Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee is an action-packed
historical fiction novel which will appeal to students in grades 7 to 10. Set in 1849, the story revolves around two 15-year-old
girls, Annamae, an ex-slave, and Samantha, a recently orphaned Chinese-American
violinist. The girls flee St. Joseph, Missouri under suspicious circumstances
and head for California and the West disguised as boys, Andy and Sammy. Along the way, they meet Cay, West and Peety,
three cattle driving cowboys. This
unlikely band forms a family of sorts and manages to save each other’s lives
several times: drowning, bullet wounds and cholera abound on the 1840’s trails.
Historical details are carefully woven into the story of Under a Painted
Sky even if some of the events seem to be unlikely coincidences. But
perhaps that all relates to Sammy’s musings about fate and the Chinese zodiac? Author
Stacey Lee builds suspense about whether the girls will separate even though
they have learned to depend upon each other: “Andy winks at me. Her simple gesture chases away some of the
bad taste in my mouth. Somehow, she
always understands how I feel, watching out for me, not just in body, but in
mind. I don’t know what I’d do without
her.” As the girls face many dangers, they increasingly sacrifice for each
other, grow and mature, reflecting at one point that “as the Chinese saying
goes, every second spent angry is one less to spend on tranquility.”
Excitement, history and romance are all found in this unique and entertaining debut
novel.
Starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and VOYA.
