A young Indigenous woman must find a way forward as forces threaten her family, home, and history in Ferguson’s historical YA novel.

In 19th-century Alta California, in the era of the Mexican-American War, Sparrow, a Chumash teenager, and her mother, Nina, a seasoned healer who preserves her family’s customs, live on the property of the Tenorios, a wealthy Mexican family. The Tenorios employ her mother and treat Sparrow with the affection befitting a second family. However, when Sparrow finds her estranged White father implicated in an American plot to wrest Alta California from the Mexican governor’s control, she finds her future, loyalties, and perception of herself cast into doubt. Conspiring with the colorful cast of Tenorios, Sparrow undertakes a journey to protect not just her family and their territory but the fundamental rights and humanity of all Indigenous peoples. Though she loses much in the process, readers will find themselves inspired by the future Sparrow creates for herself and those around her. The prose can read drily—in the wake of the rejection, guilt, and general turmoil Sparrow suffers in relation to her estranged father, the emotional impact of their eventual reunion is signaled only by the blunt remark that his “words rebuilt Sparrow’s hope that he wanted to share his life with her.” But the novel provides a necessary look at historical events and peoples that have often been ignored in fiction (and in real life). The tightly wound plot flows effortlessly from one moment to the next, never leaving readers disengaged or in the dark. Sparrow is not a fully developed protagonist and at times her actions seem subject to the whims of the story. Nevertheless, the reader will feel compelled to follow her journey from girlhood to adulthood and self-determination, wishing her well at each step. Critically, the novel does not paper over the abuse, exploitation, or erasure of Indigenous people at the hands of colonial forces while remaining suitable for its audience. A simple, plot-driven read that introduces younger readers to underrepresented characters and histories.