There seem to be quite a few wonderful Minnesota writers who write lovingly about this part of the world--the upper Midwest. This one is set in the Depression era, and includes fascinating characters and wonderful examples of overcoming the odds. The issue of faith and faith healers enters the story in a beautiful and unexpected way. This part of the country also has a history of abuse of Native Americans, and this issue is a theme in the book as well. This story is somewhat reminiscent of Huckleberry Finn, since this group of young people travel on the Mississippi River as well. The landscape and era are as important as the characters. I wondered many times, how on earth did these people survive? They had incredible hardship and they were incredibly resourceful.
This little band of travelers included the main character, Odie, his older brother Albert, their friend Mose, and the little girl they rescued, Emmy. The story begins in the Lincoln School, a boarding school that is every bit as atrocious as history recounts they often were. Yet there are redeeming characters here as well, in the form of a teacher's family and a kind older employee.
The climate and the land figure prominently in the story as well, especially when a tornado wipes out the struggling teacher-farmer's wife. One of my favorite characters was Sister Eve. She was the epitome of charismatic goodness, and used her gifts well. Odie was a wonderful character as well, and it was a good experience to live the story through his eyes. It was beautiful to witness his growing understanding of his brother. A fascinating case study in leadership could also be made from this story as the little group struggled to make decisions about how and when to travel and solve the obstacles that came their way. I enjoyed this story enough to want to read it again sometime.
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