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Showing posts with label American History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American History. Show all posts
Thursday, December 16, 2021
Harrowing, Horrifying Donner Party Tragedy Sensitively Explored in Brown's Engrossing Account
6:24 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Everyone who visits BBB regularly knows I love a gripping, immersive survival story. If it's true? Even better. As we all well know, not everyone in the infamous Donner Party lived to tell the group's grisly tale, but enough did that we have a pretty good idea of what happened that fateful winter in 1847
when they became stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. While cannibalism is what they became known for, there is a lot more to their story. Who were the people in the Donner Party? Where were they headed? How did they lose their way and become perilously trapped in the snow? Why did they resort to eating the flesh of their family members and friends? If you can stomach the more macabre details, theirs is a truly fascinating story. Daniel James Brown tells it well in his engrossing account, The Indifferent Stars Above.
Brown became interested in researching the Donner Party when he discovered he was distantly related to one of its members, a young woman named Sarah Graves Fosdick. She accompanied her parents, her eight younger siblings, and her new husband on the journey from Illinois to California. Brown decided to use her viewpoint to tell the stories of a group of travelers whom he says "deserve better" than to be remembered only as clichéd pioneers who were forced to make a horrible, desperate choice in order to survive an utterly hopeless situation. Brown describes the whole tragedy from beginning to end in a manner that is sensitive, compelling, and illuminating. With all the elements that make for great fiction—an extreme setting, interesting characters, nail-biting tension, and constant conflict of multiple varieties—it's a riveting read. Narrative non-fiction at its best.
Because the story of the Donner Party is about a lot more than just cannibalism, the majority of the book has nothing to do with consuming human flesh. The sections that do address it are—not gonna lie—grisly and nauseating, even though Brown doesn't sensationalize what happened or use overly graphic descriptions. He doesn't need to. The facts are horrifying enough in and of themselves. What really comes through from Brown's account, though, is the humanity of those in the Donner Party. They were ordinary people who faced extraordinary circumstances and had to make agonizing decisions as they slowly went mad from starvation, hypothermia, hopelessness, and despair. As with all books of this kind, The Indifferent Stars Above asks two very pointed questions: What would I do in similar circumstances? How far would I go to save myself and, perhaps more importantly, the people I love?
Thought-provoking and arresting, this is an excellent read that I recommend highly to anyone who has the stomach for it. I wasn't sure I could get through it, but I'm glad I did. I love inspiring pioneer stories and absorbing survival tales—this is both.
(Readalikes: Hm, I've read plenty of pioneer survival stories, but I can't think of one that really compares. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, disturbing subject matter, and blood/gore (the chapters on cannibalism are not overly graphic, but they might actually merit an R-rating simply because of what is happening in them)
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Indifferent Stars Above with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Tuesday, August 07, 2018
Fascinating New HERstory Book Brings Women's Civil War Contributions to Light
4:44 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
If you were asked to name women who made important contributions to the Civil War—on either side of the conflict—who would you list? Clara Barton is the one who comes quickest to my mind, followed by Harriet Tubman. After that ... um ... I got nothing. Of all the thousands of women who served, sacrificed, and risked their lives to help with the war effort, it's natural that many of their names and deeds have been lost to time. It's astounding, though, that certain women—all of whom performed unique, impressive, and courageous actions—are not household names.
Perhaps that will change with the publication of Marianne Monson's newest book, Women of the Blue & Gray. A follow-up to her Frontier Grit (2016), this volume features a wide cross-section of females who aided the war effort as spies, soldiers, scouts, nurses, doctors, abolitionists, cooks, political activists, reformers, revolutionaries, and more. The women were wealthy, destitute, educated, illiterate, married, single, widows, mothers, childless, white, black, Native American, and so on. What they have in common is incredible stories, most of which I hadn't heard before. If you, like me, are not familiar with the many contributions made by women during the war, I urge you to pick up this book. It makes for fascinating reading.
Although I found all of Women of the Blue & Gray engrossing, some sections interested me more than others. I love that Monson includes "Further Reading" lists with every chapter. That way, I can delve on my own into the subjects that interested me most (women disguising themselves as men to serve beside their husbands, brothers, and fathers for instance). The book's concluding chapter, "Pathways to Peace" is an especially touching finale, discussing efforts made after the war
to promote forgiveness and looking forward instead of backward.
