Boston Jane, An Adventureby Jennifer L. Holm
Reading level: grades 5-7
Miss Jane Peck is the only daughter of a Philadelphia doctor. Her early years are spent as a tomboy until William Baldt, her father’s intern, introduces Jane to the idea of becoming a refined society lady.
Jane’s adventure begins when she departs Philadelphia with her friend, Mary, to join William in the Washington Territory. William has asked the sixteen year old Jane to marry him, and after some time Dr. Peck finally agrees to let her go. The voyage takes more than five months around Cape Horn.
By the time Jane arrives in Shoalwater Bay, two months late, William has gone off on official business for the governor who wants to secure a treaty with the Indians. Jane is forced to live with trappers, sailors, and all sorts of frontier characters.
During the time she awaits William’s return, Jane finds herself torn between maintaining her image as a society lady and surviving the hardship of frontier life as the underlying independent woman. Her strength and courage win out in the end.
Her tale has elements of humor and sorrow, but readers will instinctively like Jane and cheer for her success.
