Red River Girl

The year is 1846 and Josette Dupre, daughter of a voyageur and an ojibwe woman has just turned 13. Despite the fact that she lives in a small settlement in Manitoba, she is able to attend school and dreams of moving to Montreal someday for more education. Then her mother dies shortly after giving birth, and her father decides to become an ox team driver on the Red River trail to St. Paul. Josette has no choice but to go along. Once they arrive in St. Paul, Josette plays a vital role in helping Harriet Bishop set up the first school in that city. Written by Norma Sommerdorf, and told in diary form, this is the story of a young woman, learning to survive in the wilderness, and in a frontier town. The book could be used as supplemental material for Minnesota history units.