Title: A Journey Along the Oregon Trail
Author: Raymond Cook
Publisher: Raymond Cook (March 18, 2015)
ASIN: B00UW7I8U0
Pages: 304
Genre: Western Fiction
Reviewed by: Suzanne Gattis, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
“A Journey Along the Oregon Trail” is a historically accurate western fiction about the toils and turmoil, wishes and dreams, love and lives of those who took the often dangerous but worthwhile trip along the Oregon Trail. It chronicles the journey of the young couple Frank and Lisa Mead, who are both nervous and excited about what the future might hold. This couple, dedicated to each other and the adventure, takes this extreme journey with a group of people that become friends and even family as life changing bonds are formed. This book is filled with dangers around every corner, the book journals the reality that early pioneers had to deal with.
What struck me most about this book was that it was obviously very well researched. This made the storyline more impactful because you felt like you yourself were experiencing the journey. I could feel their fears and desires as I read what traveling the Oregon Trail was composed of. It gave me immense admiration for the people that struck out on this journey. From rattlesnakes to wolves, floods to impassable mountain passes, this was a true struggle that took character and inner and out strength to accomplish. Even the seemingly simple fact of not being able to take a regular bath or have an outhouse is admirable to readers in today’s world and something that I never actually stopped to consider.
While reading the book, you really feel like you begin to know the characters and understand that this just wasn’t just a journey across the United State but a journey in life. Leaving your home and all that you know definitely takes a leap of faith and courage. You see their joy and trials and want to see them succeed. I would have liked to have seen more about Frank and Lisa toward the later part of the book; I felt in some ways that they became less central figures as the story line went on.
Cook took some interesting literary choices throughout the book. I enjoyed the inclusion of the recipes; the fact that they were cooking by campfire drives in again for the reader the difference between what they experiences and the convenience that we have today. The author uses the tactic of repeating information consistently to stress the dangers and feelings invoked on the trail. At times, however, I think different word choices and statements would have been helpful so that the information was stressed but did not feel like it was just being restated again. All in all, I would recommend this book not only to historical fiction readers or to anyone who wants to learn more about our country’s past, but also to those who love stories of courage, adventure, and enduring love.
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