★★★★★ 4
... into YA Westerns and I have yet to be disappointed. Under a Painted Sky is a diverse
Format: Hardcover
Over the past year I have made a foray into YA Westerns and I have yet to be disappointed. Under a Painted Sky is a diverse, cultural infused tale of two girls, Our main character, Sam a Chinese, newly orphaned girl, teams up with Annamae (Andy), an African-America, runaway slave. Together they flee St. Joe, Missouri disguised as boys and begin on the Oregon Trail. They soon join three cowboys who help keep them safe and teach them how to survive.
I think what I loved most about this book is how Lee was able to incorporate Sam's Chinese heritage and beliefs along with Andy's and intertwine all it beautifully into this richly told story. Sam's and Andy's friendship was also a highlight of the book. It caused for some great moments, some funny, many heartfelt, and I was glad to see such a positive example of female friendship in a YA novel.
Although "girl disguised as boy" seem to be a common theme in YA westerns I did not mind it here and thought Sam's inner thoughts about the challenges of pretending to be a boy were hilarious.
I think Lee struck the perfect balance between an adventure story, a coming of age tale, and portrait of what life could be like for minorities and females in the 1800s
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Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2016
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