The first part of the book reminded me strongly of Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee, simply because of the setting and the "girl escapes scary old dude by dressing as a boy and running west with the help of an escaped slave" plot. In fact, if you liked Under a Painted Sky, I can guarantee you'd like Walk on Earth a Stranger too. But it's not a copycat story - many elements are similar, but I didn't feel any sense of "I've read this story before..." either. 
 Carson did a great job with the whole atmosphere. The places described, the mannerisms and actions of the characters, even the thought patterns of the narrator feel like they really do fit in with the pre-Civil War rural South/West setting, without being too jolting or confusing for the modern reader. This is something I've come to admire in the best historical fiction. 
 The magic element - Leah's ability to sense gold - is important to the story but not the entire focus of it. She has this interesting ability that can help her find wealth, but it also puts her in danger from people who want to take advantage of her or people who think she's some kind of witch. Other than that, though, she's really just a very tough young woman who has to do the best she can to survive. She's not a magical girl who can wave a wand and poof out of trouble; she has to face down that trouble as best she can, usually by herself with only her own wits and shooting skills to save her. I like that. 
 This review is based on an e-galley from Edelweiss. More detailed review to come at Lone Star on a Lark.