Alone to America by Maria Vezzetti Matson.

Imagine being Gennie—what would you do?
A startling letter arrives for Gennie’s fourteenth birthday. It is from her older brother in Michigan. He needs her help and includes money for travel.

The year is 1902, and the journey from Gennie’s home in Tuscany, Italy, to copper mines in America sounds exciting. But nothing happens as planned. At the last minute, Gennie discovers she must go alone. She feels terrified but obeys her father and departs. She survives a life-threatening illness during the ocean crossing and delights in arriving in New York Harbor. Still, a thousand-mile train trip remains to reach her final destination. For this solo traveler, the cultural and language differences create shocking situations. Despite this, her kind heart, curiosity, and storytelling skills lead strangers to help her. The surprise at the end of Gennie’s adventure makes it all worthwhile.