Wilson, Diane Lee. Tracks.

Wilson, Diane Lee.   Tracks.  McElderry Books see Simon & Schuster, 2012.     275p.   $16.99.

ISBN 978-1-4424-2013-7       ms/hs   Historical Fiction        VG-BN                      

After the loss of his father to war in 1866, a thirteen-year-old Irish boy named Malachy Gormley joins the workers building the Transcontinental Railroad to earn money for his family.  He meets many men and is intrigued by the differences he observes in the Chinese workers.  His knowledge of the “Celestials” is based on prejudice, and he notes the callous mistreatment and derogatory remarks directed to the Chinese men by the American workers.
Lonely and curious, Malachy begins a tentative friendship with a Chinese boy.  The friendship grows over the two years of working together, forming a bond that leads Malachy to boldly defend his new friend against racial mistreatment.
Diane Lee Wilson has created a well-researched, insightful historical fiction novel.  Descriptions and dialogue accurately depict the prejudices and mistreatment of the Chinese workers on the Transcontinental Railroad.  The action, well-paced plot, and remarkable figurative language make the characters and story believable and exciting.  This is definitely a page-turner, as the reader roots for the survival and success of Malachy as well as the development of his friendship with Ducks.

Subject: Transcontinental Railroad -- Fiction                                                             Virginia McGarvey