Title: Jenny of the Tetons
Author: Kristiana Gregory
Primary Audience/Age Group: Young Adult, age 13-16
Genre: Historical Fiction
# of Pages: 163
Publisher: Gulliver/Harcourt Books
Year of Release: 2002
Part of a Series? Yes, Great Episodes series (various authors & stories)
Rating: 3 (View Scale)

Description: From Back Carrie Hill hates Indians. Indians killed her parents. Indians left her wounded and alone. Indians ruined her life.Now fifteen year old Carrie is on her own in the wild pioneer country.With nowhere else to go , she signs on to care for the growing family of Beaver Dick Leigh, an English trapper. To her dismay, Carrie discovers thatDicks wife, Jenny, is a Shoshoni Indian. An Indian! Carries parents would kick the dirt from their graves if they knew she was living with a native and a mountain man with no school or church to attend.But as her wounds heal under Jennys gentle care, Carrie learns to respect and love this kind and sensitive woman. Shoshoni appreciate the beauty of the towering Tetons and the feeling the oneness with nature. She learns that sometimes, even when it seems impossible, enemies can become friends.

Review/Recommendation: Though it was a short book, I fully enjoyed flipping the pages. Kristiana Gregory re-created the wondrous and dangerous world of the pioneer days. Carrie tells the story through her own words and the beginning of each chapter includes a few sentences from the real Beaver Dicks journal.

Positive: Struggling with loss, Carrie learns to live and respect Jenny and her family, all while dodging bears, disease, and most of all, find love. 

 

Rating: 3, mild language and sexual reference.

Spiritual Elements: The Leighs read the Bible.

 

Violence: People have to put-down animals and hunt, but nothing in detail.

 

Language: A few d words from Dick.

 

Sexual Content: Kissing.