I will read ANYTHING you want to send my way that is set is pioneering times. I am obsessed with the books and true life story of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I also love stories about the Oregon Trail. "The Beloved Wild" sounded right up my alley! This is the story of Harriet and her family. She is tired of all the chores that a woman is expected to do and annoyed by the things she can't be allowed to do as a girl. Her parents are pushing her to marry their neighbor and friend Daniel Long and she resents being pushed toward him far more than she actually resents him. In fact Harriett probably would have been interested in him long ago if everyone else would butt out. Harriet's brother Gideon decides to leave their home. He's the youngest of the brothers and wants something of his own. Harriett convinces him to take her along and she chops her hair and assumes the identity of a young man who happens to travel with Gideon.

The story was really interesting. The journey of course is most of the fun. Along the way they must deal with a new stranger and their old friend Rachel who has had a shocking and terrible experience. The story definitely didn't shy away from showing some of the bad things of that time period but it doesn't focus too heavily on them. It is a well rounded and entertaining story.

I had one problem with the book and that is why I am removing one star from the rating. For this premise to work, Harriett had to be a forward thinking woman. But I found her attitudes about feminism really ahead of the times and it was jolting to read her thoughts sometimes. Her internal musings did not at all fit with women of that time period. I think her feminism (Love it) was awesome, but it also could have been presented in a more realistic to the time period way.