In the Heart of the Rockies is an adventure story that is set in 1860. It focuses on 16-year-old Tom Wade, whose mother has just died. His father passed away several years ago, so now Tom and his four sisters are orphans. The story begins in England, where Tom was living at the time, but it quickly moves to America when he goes to live with his uncle in the Rocky Mountain wilderness. This story is filled with exciting adventures -- Indian fights, big game hunts, explorations, and much more -- as Tom learns to survive in the untamed land. We learn what it really took for a mountain man to survive, and we see Tom's courage and perseverance as he matures from a young boy of 16 to a young man.

This is another of the wonderful books written by G. A. Henty. Henty took great care to be sure that his stories were historically accurate as well as exciting, weaving a fictional character into real-life events. His books are written from a Christian perspective and include strong morals and ethics. They are wonderful books for anyone, but especially for young men.

This review is for an audio recording of the book that is done by Trey Darbonne. I found it easy to listen to. The recording is very well done, and I was especially pleased to see that the download of the book also included the full written text of the book; this is wonderful for families that have both auditory and visual learners. Also included in the download is a page of discussion questions that could be used as a jumping off point for discussing your child's thoughts on the story. The story is recommended for ages 10 and up. I would say possibly slightly younger but not much as there is Indian fighting and other such things that may be overwhelming to a younger child. All in all, it is a wonderful story, and I highly recommend it.

-- Product review by Nicole Teichroeb, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC August 2011