From the #1 bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat comes an unforgettable epic of family, tragedy, and survival on the American frontier“An ideal pairing of talent and material.… Engrossing.… A deft and ambitious storyteller.” – Mary Roach, New York Times Book ReviewIn April of 1846, twenty-one-year-old Sarah Graves, intent on a better future, set out west from Illinois with her new husband, … on a better future, set out west from Illinois with her new husband, her parents, and eight siblings. Seven months later, after joining a party of pioneers led by George Donner, they reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains as the first heavy snows of the season closed the pass ahead of them. In early December, starving and desperate, Sarah and fourteen others set out for California on snowshoes, and, over the next thirty-two days, endured almost unfathomable hardships and horrors.
In this gripping narrative, New York Times bestselling author Daniel James Brown sheds new light on one of the most legendary events in American history. Following every painful footstep of Sarah’s journey with the Donner Party, Brown produces a tale both spellbinding and richly informative.
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This was a book, although haunting, I will never forget. It is a testament to the true spirit of a human and the will to survive.
It was a very interesting subject and one that we as history students find so informative
We all know the story but not the details. The hardships the survivors endured, the result of bad advice, are told so realistically I was turning up the thermostat and piling on extra blankets.
This well written story depicts everyday life in the ill fated journey of the Donner Party moving West.
This is the best book I’ve read about the Donner Party, a subject that interests me because I am distantly related to one of the rescuers. Brown’s account begins before the travelers embark on their horrific migration and follows them well after some are rescued.
The history of the Donner party from a different perspective was interesting. Read this for book club and we had interesting discussions. Good research was done by the author.
The author meticulously told the story, to the day, of this historic event, which for me was previously steeped in misinformation. This book is for anyone who loves history and learning what life was really like in the “old days.”
A very good book! It provided a good look into the lives of the main players of this tragedy before during and after the terrible experience of that winter on Donner Lake.
I read the sample and just was not interested enough to find out details of the hardships that led people to be cannibals in order to stay alive.
The author did an excellent job of retelling a tragic historical American event. Highly recommended for history lovers!
Insightful and gripping, the tragedies endured were so horrific and unfathomable, often difficult to comprehend. An important piece of history well told, though heart breaking and graphic, with very few who experienced a bittersweet triumph.
An excellent account of a tragic story of ignorance and bad advice…
I did’nt enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. I guess just not my kind of read?
Every time I have to walk some place I think of the Donner Party. This book left an impression on me. So well written, you are right there with them. I highly recommend.
This is an amazing story based upon the personal story of a young man who lived during the Nazi era in Italy. The writing style was engaging and informative. We listened to the book while traveling, and the time just flew by. It was hard not to read ahead when we stopped for the night! We both highly recommend this book
An in-depth look at life as an American pioneer in the 1840’s. This book provided a very interesting description of what it was like to cross the plains and mountains in a covered wagon. It discussed many issues, including the hard work that was shared by all, the fear of pregnancy while on the trail, the steps taken to prevent or end pregnancies, …
We all know about the Donner Party but this is one of the most fascinating accounts I have ever read. I read it when it first came out snd I have just begun reading it again. The author spent years researching the events so miticiously
that he personally traveled the rugged trail that these pioneers traveled on there tragic journey and tells their …
I enjoyed this book very much and even though I knew the story, I learned more details. I appreciated how the author interjected details about the weather,,hypothermia , etc. He really added some informative details.
I have read a few books about the Donnor Party. We own a cabin in Tahoe & the region history is very interesting. This captures a different view. It was dark but very well written. A good book club book!
if I ever think I an having a bad day I remember the suffering of these people.