Review: An Inspiring Adventure
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 15, 2012
Angeline and Adelaide Hanson are fictitious, but are based on the very real early 20th century adventurers Augusta and Adeline Van Buren.  I certainly hope the nonfiction sisters didn't find themselves in the messes that our fictional heroines found on their cross country trip, but these numerous mishaps make for very good reading.  I especially love the message the author gives through her story that young women can do much more than is expected of them, that they do not have to live by unreasonable society-imposed constraints.  I also love that the message isn't beat into the reader's head but is delivered with adventure and a great deal of humor.In his forward, Bob Van Buren, one of the sisters' descendents, writes that while the book is fiction, it does capture the spirit of the times and the challenges that the sisters faced.This is the first book that the author wrote, and as such, is not perfect but is highly enjoyable and entertaining, and it shows a wonderful talent that I hope the author continues to hone.  While it does not have the depth of a novel geared for adults, I think that adults will enjoy it for those times that they want something that isn't overly long or complex, and I think teens, especially young teen girls, will love it and be inspired to achieve their goals.The author is a dear friend of mine but I am under no obligation to review the book, much less to review it favorably.  I truly enjoyed reading about the young women's adventures and taking a virtual cross country tour with them.