Trouble at Wild River

As they worked their way toward the Minnesota shore, Kate looked back. Along the Wisconsin bank she saw a shadow. A shadow that separated itself from a tree, a shadow dark enough to be a man walking toward the logs. Was it the swindler? Kate wasn’t sure. She knew only that danger lay ahead. Even more danger pursued them, following from behind.

Book: Trouble at Wild River (Adventures of the Northwoods, No. 5) by Lois Walfrid Johnson, Bethany House Publishers, 1991

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 11-15

Subjects: Forgiveness, Trust, Prayer, Sibling Relationships

Summary: There was no attempt to find a mystery. They were simply on their way through the woods to get maple syrup from a family that makes it when they stumbled across a swindler changing the marks on the logs to make the buyers believe they are his and not the other woodcutters. They had no intention of being involved further once they reported it to the authorities but a shocking letter sends Kate and Anders back into the woods again in search of Mama’s little brother who left Sweden after robbing a store. He claims to have repented and is now in America, right here in Minnesota, wanting to know if Mama will forgive him. But has he really repented or is he the thief chasing them?

Notes: Trouble At Wild River is the fifth in the Adventures In The Northwoods series. The series focuses on a young girl right at the beginning of her teen years as she adjusts to life in a very different kind of home and to a new family. The story covers about a year and a half of her life. The main character, Kate has a strong sense of curiosity and stubbornness so whenever she finds something odd she determines to find out what is going on. Sometimes the mysteries find her, sometimes she seeks them out. Through the series she transitions from someone who has only heard but not accepted a relationship with God to a girl learning to put her trust in God and look to Him for wisdom and direction.

In this fifth book, Kate has to figure out how to know whether or not she can trust someone. Mama’s brother says he has changed, but has he really? What does he mean to forgive someone? Kate also lets her fears come up again when she realizes they will be leaving Mama right near the time the baby is due. She fears being so far out in the middle of nowhere and having something go wrong. At one of the moments she is afraid she remembers that their Papa prayed for protection for them and all at once everything she’s been afraid of seems to melt away in light of her recognition of God’s care for her.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Joshua 1:9 – Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."