Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey Book

Ever wonder why 19th-century American women who were reasonably comfortable in their lives would want to leave loved ones behind, perhaps forever, and endure the considerable dangers and hardships of the westward migration to Oregon or California? Well, they didn't want to--the author quotes their actual words to make the case that most went only because fathers or husbands insisted. Girls, most of whom married in their mid-teens, and their mothers really didn't have a choice. They also didn't get any postponement if they were pregnant or had young children; women were just expected to make do, even when it meant giving birth in open country with no support and traveling on the next day. And it often meant losing a loved one, child or adult, through accident or disease, who would probably have lived had they never set out on the trail. Particularly dangerous were the numerous river crossings and periodic outbreaks of cholera.
The author has woven together the accounts of many women so that, unlike reading a lengthy diary containing much tedium, we get just the highlights and can easily compare one woman's experience with another's. This very readable approach is heightened by the accompanying photographs of most of the women, so we can look into their eyes. These are amazing and unforgettable accounts.