True Heart

by Marissa Moss, C.F. Payne (Illustrator)

Since age sixteen, Bee has loaded freight for the Union Pacific Railroad, all the while dreaming of being an engineer. Bee loves the from the roar and clatter of the wheels against the track to the names like True Heart, Roaring Wolf, and Coyote Special to the low blast of the whistle— whoooo-whoooo. Then one day, Bee gets the chance to drive the True Heart all the way from Cheyenne to Chicago. A seamless mix of history and fiction, True Heart is a story of the American frontier, of wanting something so much you can’t think of anything else--and of the little-known work of pioneer women who made the American railroad a reality.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

Marissa Moss has written more than seventy books, from picture books to middle-grade and young adult novels. Best known for the Amelia's Notebook series, her books are popular with teachers and children alike. Her picture book Barbed Wire Baseball won the California Book Award gold medal. Moss is also the founder of Creston Books, an independent children's publishing house.

Reviews

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not actually a biography. Apparently the author was surprised to find a picture of an all-women railroad work crew taken sometime around the turn of the last century, and combined that with information about a female engineer on the B&O line to come up with this story about a young woman who, through chance, has the opportunity to drive a train - and more chances after that.

It is easy to believe that at some point in the past men were men and women stayed at home, but the picture that inspired this story is just one of many small pieces of evidence that puts the lie to it. I just wish that the illustrations and the story itself weren't so ambiguous about our main character's gender. Many young readers may skip the afterword and just assume this person is male because, after all, we *all* know that people who like trains are guys. (Sometimes I think we've regressed since I was a kid. Toys weren't all blue and pink in the 80s, were they?)

[Kaylin Matejek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since 1893, Bee has been working for the railroad. She had to take a job while in her early teens because sadly her parents died from typhus. Bee started out loaded freight for the Union Pacific and quickly developed a dream of becoming an engineer. She would sneak into the cab whenever she could to watch the engineers work. Plus, she couldn't stop herself from asking Old Pete loads of questions. Though her work friends would poke fun at her dream, she stayed determine and optimistic. Then one day, the opportunity finally comes for Bee to drive the True Heart by herself.

Marissa Moss has created a story full of hopes, desires, and willpower. The main character, Bee, is an inspiration and one that children should know. Also, C.F. Payne did a wonderful job with the illustrations; he captured the beauty of the American frontier and Union Pacific Railroad. Together they created a page turner that I believe everyone should read. I think this would be nice to read in the classroom to inspire students and to provide information about those who worked on the railroad. It would be easy to tie True Heart into a social studies lesson.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's important to shed light on women's (non-traditional) roles throughout history. However, this book fell flat on that front. Unless you read the author's note at the end (and how many children read author's notes?) then you might miss that Bee (and her whole crew) were women. I noticed the lack of pronouns while I was reading the book, but was expect a "HA AND I'M A WOMAN!" reveal at the end, but alas...

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter enjoyed this book. The only issues she had with it were that 1)she wouldn't have known the crew were all women if she hadn't read the author's note (there are like no pronouns in the story) and 2)she was disappointed to learn that the story was fiction that was merely "inspired" by real women on the railroad. Otherwise, an enjoyable read.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down because the photo, just about the only source of information used to write this, showed ten women, but Moss admits in the note that she changed it to nine men and one woman. Why?!

I do like how it pointed out that women's work, doing washing, paid lots less than men's work, loading freight. Will we ever get our values straight?

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narrator Bee struggled to become an engineer for trains with names like True Heart, Roaring Wolf, and Coyote Special.

Marissa Moss, and her illustrator C.F. Payne, made this story come alive.

FIVE STARS, then.

[Jennisen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girls driving trains, and a Wyoming connection!

[Lauren Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Fiction
2nd-4th

All throughout this book, I felt that the author made this book very powerful. The only thing I would change is to make sure the audience knows what gender type the character is because I wouldn't have known that she was a female if I hadn't read the author's note.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a work of historical fiction about a girl who found her passion working for the rail road at a time when that was considered “men’s work.” The major down side to this story was that the protagonist, who looked like a boy, was not referred to by any pronouns that were feminine until later in the read; making it a bit confusing. Up until that point I thought it was a tale of an older boy who was looking for his chance to be taken seriously as a train conductor. The illustrations were exceptionally well done with beautiful coloration and expression. The book would have been better received if the author had made a point to mention Bee’s gender earlier.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent text on the time of the railroad and the role of women in that time. The character in this book, despite being a piece of historical fiction, is an excellent personification of the female spirit that was certainly present though not celebrated at the time. It was a nice book.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction account of women working on the railroad.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story.