Thirteen-year-old Kit Donovan made a lot of promises to her dying mother, and the most difficult one to keep – the one about being a proper lady – seems downright impossible in a place like Goldfield, Nevada. The corrupt owner the gold mine seems to hold sway over the whole town. When Kit convinces Papa to speak out against the dangers in the mine, trouble finds her family.
Now she must find a way to expose the misdeeds before it’s too late. With help from an unlikely friend, a Shoshone boy, and a newspaperman, she puts her big mouth and all the life skills she’s learned from reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to work. But is she really brave enough to stand up for what’s right?
Published by Albert Whitman & Company (April 25, 2017)
Cover Image by Jon Lau
ISBN: 978-0807581438
*Winner of the 2018 Oregon Book Award for Children’s Literature*
*Winner of the 2018 WILLA Literary Award in Children’s/Young Adult Fiction & Nonfiction*
*Winner of the 2017 Oregon Spirit Book Award*
*Bronze Winner of the Will Rogers Medallion Award*
Now Available in Paperback!
What people are saying about Kit Donovan:
“The Tragically True Adventures of Kit Donovan is a rip-roaring tale of love, friendship, and betrayal set in the gold mines of Nevada. It’s chockablock with bad guys and good guys, mysteries and deceptions, dangers and disasters. The bad-tempered, outrageous, courageous, and determined Kit will steal your heart. This is a romping good read!”
—Karen Cushman, Newbery Medalist for The Midwife’s Apprentice
“As dirt-caked and rough as any gold-flecked nugget found in a mine, Kit Donovan glimmers as a hero for the ages. Blessed with a thirst for justice and a stellar vocabulary, Kit meets the challenges that upend her world with bravery, loyalty, and just the right hat. The Tragically True Adventures of Kit Donovan offers hope that with the right amount of pluck and determination, good people really can join together to beat the forces of evil.”
—Kate Hannigan, author of Golden Kite–winner The Detective’s Assistant
“Smart writing, an interesting plot, plus a compelling main character combine to make this a great read.”
—Melissa Taylor at Imagination Soup
“(T)he protagonist – who defines “spunk” – doesn’t let her age and gender stop her from matching wits with a corrupt mining operator in 1905 Nevada.”
– Amy Wang at The Oregonian/Oregon Live
“Kit Donovan is a new kind of superhero.”
– Brian Collier, Oregon Book Award Judge
“Awesome debut. Strong female protagonist, lots of interesting history and humor, and super use of language/voice.”
– Karen Johnson, co-chair of the OCTE Oregon Spirit Book Award
“…a wonderfully flawed yet strong character, who learned timeless lessons that modern adolescents can identify with.”
– WILLA Literary Award Judge
“…a lively portrayal of the western frontier.”
– WILLA Literary Award Judge
“…exciting, funny and very readable book set in a Nevada gold mining town in 1905.”
– Charles Williams, Will Rogers Medallion Awards
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