![]() The fugitives run into a group of three cowboys also seeking their fortune: Cayenne (“Cay”) Pepper, his cousin West, and their friend Pedro, known as Peety. They determine that they will get farther disguised as boys, and soon are heading out on the Oregon Trail to the West, disguised as “Sammy” and “Andy.” Andy is hoping to find her brother Isaac, and Sammy is looking for a friend of her father’s, someone she hopes will help her get started on a new life in California. ![]() Sammy must now go on the run from the law, and she is helped by the 16-year-old black slave, Annamae, who had been assigned to attend to Sammy, and who sees this as an opportunity to escape along with Sammy. Sammy, appalled, pushes him away and he falls, hits his head, and dies. He furthermore is determined to “sample the goods” before putting her to work. Her landlord refers her to “his best hotel” which turns out to be a house of prostitution. “Sammy,” as she is known, is bereft and has nowhere to go. While out giving violin lessons, her father is burned out of his store, and dies in the conflagration. The story begins in 1849 in Missouri, where 15-year-old Samantha, a Chinese-American, is having the usual teenage conflicts with her father (whom she loves dearly, but she is, after all, a teenager). This heartwarming story expresses the Chinese principle of yuanfen, which refers to the fate that brings people together to become a family. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |