord. Suddenly on the run from the law, Samantha and Annamae, a 16-year-old African-American slave who covets freedom, disguise themselves as boys and head west on the Oregon Trail. Well-crafted and suspenseful, with more flow than ebb to the tension that stretches like taut wires across plotlines, Lee's tale ingeniously incorporates Chinese philosophy and healing, music, art and religion, as well as issues of race and discrimination (including abolitionist views and examples of cruel slave treatment), into what is at its center a compelling love story. "Sammy" and "Andy" meet up with Cay, West and Peety, three young, good-hearted cowboys with secrets of their own, who help them on their arduous, dangerous journey. Emotionally resonant and not without humor, this impressive debut about survival and connection, resourcefulness and perseverance will keep readers on the very edges of their seats. (Historical fiction. 12-16)

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December 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Although Samantha and her father have a successful dry goods store in Saint Joseph, Missouri, they long to escape: Samantha yearns to return to New York in hopes of a music career, while her father dreams of moving west to California. After her father dies in a fire, the teen is left grief-stricken and vulnerable. Their landlord, Ty Yorkshire, offers her accommodation at the town hotel, where she befriends Annamae, a slave housekeeper. After Samantha kills Ty during a rape attempt, she and Annamae create disguises and join a caravan traveling to California in search of gold. While Annamae's dialogue is written in a colloquial dialect, it doesn't distract from the story. Samantha's voice will sound contemporary to modern ears, yet not inaccurate to the mid-19th-century time period. The ever-present fear of being caught, whether by police or fellow travelers becoming wise to their disguises, is effectively created, as is the primitive life on the trail. As the girls learn cowboy techniques such as using dried buffalo scat to make a campfire and roping horses, readers are introduced to authentic cowboy life. Complications arise for Samantha when she develops a crush on a fellow cowboy; while Annamae falls for a vaquero (Mexican cowboy). This offers a much needed multicultural look at the Oregon Trail, with resourceful, smart, and brave Chinese American and African American girls as main characters. High drama, tension, romantic longings, and touches of humor will entice historical fiction fans, and will be a perfect tie-in to social studies curriculum.-Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2015
Grades 8-11 It's 1849 in Missouri and Chinese American Samantha is in trouble. Her father's shop burned down, he died in the blaze, and she is wanted for murder after killing a man who tried to rape her. Luckily, plucky Annamae, a slave, helps her escape. A runaway slave and a Chinese girl would stick out like a sore thumb on the Oregon Trail, so they disguise themselves as boysAndy and Sammyand try to lie low as they make their way to California. One fortunate night, they fall in with three kindhearted (if a bit rowdy) cowboys, Cay, West, and Peety, and they all help one another stay safe on the dangerous trail. Meanwhile, Sammy and Andy try their darndest to conceal their gender, which becomes increasingly difficult as Sammy starts falling for West, and Andy for Peety. Debut author Lee packs the plot with plenty of peril and Wild West excitement, and Sammy's fixation on fate, luck, and the Chinese zodiac adds a unique flavor. A great fit for fans of historical adventure with a touch of romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)