Mary Peace Finley
Award-winning author of books for young people
© Mary Peace Finley 2012
"In 1845, the Santa Fe Trail was a dangerous place, but a determined Teresita embarks on a
daring adventure. She joins a wagon train in search of her father and brother. This exciting story
of courage in the face of adversity is sure to please readers of all ages." --Rudolfo A. Anaya, Author of
Bless Me, Ultima, Recipient of the 2002 National Medal of Arts
“Teresita’s journey turns out to be one of heart, mind, and spirit, and we are all richer in her
company.” – Historical Novels Review
“Many characters, especially the women, are drawn with realism, from angry Mamá to Teresita’s rich
Spanish mentor.” – Children’s Literature Review
"In 13-year-old Teresita Montoya of Taos, Mary Peace Finley has created a courageous young woman
who travels the Santa Fe Trail in 1846 with dreams for a better life. She joins a wagon train headed to
Bent's Fort and beyond, following her brother and father eastward. This is an exciting story of bravery in the
face of adversity which is sure to engage readers of many ages. I read it with pleasure. In those days, the Santa
Fe Trail was a dangerous place, and it has most often been written about from a man's point of view. Mary Peace
Finley, whose own passion for the history of the Santa Fe Trail began when she was a child living near Bent's
Fort, the trading center on the Trail, is a vivid storyteller. She has written other books for young readers and often
speaks to school groups and writers. Meadow Lark completes Finley's Santa Fe Trail Trilogy that began with
Soaring Eagle and continued with White Grizzly, definitely a worthy batch of books for older children."
-- Copyright © Winter 2004, Southwest BookViews. All rights reserved.
--From Rick Manzanares, Museum Director, Fort Garland Museum: "Mary Peace Finley has taken us back to
mid-nineteenth century Santa Fe Trail. Through the eyes of a young girl, Teresita--"to her father, Meadow
Lark," --we become part of the dreams and journeys of these early pioneers. Though we tend... [cont. on next page]