As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed Women of the Blue & Gray. It's interesting, engaging, touching, and inspiring. I'm passing it on to my 16-year-old feminist daughter, who I know will be just as awed as I was by the incredible stories within its pages.
(Readalikes: The chapters on women disguising themselves as men in order to fight in the Civil War remind me of I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe. I'm sure They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the Civil War by DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook is also similar, although I haven't read it yet.)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and blood/gore
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Women of the Blue & Gray from the generous folks at Shadow Mountain. Thank you!
Monday, February 29, 2016
Entertaining Travel Memoir a Delightful Journey
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
I didn't make any reading resolutions this year, but if I had, one of them probably would have been to explore more non-fiction. My fiction addiction is well documented; my (sort of) aversion to its opposite pretty obvious. I wouldn't call myself a non-fiction hater—after all, I quite enjoy biographies, memoirs, pop psychology books, and interesting historical accounts. Still, I have to push myself to read non-fiction. And yet, when I first heard about The Oregon Trail, a travel memoir by Rinker Buck, I knew I had to read it. Something about its premise just really appealed to me. Probably has something to do with growing up in the shadows of the famous trail and the fact that I'm a descendant of Mormon pioneers. Even though the book's a long, sometimes plodding, ordeal, I found myself really enjoying the ride.
Buck, a journalist with a serious case of wanderlust, has always liked being on the move. For a hypomaniac like him, it's a way to combat depression, to challenge himself, and to learn about new places. Thus, trekking 2100 miles across the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon pulled by a team of mules appealed to Buck's sense of adventure. With his foul-mouthed "Mainiac" of a brother beside him, along with Nick's smelly Jack Russell terrier, he spent several months traveling from St. Joseph's, Missouri, to Farewell Bend, Oregon, in a restored 19th Century Peter Schuller wagon. Although some 400,000 people traversed the Oregon Trail (which Buck points out was never a single trail, but a series of them) in the fifteen years before The Civil War, the last documented crossing was in 1909. In the 102 years between then and 2011, when Buck made his journey, much of the original trail had disappeared, buried beneath modern freeways, farms, etc. Retracing the pioneers' steps as closely as possible, then, was a daunting task. Especially for a starry-eyed 60-year-old writer; his grizzled, cantankerous brother; and a pungent, high-maintenance canine.
Although the Buck brothers occasionally took advantage of conveniences the pioneers never enjoyed (truck stop restrooms, icy fountain drinks, laundromats, etc.) and dealt with trials unknown to early travelers (like the "minivan morons" whose constant gawking caused all manner of problems), they encountered countless hardships early travelers knew all too well—inclement weather, broken wagon parts, bodily injury, spooked animals, boredom, exhaustion, rough trails, hunger, and more. Through it all, though, Buck glories in the pleasant surprises they experienced on their journey, from the spectacular new vistas; to the strangers who became treasured friends; to the satisfying slumber that comes after a day of hard work; to a miraculous visit from Mormon angels. Above all, Buck discovers a great truth about himself:
I had told myself that I was out on the trail seeking adventure, knowledge of an epic era of American history, proof that a modern crossing could still be done. But now, as Kansas slowly passed by, with the clopping of hooves and the ringing of harness acting as a neuroenhancer, I knew that I was also out here seeking my past. (97)Some of Buck's ruminations get a little dull (the chapter on mules felt about 100 pages long), but overall, he's a talented yarn-spinner. Despite its bulk, The Oregon Trail is a compelling book, one which is both entertaining and enlightening. Funny, thoughtful, expansive, enjoyable, this intriguing travel memoir is all those things. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to trek in the footsteps of the West's early settlers, you'll definitely want to grab yourself a copy of this funny, thoughtful, enjoyable memoir. I, for one, found it delightful.
(Readalikes: Um, I can't really think of anything that compares. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Oregon Trail from Changing Hands Bookstore, my local indie.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Margolick Tells the Story Behind the Story of a Powerful Photograph
1:00 AM
(Image from NPR Books)
On the morning of September 4, 1957, reporter Will Counts snapped a photograph that would haunt not just the nation, but also the two girls pictured most prominently in the image. Both of them were 15 years old, both were looking forward to becoming juniors at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and neither knew just how much their faces would come to symbolize the explosive issue of school integration. The two girls, who did not know each other when Counts took their picture, would become forever linked because of one powerful photograph.
