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Table of Contents
About The Book
From the author of Eliza’s Freedom Road and Calico Girl (a Kirkus Best Book of the Year) comes a dramatic historical middle grade novel that is “a unique lens through which to examine the 1849 Gold Rush” (School Library Journal) following an enslaved girl taking the chance to find freedom on the Overland Trail to California.
In Alexandria, Virginia, in the mid-19th century, a slave-owning family is facing financial trouble. The eldest son, Jason, thinks going to California to mine for gold might be the best way to protect his father’s legacy. He’ll need a cook, a laundress, and a hostler for the journey, and one of them is twelve-year-old Clementine, whose mother calls her Hope.
From Independence, Missouri—the “Gateway to the West”—she and the others join a wagon train on the Emigrant Overland Trail. But what Jason didn’t consider is taking the three enslaved people west will give them an opportunity to free themselves—manifesting their destiny.
In Alexandria, Virginia, in the mid-19th century, a slave-owning family is facing financial trouble. The eldest son, Jason, thinks going to California to mine for gold might be the best way to protect his father’s legacy. He’ll need a cook, a laundress, and a hostler for the journey, and one of them is twelve-year-old Clementine, whose mother calls her Hope.
From Independence, Missouri—the “Gateway to the West”—she and the others join a wagon train on the Emigrant Overland Trail. But what Jason didn’t consider is taking the three enslaved people west will give them an opportunity to free themselves—manifesting their destiny.
Excerpt
Chapter One: A Broken Home
CHAPTER ONE A Broken Home
CHAPTER ONE A Broken Home
About The Author
Photo by Nancy Kavanagh O'Neill
Jerdine Nolen is the beloved author of many award-winning books, including Big Jabe; Thunder Rose, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book; and Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life, a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, all illustrated by Kadir Nelson. She is also the author of Eliza’s Freedom Road, illustrated by Shadra Strickland, which was an ALA/YALSA Best Fiction Nominee for Young Adults; Raising Dragons, illustrated by Elise Primavera, which received the Christopher Award; and Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, illustrated by Mark Buehner, which was made into a movie by the same name. Her other books include Calico Girl, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year, and Irene’s Wish, illustrated by A.G. Ford, which Kirkus Reviews called “delightful and memorable” in a starred review. Ms. Nolen is an educator and lives in Ellicott City, Maryland.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (April 19, 2023)
- Length: 240 pages
- ISBN13: 9781665924719
- Ages: 8 - 12
Browse Related Books
Raves and Reviews
"The unique lens through which to examine the 1849 Gold Rush will enhance historical fiction collections....Themes of freedom, manifest destiny, and the constant threat of racism punctuate the story."
– School LIbrary Journal
Awards and Honors
- Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Intermediate Title
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Hope's Path to Glory Hardcover 9781665924719
- Author Photo (jpg): Jerdine Nolen Photo by Nancy Kavanagh O'Neill(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
