Lexi has always been an outsider. She lived in the Amazon and the deserts of Arizona before moving to Africa. But after their houseboy (her dear friend) was killed by soldiers, Lexi’s parents decide it is too dangerous for her to stay with them, so they send her to boarding school in the U.S. There she feels completely misunderstood as rumors spread about her strange past But she looks forward to staying at her aunt and uncle’s farm in upstate New York for the summer. She hopes to become a part of a big, happy family, but when she arrives, she quickly discovers that is not to be. Even though her two girl cousins try to include her, she does not share either their interests or their skills, and her older boy cousins spend their lives playing baseball. Only in Jeb, a year younger than Lexi, does she find a friend. A misfit himself, he is fascinated with the Indian way of life, and confides in Lexi that he has heard that a small tribe lives in the nearby mountains. He plans to run away to find the tribe and ask them to adopt him. Lexi decides to join him, and they set off down the river on a raft Jeb built. Their journey is full of mishaps but the adventure teaches both of them much about their own strengths.
Reading level: age 9-13 years