The young adult novel "Black Storm Comin" begins in 1860 as the mixed-race Wescott family heads west to California by wagon. After an accident, the father deserts the family and 12 year old Colton Wescott is left to care for his sick mother and his sisters.
After finding a doctor for his mother, Colton goes to Carson City to join the Pony Express. The Manager of the Pony Express station is understandably skeptical about hiring a boy to deliver the mail, but Colton does get the job.
For those who don't know, The Pony Express was a short-lived method of delivering the mail in the west during the years 1860-1861. As the name implies, the Pony Express used expert riders and fast horses to move the mail from east to west. It was necessary to hire young men who were generally lighter and better able to endure the long rides and hardships better then older men.
Along his first ride across the Sierra Nevada mountains Colton encounters a number of characters including a slave chaser, a woman prophet, and old miner who at first glance seems to be an enemy.
Black Storm Comin is one of the best novels I have read in a while. The story is exciting and fast-paced and there is a welcome
message of kindness and forgiveness throughout the book.
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