Walk on Earth a Stranger

A New York Times bestseller and National Book Award longlist selection

The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times-bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush-era America. Walk on Earth a Stranger begins an epic saga from one of the finest writers of young adult literature.

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home-until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?

Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns series, dazzles with the first book in the Gold Seer Trilogy, introducing a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance, as only she can.

This fantasy novel follows 13-year-old Lee, who possesses the magical gift of sensing the presence of gold.

After fleeing her home, she embarks on a dangerous journey across Gold Rush-era America disguised as a boy.

With a slow-burning romance and a fantastical twist, Walk on Earth a Stranger is a must-read for fans of young adult adventure.

HarperCollins 2024

1120977496
Walk on Earth a Stranger

A New York Times bestseller and National Book Award longlist selection

The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times-bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush-era America. Walk on Earth a Stranger begins an epic saga from one of the finest writers of young adult literature.

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home-until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?

Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns series, dazzles with the first book in the Gold Seer Trilogy, introducing a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance, as only she can.

This fantasy novel follows 13-year-old Lee, who possesses the magical gift of sensing the presence of gold.

After fleeing her home, she embarks on a dangerous journey across Gold Rush-era America disguised as a boy.

With a slow-burning romance and a fantastical twist, Walk on Earth a Stranger is a must-read for fans of young adult adventure.

HarperCollins 2024

27.99 In Stock
Walk on Earth a Stranger

Walk on Earth a Stranger

by Rae Carson

Narrated by Erin Mallon

Unabridged — 10 hours, 53 minutes

Walk on Earth a Stranger

Walk on Earth a Stranger

by Rae Carson

Narrated by Erin Mallon

Unabridged — 10 hours, 53 minutes

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Overview

A New York Times bestseller and National Book Award longlist selection

The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times-bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush-era America. Walk on Earth a Stranger begins an epic saga from one of the finest writers of young adult literature.

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home-until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?

Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns series, dazzles with the first book in the Gold Seer Trilogy, introducing a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance, as only she can.

This fantasy novel follows 13-year-old Lee, who possesses the magical gift of sensing the presence of gold.

After fleeing her home, she embarks on a dangerous journey across Gold Rush-era America disguised as a boy.

With a slow-burning romance and a fantastical twist, Walk on Earth a Stranger is a must-read for fans of young adult adventure.

HarperCollins 2024


Editorial Reviews

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Carson does nice work adding nuance to her side characters, showing minor evolutions that challenge the racism, sexism, and classism deeply rooted in most of the people Leah encounters…Fantasy readers will likely find Leah and her gold-sensing core to be intriguingly different than the usual heroine.

OCTOBER 2015 - AudioFile

Narrator Erin Mallon doesn’t waste any time revealing the peculiar blend of vulnerability and daring that make Lee Westfall, the narrator of this historical novel, so unique. Her voice cracks with fear but is grounded in strength as, following tragic events, she begins a difficult journey to California to mine for gold. For her own safety, she disguises herself as a boy, but this isn’t the only secret she’s keeping. She possesses an uncanny ability to sense whenever gold is near. With the exception of Lee’s subtle Southern drawl, Mallon deftly distinguishes between Lee’s diverse group of traveling companions with pitch and pacing rather than dialect, moving the dialogue along smoothly. E.M.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

★ 06/22/2015
Carson (the Girl of Fire and Thorns series) launches her Gold Seer trilogy with a winning story set in 1849 gold rush America. Fifteen-year-old Leah Westfall lives a happy life with her parents in Georgia during the waning years of that state’s gold boom. Leah has a magical ability to locate the precious metal, but her gift becomes a liability when she is forced from her home by a villain determined to control her and make himself rich. Disguised as a boy, Leah—now Lee—decides that her best chance for freedom is to travel to the newly discovered gold fields of California; to get there, she must make a long, hard trek across the country with few resources. Carson’s story is simply terrific—tense and exciting, while gently and honestly addressing the brutal hardships of the westward migration. Even minor characters are fully three-dimensional, but it’s Leah who rightfully takes center stage as a smart, resourceful, determined, and realistic heroine who embodies the age-old philosophy that it isn’t what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. Ages 13–up. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary Agency. (Sept.)

Deseret News

Lee is an ambitious, generous, kind and scrappy character…Fans of Carson’s work will enjoy this road-trip-turned-Western, and newcomers will love the flair she brings to her characters and settings.

The Daily Summit

Pure storytelling gold. …The author capably crosses genres and breaks stereotypes, and the result is an absorbing adventure that only hints at the thrills that will surely come in the next two books.

Romantic Times BOOKclub

An empowering and powerful read perfect for one who enjoyed history and adventure. …Carson takes us on a wild wagon journey peppered with drama and mystery.

The Horn Book

With an organically diverse cast, three-dimensional characters, a vividly evoked setting, and the lightest touch of romance, Carson’s novel captures the trepidation and exhilaration of journeying into the unknown.

Booklist (starred review)

Carson is known for her world-building and strong female characters and she handles everything with carefully constructed, well-researched aplomb. It’s a book that illuminates an important segment of American history…sustaining YA interest through adventure, fantasy, and romance.

OCTOBER 2015 - AudioFile

Narrator Erin Mallon doesn’t waste any time revealing the peculiar blend of vulnerability and daring that make Lee Westfall, the narrator of this historical novel, so unique. Her voice cracks with fear but is grounded in strength as, following tragic events, she begins a difficult journey to California to mine for gold. For her own safety, she disguises herself as a boy, but this isn’t the only secret she’s keeping. She possesses an uncanny ability to sense whenever gold is near. With the exception of Lee’s subtle Southern drawl, Mallon deftly distinguishes between Lee’s diverse group of traveling companions with pitch and pacing rather than dialect, moving the dialogue along smoothly. E.M.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2015-06-06
Acclaimed for her fantasy, Carson now travels the Old West. Fifteen-year-old Leah lives on a farm near Dahlonega, Georgia, a town built around an early gold rush. She and her parents keep secret the fact that she has a mysterious "gold sense": she can find gold the way diviners find water, and despite the shabbiness of their homestead, the family is hiding 3 pounds of gold dust. When her parents are murdered and the gold stolen, Leah suspects her only living relative, who threatens to use her talents for nefarious ends. Leah and her childhood friend, a half-Cherokee boy named Jefferson, run away and join a wagon train headed toward California's newly discovered gold. Leah's narration details the adventures of their journey with a disparate group of travelers who often come across as archetypes more than fully fledged characters. There's the racist who attacks peaceful Indians, the selfish man who overloads his wagon with luxury goods, the runaway slave, the clueless itinerant preacher—none drawn with enough depth to make him or her memorable. Leah dresses as a boy for half the journey, and the revelation of her gender is accepted too readily to seem historically accurate. Along with other minor historical gaffes, Carson can neither sustain the tension of Leah's parents' murders nor put Leah's magical powers to interesting use. The tepid, resolution-free ending beckons potential sequels. (author's note, dramatis personae) (Historical fantasy. 12-14)

Product Details

BN ID: 2940170412082
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 09/22/2015
Series: Gold Seer Trilogy Series , #1
Edition description: Unabridged
Age Range: 10 - 13 Years
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