Will Everett is sitting on a crate waiting for his father when his world starts changing rapidly. First a girl sees his sketchbook and walks over to meet him. Turns out she, Maren, is a wirewalker in the circus and she invites him to come and see her perform.
Then Cornelius Van Horne, manager of the Canadian Pacific Railroad invites him to ride up the mountain for the ceremonial pounding of the last spike. He's about to find himself running in terror from a sasquatch.
Three years later Will and his father are about to board The Boundless, the longest train in the world, stretching a mile in length. Their fortunes have risen and they have gone from rags to riches. This train is pulling the funeral car of Cornelius Van Horne and carries a mixed bag of surprises comprised of the circus girl, a hag, a murderer and is setting off on an epic journey.
Will hops off the train for a few minutes and returns to see it beginning to pull away. He races after it and climbs aboard by inches. He is now in the caboose of this train and will need to make his way to the very front of the car, a mile away, to the engine where his father is driving the train.
As he makes his way forward, Will finds himself faced with danger and the responsibility for a boxcar filled with treasure.
A solid, fantastical journey through Canada makes this a unique and riveting adventure.
Recommended by: Barb, abookandahug.com
978-1442472884 336 pages Ages 9-13
