Reviewed by Karen Pirnot for Readers' Favorite

This is a real story of two young men who set out on foot to move a herd of cattle from Petersburg West Virginia to the Sinks of Gandy. It is set in the years of the Great Depression, the 1930's.

When heading out with the cattle, the two boys spot a mother and baby bear and they drive through beautiful mountain roads, complete with fresh, cool mountain streams. The end their first night at the home of the Lukens where Mrs. Sally Luken has just baked fifteen pies for a local ice cream social. Sally Lukens packs a lunch for the boys who head out on the trail the following morning. They are accompanied by their herding dog Fannie, who appears to have a good sense of danger and responsibility for the herd.

The boys and the cattle head to the foot of the Allegheny Mountains and slowly begin the climb to their grazing destination. They spend another night at the other end of the Lukens' property and have a wonderful farm meal and a good foot soaking!

Counting cattle all along the way so as to be sure not to lose one of the herd, the boys move on slowly as the elevation in the mountain trail increases. Finally, they reach an area where the water seems to sink into underground caves and they realize they have reached their destination of The Sinks. They endure a thunderstorm and then move on to the flats of the mountain. They know then they have reached their destination.

The book is well illustrated and it compliments the plot. Younger children will probably have trouble with some of the vocabulary and the lack of connection with the main story tellers may lose young readers. Still, a lovely reader for those youngsters loving history.