Because her family did not own a telephone, Elizabeth Eckford did not receive the message to meet the rest of the Little Rock Nine before school on September 4. They planned to enter Central High School together. Elizabeth ended up walking alone. The solitary figure in white became an easy target for the crowd of protesters that gathered outside the school. In the midst of the mob stood Hazel Bryan. Like the people around her, she jeered and taunted Elizabeth, making it clear how she felt about a black girl daring to enter the hallowed halls of her high school. At that moment, Counts' camera clicked, capturing Hazel, her lips pulled back and teeth bared, looking like a lion stalking its prey. The photo seemed to say everything that needed to be said about the situation in Little Rock. Published in the Arkansas Democrat later that afternoon, the picture struck an immediate chord with all who saw it. In today's terms, it went viral. All over the country, outraged Americans demanded swift and aggressive action to be taken in Arkansas.
As far as most people know, that's it. Integration happened, end of story. Except it's not. Central High did not integrate right away and, when it finally did, its black students suffered all kinds of indignities. Elizabeth was never the same after her experience there. And even though, as an adult, Hazel sought and received forgiveness from Elizabeth, she never quite got over the shame of having her worst moment captured on film for millions to see.
The story behind the story of Counts' iconic photograph so fascinated David Margolick, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, that he wanted to write an article about it. The article turned into a book, Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock. Although it may not sound like a page turner, I found myself reading it until way past my bedtime, promising myself over and over that I'd just read one more chapter. That's the beauty of a well-told story—it draws you in, not letting you go until you've reached the end. And, often, not even then. This is how I felt about Elizabeth and Hazel. I found it totally engrossing. Also interesting, eye-opening, sad, and thought-provoking. I'm glad I read it and I know I'll never look at the Eckford/Bryan photo in the same way again.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine and the Dear America Book, With the Might of Angels by Andrea Davis Pinkney)
Grade: B
If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language (a few F-bombs, plus milder invectives, including racial epithets) and violence
To the FTC, with love: Another library
Monday, February 02, 2009
Well Done, Moses, Well Done
7:59 AM
Since February brings us Black History Month, I thought I'd kick it off with a book about one of the most well-known heroes in African American history - Harriet Tubman. Moses by Carole Boston Weatherford celebrates the brave slave woman's life and accomplishments with gentle, faith-affirming prose and bright, hopeful illustrations by Kadir Nelson (who just won the Coretta Scott King Award for We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball). Although it was published several years ago, I just discovered this gem thanks to my pal Hallie at Disney Publishing.
The story is written in the form of a conversation between God and Tubman. An Author's Note at the back of the book says, "[Harriet Tubman] talked to God as to a friend and she heeded His commands." Her close relationship with her Maker is very clearly depicted in the book. Throughout the story, as Tubman escapes bondage, hides from slave masters and courageously leads her people to safety, she seeks guidance from the Lord and follows His admonitions. Although hers is a story of bravery, love and loyalty, what most impresses me is her profound faith in God.
The text also hints that God foreordained Harriet Tubman to become a hero among her people. I could be inferring too much, but lines like "Harriet, your father/taught you to read the stars,/predict the weather,/gather wild berries,/and make cures from roots./Use his lessons to be free" seem to say she received the exact sort of schooling she would later use to save herself and so many others. I love this idea, because I, too, believe that God specially grooms the men and women He needs to lead His people.
Nelson's illustrations bring the story to life with strong colors and poignant images. His drawings of Tubman clearly reflect the fear, determination and hope she must have felt. One picture, which shows Tubman shushing her followers, bothered me because in it, she looks so unkind. Then I read this in the Author's Note, and realized how apt the depiction really is: "She used medicine to hush crying babies and threatened to shoot runaways who begged to turn back." I guess you don't make repeated successful forays into enemy territory without becoming a tough, commanding leader.
Weatherford's text combined with Nelson's illustrations make Moses a powerful, inspiring book. A Coretta Scott King Award winner (2007), it speaks of faith, bravery and Tubman's passionate fight for freedom. After following her journey, it's plain to see how she became known as "the Moses of her people" and why, at the end of the book, God says, "Well done, Moses, well done." To Weatherford and Nelson, I say the same - Well done.
Grade:
A(Book images from Barnes & Noble)
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