Journey of Pieter and Anna

I have to admit that I was sceptical about this book. I picked it up for my 9 yo daughter because of the "Christian flavor" of the writing. I want to share my faith with my daughter through literature, but, unfortunately, some Christian books just aren't as well-written as more secular titles. I'm happy to say that I was VERY PLEASED with this book! It was well-written with an engaging plot. I felt that the characters were well-developed. It was also appropriate to the recommended age-level. The main character, Pieter, grew in love and knowledge through his experiences. I higly recommend this book!!

In the spring of 1848, eleven-year-old Pieter Dekker's father announces that the family will be leaving their home in Holland and move to Michigan in search of religious freedom. Pieter doesn't want to leave his home, his school, his friends, and his dog. The journey is long and difficult, and all Pieter wants is to go home. During the journey, Pieter and his older sister, Elizabeth, meet ten-year-old Anna. Anna is trying to travel to Michigan on her own in search of her father, after her mother's death at sea. The Dekker family takes Anna in, determined to help her. They arrive in Michigan and find it is not what they expected, and Anna's father is not where she thought he would be. Can Pieter ever feel at home in this strange new land, and will Anna ever find her father? Young readers who enjoy historical fiction, particularly those who especially enjoy immigrant stories, would most likely enjoy this book. It has a nice story with a good message in it. It would probably appeal more to boys as it focuses more on Pieter than Anna, but girls could enjoy it as well.

Pieter can't believe his ears. America? His parents wanted him to leave the place he loved; his friends, and worst of all, his dog Sep? He just couldn't go! It was impossible!But a few weeks later he finds himself on a boat bound for America. One day while exploring the deck, he spies a young girl all by herself. Later he and his sister Elizabeth meet her and discover that her name is Anna, and she and her mother were on their way to America to meet her father, when her mother died at sea and now Anna was all alone. Pieter knows that he can't leave her like that, so he talks to his family and they agree to take her along with them. They finally reach Michigan, and Pieter thinks that everything will finally be all right. But the days are long and hard and he has to work all day, from morning to night with no time for play or school. Pieter is angry with his father for everything, for making him leave his home and friends, for making him work so hard, and for trying to make Pieter forget his past and move on to new things. Pieter also has a hard time accepting Anna as one of the family.Will Pieter ever accept America and his new sister Anna, and will he ever forgive his father for bringing him to such a hard place, and will Anna ever find her father? Find out in this exciting book!I loved the story of Pieter and Anna, because it's about a boy who is suddenly uprooted from everything he knows and moved to a place he knows nothing about and couldn't possibly care less about it. I also liked the way in which the author didn't put any romantic tones in between Pieter and Anna, because I think it was right that he learned to accept her as a sister and not a future wife. This is a good, clean book, suitable for all ages. My only recommendation is: Read It!!!!