Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home

In this wonderful teen novel we meet perky 12-year old Andi and her beloved horse Taffy. Andi is the type of girl that loves adventure, is curious about everything and always seems to get into trouble, despite her best efforts not to. After causing a ruckus and almost losing her life by being careless with a wild horse, Andi is afraid she will be sent to her aunts since her family is at wits end with her daily bouts of trouble and something must be done. Overhearing her family discussing her possible future, Andi decides she will run away and make it on her own. Bad move! Her youth does not give her the wisdom that is needed to be on the look-out for the many unsavory people that lurk in the world, and so she loses her beloved horse Taffy to a horse thief, almost loses her own life, and learns the hard way how those not as fortunate as herself must live just to survive. I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick paced read and kept my interest from beginning to end. It has some great teaching elements in it and a wonderful storyline. I recommend it highly, a very enjoyable read.

Irrepressible Andi Carter gets picked on one too many times by her family and off she goes on a totally unexpected and often unwelcome Wild West adventure. She loses her way, she loses her horse, she loses her freedom, and she almost loses her life. But she comes out all right, thanks to the inner strengths she picked up in that family of hers, and to the faith they helped instill in her. Like Dorothy of Kansas, Andi of California learns the hard way that "there's no place like home." A page-turner that's completely safe for the whole family to read.

Pre-teens will love LONG RIDE HOME. They will indentify with Andi Carter who only seems to do things that get her into trouble. Readers will be swept up in the high dreama of a girl's love for her horse. The surprising twist at the end will leave them clamoring for more books by Susan K Marlou.

Andi and her palomino Taffy rode straight into my heart the moment I met them. I laughed, cried, and relived my tomboy years spend wishing I could have lived on a cattle ranch in the Old West. It was sad to tell Andi and her friends good-bye at the end of the book, but I hope to meet them again in sequels sure to be just as inspiring, entertaining, and well-crafted as "Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home." Author/educator Susan K. Marlow has used her interest in and extensive knowlege of California in the 1800s to create a book to be read and reread. Colleen L. Reece, Author of 140 books

I previewed this book for my daughter and couldn't put it down. My daughter felt the same way when I finally finished and gave it to her. I was happy to have her read it because she enjoys adventure and because even though Andrea makes some poor choices she ends up learning lessons through the consequences. It is nice to be able to give my child a fun book that also has positive messages.