Kaya: The Journey Begins

The Journey Begins
Kaya #1
By Janet Shaw

Kaya is constantly being told boasting is wrong, but she can't help it if the truths she tells sound like boasting. After all her Appaloosa mare is the most beautiful and the fastest horse in the herd. But when Kaya's boasting leads her to neglect her assigned task of watching her younger brothers all the children suffer as a result of her boasting and disobedience.  Worse her actions have earned her a nickname she would rather not have.

When her sister Brown Deer is hurt, Kaya's quick thinking and Steps High speed are the only things that prevent a tragedy from occurring. But Kaya still bears the nickname that she despises.

When enemies raid their camp during the night Kaya fears that Steps High will be stolen away and she leads her sister Speaking Rain into danger. Worse both girls are captured and taken for from their family and friends. When they arrive in the raiders camp Kaya and Speaking Rain are put to work as slaves - is there any hope of rescue or escape? And with Speaking Rain's blindness is there any way the two girls could escape together? Or will Kaya be forced to leave her sister behind?

This book is set in 1764 and focuses on Kaya's way of life with the Nimiipuu, today we know them as the Nez Perce. The importance of following instructions is stressed as is the need to avoid boasting (which as Kaya proved leads to actions one later regrets). The story is well-paced and the characters well developed. The illustrations work well to help bring the story to life. There are 6 pages after the story portion of the book that focuses on what Kaya's world was like giving historical facts that will help the reader further understand the context of the story.

I received this book via Amazon's Vine Program with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion.




About the Book:

Kaya and her horse are in the lead...

Kaya knows in her heart that her beautiful Appaloosa mare, Steps High, is the fastest horse in the herd. But when boasting leads to a daring bareback race, Kaya pushes Steps High too hard. She puts herself and the horse in danger and earns a terrible nickname for being untrustworthy. Kaya vows to be a girl her horse and her people can trust. When enemy raiders storm Kaya's village, she tries to save Steps High but gets taken captive herself, along with her sister. All Kaya can think of is escape, but how?