Rebecca yearns to own her own piece of land in the Northwest Territories of Canada, where she lives with her parents and three brothers in a religious community of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It’s 1890, and only men are allowed to homestead, but with her mother’s support, Rebecca’s father reluctantly agrees to purchase a deed in her name if she can raise the $480 price. Rebecca’s quest to fulfill her desire for land isn’t the only challenge facing her in this exquisite historical novel. Rebecca struggles to understand her feelings toward two young men—quiet and reliable Coby, whom she’s known for years, and handsome and outgoing Levi, the bright center of every social gathering. Her community faces catastrophic blizzards and floods, influenza and stillbirth, and domestic abuse and pregnancy outside of marriage, with the response of Rebecca’s mother—whose faith drives her insistence on compassionate, sometimes radical action—providing insight into Rebecca’s own determined nature. Inspired by her own family history, the author’s fictional story is populated with nuanced and distinct personalities, realistically centered in their religion and era (all are white). But it is with Rebecca’s singular voice, including witty dialogue and snappy comebacks, that the narrative excels at rendering a 17-year-old who is both of her time and timeless in her drive for agency, love, and a meaningful life. (Age 14 and older)