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Gr 4-6‘This fictionalized biography of the first woman to vote in the state of California, and perhaps in the whole United States, is fascinating. Charlotte Parkhurst, known as Charley, spent most of her life masquerading as a man. Raised in an orphanage where she is the only girl, she is prevented from being adopted by the staff, who put her to work in the kitchen. Her own predilection is to be with the horses and the elderly man who cares for them. Vern's tales of escaping slavery are the seeds of Charlotte's own desperate bid for freedom after her only other friend is adopted. Her knack with horses soon enables the disguised Charley to pursue her dream of driving a stagecoach. She does it so well that she is admired and sought after, and is offered the opportunity to earn a livelihood in the California gold fields. Many trials arise, including the loss of sight in her left eye, but throughout, Charlotte remembers her friends, works hard and persistently, and fulfills her ambitions, culminating in her voting in a presidential election. The author provides a compact and exciting story about real people who exemplify traits that readers admire. A concluding note tells more about the historical facts surrounding Parkhurst's life, but kids will read it just for the adventure. The full-page, black-and-white pencil drawings are well rendered and enhance the straightforward text.‘Carol A. Edwards, Minneapolis Public Library

The true story of Charlotte "Charley" Darkey Parkhurst, a woman who lived her life disguised as a man so she could be a stagecoach driver, is the basis for this ebullient and tautly structured novel. Charlotte, a girl who "couldn't sew a stitch and didn't know a petticoat from a pea pod," does have a deep respect and a sixth sense for horses. When the head of her New Hampshire orphanage tells her she's banned from riding because she's a girl, she disguises herself as a boy, runs away to Worcester, Mass., and secures a job as Mr. Ebeneezer's stable hand. He takes "Charley" under his wing, teaching her to be the finest horseman and the best coachman in the state. As she guides her coach across the countryside, she tells her passengers, "I know my horses by heart and I'm not one for bad drivin', so hold tight!" Along the way, she encounters a wealth of characters, some good (Hay, her orphan friend; Vern, a freedman who tends the orphanage stables) and some bad (Mr. Millshark, the orphanage head), but all fully realized by Muñoz (Armadillos Sleep in Dugouts). Eventually, the heroine moves West, suffers a blow to her left eye that earns her the name "One-Eyed Charley," realizes her dream of owning her own property and, still disguised as a man, votes in the 1868 California presidential election‘now recognized as the first woman ever to vote in the U.S. With a pacing that moves along at a gallop, this is a skillful execution of a fascinating historical tale. Selznick's drawings, which have an "American Gothic" feel, highlight the dramatic moments. Ages 8-12. (Feb.)