Stephanie Sullivan: Review

April 07, 2025

TITLE: Tough Luck (audiobook)

RATING: ★★★★

RELEASE DATE: April 29th, 2025

Summary (from Goodreads): In this homage to True Grit, a young woman makes a perilous journey west in 1863 in search of her gold-mining father.

After their mother dies, Haidie Richards and her younger brother, Boots, are put to work in an orphanage. Their father left four years earlier to find a gold mine in Colorado Territory, and since then he’s sent only three letters. Still, Haidie is certain that he is alive, has struck gold, and will soon send for them.

But patience is not one of Haidie’s virtues and soon she and her brother make a break for it. Boots and Haidie, disguised as a boy, embark on a dangerous journey deep into Western territory. Along the way, Haidie learns fast not only how to handle mules, oxen, and greedy men, but also that you are better off in a community. Hers includes a card shark, independent “spinster” sisters, and a very fierce dog. Once she arrives in Colorado and finds out the truth about her father, Haidie will need all her new friends for a get-even plot worthy of The Sting.

Filled with vivid period detail, colorful characters, and the irreverent voice of our scrappy heroine, Tough Luck celebrates both the tenacity of youth and the persistence of the heart in the great American West.

REVIEW: This was my first time reading Sandra Dallas' work, and it was such a fun read. I love historical fiction, and what really brought this story to life for me were the secondary characters. I especially fell in love with Jake, Teresa, Boots, Corny, and the old maids. Heck, I even loved Tyge the dog. The main character, Haidie, is also someone to be admired. Even though she's only fourteen years old, she's an old soul. She's a hard worker and she's fiercely loyal to her friends and family. I greatly admired her perseverance through all of the trials she faced. The narrator, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, did a wonderful job. Her voice reminds me a lot of my favorite narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, so needless to say I took a liking to her right away. I would highly recommend the audiobook version of Tough Luck to everyone.

(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own).