Should this book stay on the list?

Yes!  To be perfectly honest, I did not expect to like this book.  Based on the cover, I even thought it would be a dnf for me.  (Never judge a book by its cover.)  I loved it!  I was hooked from page 1.  Another book that had me so connected to the characters, living the story right along with them, and loving the historical aspects of life for settlers heading west.  By the time I finished, I was exhausted!

I agree! I really liked this book. The characters were well written. I felt like it accurately portrayed the time period.

Yes, definitely a good fit.  The story pulled me in as I was invested in the characters from the start.  The portrayal of the wagon train felt realistic showing the day to day drudgery as well as the pitfalls and dangers along the way.  It did that without feeling like the old video game Oregon Trail.