In Nancy Oswald’s new addition to her middle-grade series, set in 1898 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, 13-year-old Ruby has a lot on her plate: She’s lost a beloved pet; a solid friendship is fissuring, and then she stumbles into a gold theft ring—and more.
On Saturdays, Ruby earns money ferrying passengers around town in a buggy, led by her donkey, Maude. Willy, her younger donkey, grows restless when alone, so Ruby asks her best friend, Roy, to tend to Willy. When he breaks his promise, Ruby secures the colt to a post and leaves.
On her route, she finds chaos has erupted: the town’s hotel is ablaze, people are shouting and running, and stray animals have been impounded behind a gate, including Willy, who is standing next to a white pony.
Later, at school, Ruby’s lazy classmate Frank asks her to write an assigned essay for $1.00–the amount she needs to release Willy. But when Frank reads it aloud in class, it’s clear he didn’t author it. Unaware of Frank’s racist beliefs, Ruby wrote about the bravery of the “Colored employees” during the hotel fire.
Complications add up quickly, including Ruby being chased by Frank and his group, meeting a threatening man with a crate and gold bar on a train and struggling to forgive Roy for her donkey’s disappearance.
Oswald’s writing offers flowing dialogue and wonderful descriptions: “The stiff collar of the dress matched her aunt’s personality: rigid, dull and unimaginative.” Her well-crafted portrayal of Ruby and Roy’s friendship is the story’s highlight, as it shows how faulty assumptions and miscommunication can compromise relationships.
However, too many minor plots and confusing references to Oswald’s previous series books prove frustrating. Additionally, the plot concerning viewpoints on race fizzles out, and details about the book-long concern about the whereabouts of the white pony and Willy are never revealed.
Despite these shortcomings, most readers will stay engaged in this historical novel with its smart, kind, and doggedly determined protagonist.
Also available as an ebook.