Title: Journey of the Heart
Author: W. Dave Free
Publisher: Leatherwood Press
Release Date: 2008
ISBN:
Size: 5.5×8″, softcover
Genre: YA
Steve is a typical teenage boy immersed in the material things of the world. He was raised by active LDS parents who taught him the right, but he has never experienced the fire and truth of the Gospel. Instead he has just gone through the motions. The morning he tells his parents he is not going to serve a mission is the same morning he is in a serious skiing accident. When he wakes up he discovers that he is a on a train and about to embark on a trek across the states to Utah.
While with the pioneer company he struggles with his desires to return home and his knowledge that many of the pioneers will die. In the process he learns that the truth is worth any amount of sacrifice. He also meet a young girl, traveling on her own because her parents disowned her when she joined the church. She becomes Steve’s friend and confidant and has an impact on his life Steve could have never imagined.
Interesting. This novel, and “Jee’s Bones”, by the same author, W. Dave Free, are the first fiction titles published by Leatherwood that I am aware of. Up to now they have been doing non-fiction, children’s picture books, and inspirational books. Here is a news blurb about them from Publisher’s Weekly from 2005.
“Another newcomer to the Mormon publishing scene is Leatherwood Press, co-founded in late 2004 by former Deseret and Doubleday editor Timothy Robinson with business partner Garry Mitchell. (Leatherwood is the name of a tree in Tasmania, where Mitchell is from.) Mitchell announced they plan to have a “substantial company within three to five years,” and will produce 80-100 books in 2006 for both the LDS and general markets. Their general-market children’s and adult titles will be distributed by IPG, with Deseret handling LDS distribution. Robinson said the company’s editorial strategy will be to “identify and fill holes” in the LDS market, such as illustrated gift books, guides to “real, applied Christianity” for daily life, and books for early readers in the 5-9 age group.”
You may want to also label this book as historical (and maybe speculative because of the time travel).
Trivia Tuesday 17 February 2009
I would choose this as my “time travel” book, even though I haven’t read it yet. But I have read “Jee’s Bones” by the same author, which was a very thrilling adventure even for me, an adult, and I like the idea of this one.