Joseph's Journey

About the Book

He's not going and that's his final word! Joseph's family is moving west to Indiana but he's not going. He'll stay with his Grandma and let his family go on without him.  The adventure begins from the first day as ten year old Joseph sabatoges every effort made to move west. The wagon has been loaded and everyone is ready to go. Everyone except Joseph Harding.   His home is in Virginia, not some frontier place far away. Go along  with Joseph as he reluctantly travels  west with  Father, Mother, his four brothers, and baby sister, Mary. He's the brother resenting every mile. Time travel back  to 1850 and live the difficult  day to day trek over miles of dirt roads with Joseph and his family. Ride along in the small, cramped wagon loaded down with all of the Harding's possessions through mountain passes and teeming rivers.  Endure floods, hunger, and disease. Meet robbers, slave catchers, settlers, and fellow pioneers as the family heads west by covered wagon.  Discover the true meaning of "Home" as Joseph does. There is a secret the family keeps for the whole journey. Does Joseph tell the secret so that they have to return home? Read this captivating adventure about a boy who makes a journey of his own during the life changing  journey  with his family. Based on the true story of the author's ancestors this is a fast paced story with an exciting adventure around every curve in the road.

About the Author

Margaret Sansalone's first book is an imaginative narrative based on a true story.Ms. Sansalone has been writing all of her life. In the sixth grade she wrote her first novel. It was an instant hit with her classmates. Her family were early pioneers of Indiana. Joseph's Journey is based on an old diary written by one of her ancestors. Ms. Sansalone has been a classroom teacher for many years. Drawing on her experiences with her former students she  has empathy for Joseph, the boy in the story, and portrays his dilemna with compassion and understanding. Ms. Sansalone is retired and lives in Louisiana with her three dogs.