After decades of backbreaking, thankless sharecropping work in Texas, Will’s father, who was enslaved as a child, is “grim and dull,” and Will longs for a closer relationship with him. When they hear of the Oklahoma Land Rush, they recognize it as the chance of a lifetime. With a wagon of supplies pulled by their mule, Belle, Will and his dad join thousands of others racing to stake out their own land. The journey is arduous, but Will repeatedly rises to the occasion. He kills a snake that threatens Belle. He guides Belle across a treacherous river. And he meets both friend and foe along the way, the former a fellow Black traveler and former Union soldier named Caesar, who helps Will defend his supplies from thieves. Joining Will and his father on their journey, Caesar becomes like family. But he has an enemy of his own, a white Confederate soldier who has been tracking him, putting them all in danger. Before Will and his dad reach “the promised land,” Will will test the limits of his courage, daring, and loyalty in order to protect his home and loved ones. Action-packed and fast-paced, this novel offers a satisfying arc for its characters, who grow both in confidence and in closeness with one another. While mentions of Indigenous peoples are absent in the main narrative, an afterword covers their forced relocation and acknowledges that all who settled Oklahoma took part in their oppression. (Ages 8-12)

A New York Times bestseller!

★ "Rhodes deftly captures a unique ­aspect of this historical event, with a perspective that is ­often under-represented in historical ­fiction. A poignant and honest look at the trials of racism that defined the ­historic land rush; a must-buy." -School Library Journal, starred review

Bestselling and award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes goes West in this thrilling adventure story about a son and his father who set out to win land during the Oklahoma Land Rush–if they can survive the journey.  
 
It’s 1889, barely twenty-five years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and a young Black family is tired of working on land they don’t get to own.
 
So when Will and his father hear about an upcoming land rush, they set out on a journey from Texas to Oklahoma, racing thousands of others to the place where land is free—if they can get to it fast enough. But the journey isn’t easy—the terrain is rough, the bandits are brutal, and every interaction carries a heavy undercurrent of danger.
 
And then there’s the stranger they encounter and befriend: a mysterious soldier named Caesar, whose Union emblem brings more attention—and more trouble—than any of them need.
 
All three are propelled by the promise of something long denied to them: freedom, land ownership, and a place to call home—but is a strong will enough to get them there?