#12 -- The Voyage of the Continental by Katherine Kirkpatrick

After three years at a Lowell, MA mill, 16 year old Emeline McCullough can no longer stand the grueling work.  In 1865, an orphan has few choices.  So when Asa Mercer announces his plan to resettle Civil War orphans and widows in the new Settlement of Seattle, WA Emeline is one of them.

Being one of the Mercer Girls is not exactly what Emeline expected.  Not only is the journey all the way around the tip of South America far more perilous than Emeline imagined, but someone is trying to murder her closest companion.  Despite all this, the voyage of the Continental proves to be the adventure of a lifetime, filled with mystery, excitement, friendship, romance and untold beauty.

I admit that this book was a bit more difficult to get into.  It seemed like it just dragged on and that I could predict what would happen next.  Even though it only took me a few days to get through it, it started out slow.  This would be a good book for a younger reader and someone who enjoys historical fiction.