Eleven-year old Dorothy Bolton makes the long journey to the Canadian prairies in 1903 with her parents, her sister Lydia, her brother Frank, and a boatload of new acquaintances. They travel with other Barr Colonists by steam train, steam boat, and another train on their way to settle in the Northwest Territories (now Saskatchewan and Alberta). Reverend Barr has promised them a fertile land with a gentle climate just waiting to welcome them to a new home. But when they get there, things are not quite as rosy as they thought…
Based on diaries and conversations with actual Barr colonists, this book brings the story of the Barr Colony to life for middle-grade readers.