Name: The Runaway's Gold
ISBN: 9781419713699

Emilie C. Burack

"The protagonist of this historical novel, which is set in the Shetland Islands and also New York City around 1840, is Christian Robertson, a crofter and son of a crofter (small, struggling tenant farmer). When Christian's brother frames him for the theft of a bag of coins, Christian must leave home and embark on a journey to return the coins and clear his name"--

The Runaway's Gold

Hope Brockway

"The Runaway's Gold" is the story of a young boy named Christopher Robertson who is accused by his older brother John of stealing his father's sack of gold and using it for his own gain. In order to prove his innocence, he sets off to find John, the real thief, before he spends the gold for himself. 

This book starts out in New York City in the late 1800's. After a few chapters in New York, it then skips back to Shetland and starts with the very beginning of Christopher's journey. Throughout the book, it jumps back and forth between New York and Shetland. I will admit that it was a bit confusing jumping back and forth, but it kept you on your toes. 

I really liked how the author used some of Shetland's dialect words {I guess that's how you would describe them}. Even though I didn't really understand them without the help of the glossary in the back, I thought they were interesting and was glad that she included them. 

Chris was a really interesting character, and I fell in love with him from the very beginning. I loved his innocence, kindness, and honesty. He was kind to a man who his family thought was an enemy, and he trusted a flawed man who no one else trusted. Even though Chris made a few mistakes, he was a noble character and I would love to see more of him. *hint hint wink wink* 

The story line was really good. Although I though a few scenes unnecessary {not inappropriate or anything just . . . kind of boring and unneeded to the story line}, I liked the progression of the story and found it interesting and exciting. 

The ending was awesome. It ended in a bit of a cliffhanger {to which I was, like, yelling at the book once I finished it}, but it did tie up most of the book nicely. I do hope that the author comes out with a sequel. *ahem* 

Overall, "The Runaway's Gold" was a great book. I liked the characters, the author's writing style, and the story line. While some parts seemed a bit jerky, this is the author's first novel. I will be looking forward to reading any future books by this author.

The Runaway's Gold

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