"Peopled with the kinds of characters most novelists only dream of"(Christian Science Monitor), this classic account of American frontier living captures the rambunctious spirit of a pioneer who set out in 1909 to prove that a woman could ranch. Stewart's captivating missives from her homestead in Wyoming bring to full life the beauty, isolation, and joys of working the prairie.
Letters of a Woman Homesteader
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
George provides biographical insight into the author of the 1914 pioneer classic Letters of a Woman Homesteader , giving a detailed presentation of Stewart's previously uncollected letters. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–After deciding that city life as a laundress wasn't for her, Elinore Pruitt, a young widowed mother, accepted an offer to assist with a ranch in Wyoming, work that she found exceedingly more rewarding. In this delightful collection of letters, she describes these experiences to her former employer, Mrs. Coney. Pruitt's charming descriptions of work, travels, neighbors, animals, land and sky have an authentic feel. The West comes alive, and everyday life becomes captivating. Her writing is clear, witty, and entertaining. The 26 letters are brief and tell about her life on the ranch in the early 1900s. The author frequently and unnecessarily apologizes for being too wordy; she begs forgiveness for many "faults," like being forgetful, ungrateful, inconsistent and indifferent, all without apparent cause. On occasion, language reflects the racial prejudice of the time. Many times, Pruitt attempts to portray the culturally diverse characters she meets by writing their various dialects as they sound. Kate Fleming's narration is as smooth as the writing, perfectly transitioning from one accent to the next. She reads with a calm, down-to-earth tone, which suits the writing well.–Kariana Cullen Gonzales, Lincoln Consolidated High School, Ypsilanti, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
567 of 569 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Since this Kindle book has no introduction or information on the book page, I copied a publishers note I found on on the Google books website which provides some background information about the author. "The writer of the following letters is a young woman who lost her husband in a railroad accident and went to Denver to seek support for herself and her two-year-old daughter, Jerrine. Turning her hand to the nearest work, she went out by the day to work as a housecleaner and laundress. Later, seeking to better herself, she accepted employment as a housekeeper for a well-to-do Scottish cattleman, Mr. Stewart, who had taken up a quarter-section in Wyoming. The letters, written through several years to a former employer in Denver, tell of her new life in the new country. They are genuine letters, and are printed as written, except for occasional omissions and alterations of names."
The letters begin in 1909, apparently right after a homestead act made it possible for the author, Elinore Pruitt Stewart, to claim a homestead of 160 acres in Wyoming. Ms. Stewart is a very resourceful woman as well as a wonderful story-teller. She explains that she never received formal education but she refers to current literature so I am guessing that she has learned to write from her interest in reading. Apparently she was a prolific author in her time and one of her descendants has published a book about her. (There are pictures of her on the web and more information if you want to know more about her.)
Elinore has a cheerful and pragmatic approach to life making her well-written letters a lot of fun to read. She mostly writes about events, usually involving meeting some of the other inhabitants of the area, ranging from mountain men to Mormons. She loves to go camping and several times recounts setting out on her horse with her baby and camping in the wilderness. She brings very little supplies, catching trout and snaring rabbits for food. She also does some description of her everyday life which apparently was very busy and full of hard work but she always describes it as fulfilling.
I enjoyed this slice of life from another time. It is a quick fun read and definitely worth the price!
The letters begin in 1909, apparently right after a homestead act made it possible for the author, Elinore Pruitt Stewart, to claim a homestead of 160 acres in Wyoming. Ms. Stewart is a very resourceful woman as well as a wonderful story-teller. She explains that she never received formal education but she refers to current literature so I am guessing that she has learned to write from her interest in reading. Apparently she was a prolific author in her time and one of her descendants has published a book about her. (There are pictures of her on the web and more information if you want to know more about her.)
Elinore has a cheerful and pragmatic approach to life making her well-written letters a lot of fun to read. She mostly writes about events, usually involving meeting some of the other inhabitants of the area, ranging from mountain men to Mormons. She loves to go camping and several times recounts setting out on her horse with her baby and camping in the wilderness. She brings very little supplies, catching trout and snaring rabbits for food. She also does some description of her everyday life which apparently was very busy and full of hard work but she always describes it as fulfilling.
I enjoyed this slice of life from another time. It is a quick fun read and definitely worth the price!
121 of 122 people found the following review helpful
By Pen&Paper
Format:Kindle Edition
This was a great peek into the life of a woman homesteader. I was delighted to see (through Ms. Pruitt's writings) how many other women homesteaders there were in that time. She has such an engaging writing style and it kept me riveted for the entire collection of letters.
By chance I noticed that one of the films on my netflix list is called Heartland. It's a movie from 1980 whose main character, Elinor, is based on these writings. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie even more after reading these letters.
If you like smart, spunky, DIY characters, you'll love Ms. Pruitt's writings.
By chance I noticed that one of the films on my netflix list is called Heartland. It's a movie from 1980 whose main character, Elinor, is based on these writings. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie even more after reading these letters.
If you like smart, spunky, DIY characters, you'll love Ms. Pruitt's writings.
83 of 84 people found the following review helpful
By D. Loren
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Letters of a Woman Homesteader
This was recommended in one of Jessamyn West's memos. It was so interesting I could not put it down. How courageous this woman was and what a great sense of humor. If you ever thought life was too hard to move forward, just read this book and become inspired!
This was recommended in one of Jessamyn West's memos. It was so interesting I could not put it down. How courageous this woman was and what a great sense of humor. If you ever thought life was too hard to move forward, just read this book and become inspired!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting history
Not a quick read but very interesting. Enjoyed a glimpse at Pioneer living. A lesson for today's feminists..
Could you have done what this woman dif?
Could you have done what this woman dif?
Published 1 day ago by llholocombq
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not too bad
It's not a too bad it was free afterall. I wish there was more write up of who this woman was and who the person was she was writing too. Read more
Published 3 days ago by sheila welhoelter
5.0 out of 5 stars
so interesting
hard to believe this is not fiction.. such an interesting glimpse into this time in our history, and what a spunky lady she was! the ultimate optimist, with an adventurous spirit.
Published 3 days ago by katied
5.0 out of 5 stars
great look at a time long past
My grandmother was born in 1892 to a couple who had been "Sooners" in Oklahoma. From Grandmother's stories I have no doubt that the letters compiled here are real. Read more
Published 9 days ago by A Texas Alexandra
3.0 out of 5 stars
Letters of a woman homesteader
Good enough historical value, but not really much of a story. Would maybe work GOOD for a book report for school.
Published 16 days ago by CHERYL BAUMGRAS
5.0 out of 5 stars
Woman of Strength
This collection of letters from a woman homesteader showed what a woman could do when needed. She had many adventures that most do not get to experience..
Published 25 days ago by Grandma Becky
5.0 out of 5 stars
FABULOUS
I was SO SAD when I finished this book! I downloaded her "Elk Hunting" book and read it, and I've even checked a book out of the library with more information about this... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Candis V. Angle
4.0 out of 5 stars
a good book but i have read others
read others i have enjoyed more but it was ok. will be looking for more good reads from you. thank you Carol McIntyre
Published 1 month ago by Carol
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Interesting view of life in the early west. The author lets you...
Very Interesting view of life in the early west. The author lets you see how it was in everyday life and the community of women.
Published 1 month ago by JeanyBeans
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun and Interesting to read
I enjoyed this real woman's letters from the past. It was interesting to get a glimpse into what life was like for a young widow who wanted to experience life out of the big city.
Published 1 month ago by C. McCloud
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