If you’re looking for a spunky, Christian, horse-riding, skirt-abhorring, lesson-learning heroine, may I present Andrea “Andi” Carter, star of the middle-grade Circle C Adventures and the YA Circle C Milestones by Susan K. Marlow.
Andi has grown up on the Circle C Ranch, one of the largest spreads in California in the 1880s, with three older brothers and one older sister. When we first meet her in Adventures, she’s a 12-year-old girl tired of being bossed who decides to take her horse and run away. When simple mishaps and unfriendly strangers interrupt her plan, she realizes finding her way home may be harder–and more dangerous–than she thought.
Milestones continues the journey–and the adventures–as Andi navigates the challenges of becoming a young woman. New friends, grueling experiences, and a heartbreaking loss–not to mention the handsome young wrangler–help Andi recognize that growing up may not be quite so horrible after all.
I read these books for the first time when I received the first four Adventures as a contest prize in 2009, before the series was even complete. I loved them then, and honestly, I still love them now. The newer Milestones deepen the stories and the themes a bit and are just as good as the “original” series. (A few weeks ago when I got both series back from a friend, I spent a few happy hours revisiting my favorite Milestones stories, Last Ride and Courageous Love.)
The author has also written a MG series for boys, Goldtown Adventures, and prequel early reader series for both Andi and Jem, along with lapbook materials and homeschooling curricula to accompany each series. If you’re looking for well-written, exciting Christian fiction with good morals and relatable characters for readers of all ages, check out the author’s website: circlecadventures.com!
