Tough Luck: a story of youthful tenacity and hopeful hearts in the American West

Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas is the story of a young woman on the search for her father in 1863. Their father left four years to find his fortune in the Colorado Territory and is thought to be dead. After her mother dies, Haidie Richards and her younger brother, Boots, are placed in an orphanage and put to work. She waits for her chance to leave. She is determined to find her father. Haidie doesn’t believe it and she isn’t going to wait for him any longer. She and Boots leave the orphanage and embark on the perilous journey deep into the American West. Disguised as a boy, she learns to handle mules, oxen, and greedy men. Haidie also finds new friends. She hopes that each day gets her closer to finding her father. Will she find him? Will she accept whatever she discovers? 

Tough Luck is a cross between True Grit (1969/2010) and The Journey of Natty Gann (1985). Filled with colorful characters and vivid details of Haidie’s journey and experiences, Tough Luck is a story of youthful tenacity and hopeful hearts in the American West. I enjoyed Haidie’s character as a no-nonsense young woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind and get her hands dirty in order to get what she wants. The characters she meets along the way are either other hopeful hearts searching for a future or scoundrels who would prey on them. Ms. Dallas’s description of the American West and the people who lived there were so vivid that I thought I was right there next to Haidie as she traveled. I thoroughly enjoyed Tough Luck. If you enjoy Western adventures with a strong heroine, I highly recommend Tough Luck. 

Tough Luck is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook on April 29, 2025.