Orphan Journey Home

Written by Liza Ketchum
Illustrated by C.B. Mordan

When Jesse's parents decide to abandon their Illinois farm and return to their first home in Kentucky, Jesse is happy at the thought of seeing her grandmother again. Moses, her older brother, joins the family only reluctantly; he would rather travel west, where the prairie goes on forever. Then, just a few days into the return journey, Mama and Papa both die of milk sickness.

Jesse, Moses, and their younger brother and sister are now orphans. They must make the long wagon journey on their own in a world where orphan children can be forced to live as indentured servants until adulthood. Armed with only a letter of protection from their father and the heart and will to survive, the children brave the wilderness. Whom shall they trust? Can they find their way to Kentucky? Will they ever see their grandmother again?

Based on a true story that took place in 1828, Orphan Journey Home celebrates the courage, strength, and resourcefulness of four pioneer children who were determined, against all odds, to honor their father’s wishes and make their way back to the safety of their Kentucky home.

Spanish translation available.

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