HEART OF GRIT
by Shelli Sivert
Sivert’s YA Western is set in the Utah Territory during the lead-up to the Civil War.
Fifteen-year-old Beatrice (Bea) Brannon is frustrated. She’s the daughter of Jeremiah Brannon, the town sheriff and an investor in a failing silver mine (“always followin’ the money. Ever searchin’ for the shiny counterfeit thing”). It’s March of 1860, and a meeting for an important announcement is scheduled to be held in the town saloon. Unfortunately, proper ladies (and those aspiring to be) dare not compromise their reputations by entering the establishment. But Bea knows a spot in the alleyway where she can watch the action and listen to the men’s discussions. Peering into the saloon, she spots 16-year-old Charlie Rye. Charlie had been Bea’s best friend until they had a falling out two years earlier. The young man is desperate to free himself from his abusive, alcoholic father’s clutches and make his own way in the world. The mayor introduces Mr. William Russell, who’s come to town to present his new enterprise—a mail service he calls the Pony Express. Russell hopes to hire two riders from Victory Hills, and the town agrees to hold a race to select its two best equestrians. For Bea, the offer is a life-changing opportunity to pay off Jeremiah’s silver mine debts; for Charlie, it’s a chance for freedom. The two young protagonists embark on a series of suspenseful adventures that are more complicated and dangerous than either character anticipates. The author packs a wealth of historical details into the tale, charting the increasingly violent opposition to the abolitionists by those who want to avoid war and the operation of the Pony Express, a short-lived venture that’s taken on mythic proportions in Western lore. In alternating chapters, Bea and Charlie narrate their experiences in distinct voices that linguistically reflect their levels of education and social position. Despite its Hallmark gloss, the rekindled relationship between them adds humor and poignancy to the story.
Plenty of action, a tender romance, and a sturdy female hero make for a fun read.