Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

genre: magical realism, young adult fiction

Leah has a hard but satisfying life with her parents. Living in Georgia in the late 1840s, she's been taught not just how to hunt and work like a boy, but she's also got a secret: she can find gold the way a diviner can find water. This magic sense, though, could obviously cause no end of trouble so she just keeps that little fact all to herself, thank you very much. When tragedy strikes, though, Leah has to make a tough choice: stay and take her chances in Georgia or put her faith in a dream of gold in California.

I picked this one up because I loved the author's precious series and although this is a very different scene and story, some of the big ideas are still there: strong female character choosing her own way and what a pivotal role an independent girl can fill when times are desperate. Her magical realism is mild and situational but it worked for me, I didn't have to stretch to suspend my disbelief.   I enjoyed the arc of the main cast of characters and found myself really invested in their journey. Great pioneer-era story.