It's 1859, and twenty-year-old Ike Bender, eager to escape the yoke of his brutal father, runs away from his family's hard-scrabble Nebraska farm with dreams of making his fortune in the gold-rush country around Pike's Peak, where his older brother Kit has already fled. Ike sets out alone, armed with only his home-made wheelbarrow, a side of bacon, an old pick-ax, a few dollars, and the love of plucky, head-strong teenager Millicent Slaughter to sustain his dangerous, 500-mile journey.

"A masterpiece of first-person, vernacular narrative. It's a joy to read." Philadelphia Inquirer

"A Twain-ish tale that deftly mixes humor and adventure. And it's all told in language so rich you can take it in big bites, chew and savor it." Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"A funny, tough-minded, cheerful novel, which turns the base metal of frontier experience into pure gold. Everyone who reads this wonder-filled book is guaranteed, unconditionally, to strike it rich." Hartford Courant

"A novel of immense charm and grace. The Road to Many a Wonder is prose magic. Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"An unforgettable experience." The Marysville Advocate