Under a Painted Sky

A fatal accident puts Samantha, a 15-year-old Chinese girl, on the Oregon Trail with an unlikely companion, a runaway slave named Annamae. Narrator Emily Woo Zeller's easy pace fits the long, contemplative hours on the trail and affords time to enjoy Lee's descriptions. With lawmen searching for them, the girls disguise themselves as boys and join a trio of cowboys. Together, the conflicted girls struggle with the trail, desperados, and their feelings toward the boys as they work to to avoid the hangman's noose. Zeller's nuanced character portrayals require Mandarin, Mexican, African-American, and Scots accents. It's no easy task to switch from character to character AND between the genders of Samantha and Annamae and their alter egos, Sam and Andy. Zeller does it without a hitch. L.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

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.