About book The Indifferent Stars Above LP: The Harrowing Saga Of A Donner Party Bride (2009)
I recommend this book for anyone interested in history and human nature. The author follows the trials and struggles, the hopes and hopelessness in the trip across America that has become famous for the group known as "the Donner Party." Not only is the story told, but facts about conditions which the travelers encountered such as starvation, hypothermia, snow blindness help the reader understand more of what the group actually encountered and their bodies' reactions to the elements.This story is about dreams, struggles, survival and doing what would normally be unthinkable. It's also a tribute to the brave pioneers of our own country who gave up all they knew to follow the American dream.Bravo, Mr. Brown, for a very well-written story. This book is hard to categorize. Is most certainly is fiction, historical fiction and an amazing blend of other disciplines to tell a story of survival that most people already they know about. Daniel Brown is certainly an urbane, almost academic writer who obviously is well read and very precise with facts.The story begins in Illinois, where in the 1830's there were catastrophic reasons why someone might leave the security of a know livelihood for a chance for a new beginning. The near collapse of the economy due to a banking crisis (!) and an health epidemic without known cause or cure provided the stage.The story is told through the eyes of a young bride, Sarah. The series of tragic mistakes while trying an untried way across the Sierra Nevada led to a grim survival tale. Each chapter finds the reader more knowledgeable about how such a thing could come to pass. The 1800's had a far more resourceful person than you could find in our modern context. Brown has 15 or 20 footnotes in most chapters, so it is a well researched story. Still, my interest was high due to the way he personalized the fiction component.Well worth your time.
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Great history lesson....got a bit slow in the end of the story.
—deb
