Oh How Can I Keep On Singing?: Voices of Pioneer Women [Paperback]

Jana Harris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2003

An authentic and moving picture of pioneer women in the Okanogan Valley of northern Washington.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Harris ( The Sourlands ) has compiled the narratives of pioneer women and daughters living in the Okanogan Valley, northwest of Spokane, during the last two decades of the 19th century, who faced "killing" winters, hunger, typhoid, grueling physical work, abandonment, loss and loneliness. Many of their stories, particularly those of the children, are moving. A young girl, Mary Brisky, survived an avalanche with her arms wrapped around her baby sister though her mother and the "traveling Reverend" who were in the cabin with her perished. The reminiscence of Mary Jane Bottomley is well done: "My first memory: / Mother hauling washtub loads of white / snow down the ladder to the loft / my brothers and sister slept in." Her father abandoned the family: "I don't remember / father leaving, it must have been / the day mother sat and rocked me / even though there was wash to do." In general, however, the poetry is technically uninspiring and the voices are not adequately differentiated from one another. Also, the poems are not in chronological order, and when they are dated it is often unclear which event in the narrative sequence the date refers to. Photographs not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Based on diaries, interviews, and journals by Northwest pioneer women (and some Native Americans), these poetic accounts describe settling remote Washington State territory in the 1880s and 1990s. Authentic details of hardship--"cattle-killing" winters, rattlesnakes, typhoid, deaths of husbands and children--testify to the women's unquenchable spirit and bond with the land. They raised and educated families, performed backbreaking domestic chores, delivered mail, farmed, even mined silver, preserving humane values and a sense of humor as they established a culture under adverse conditions. The subjects' homespun eloquence and honesty make this a valuable tool for use in schools to show that history is more than just the birthdates of American presidents. It also includes 20 photographs and an afterword describing research into "lives of pioneer mothers" in the Okanogan Valley area of Washington State.
- Frank Allen, West Virginia State Coll., Institute
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Ontario Review Press (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865380791
• ISBN-13: 978-0865380790
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,437,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars from People magazine, November 1993:, June 18, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Oh How Can I Keep On Singing?: Voices of Pioneer Women (Paperback)

"Although this is a book of poems and the author is most definitely a poet, she also writes - and this is meant as a complement - like a journalist. From meticulous research, Harris has reconstructed in verse the world of women living in Washington State at the turn of the century. So vivid are the voices of the pioneer teachers, missionaries and the original Native Americans that you occasionally need to turn to the author's notes to be reminded that this collection was written by one contemporary woman. The tone of the pieces is undeniably feminist - the women are earthy and frank, honest about the drudgery of their lives and the ironies of being socially powerless members of their society. But their concerns are not entirely insular. In accessible, not overly poetic language, Harris includes accounts of Native American and white settler distrust and racism, and such real-life events as the Salmon City flood of 1894 and the cattle-killing winters not uncommon in those parts. It's too bad that poetry almost automatically gets shunted into the hardly-read category; this collection belongs in the enlightening historical fiction department. - Sara Nelson

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant, April 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Oh How Can I Keep On Singing?: Voices of Pioneer Women (Paperback)

Beautiful and haunting, this tiny book has been read and read again and now stands in a place of importance in my bookshelf. As deep as "Wounded Knee," it is very special.

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved every word, January 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Oh How Can I Keep On Singing?: Voices of Pioneer Women (Paperback)

This is a touching portrait of difficult lives. Beautiful without being "precious"; a must for every history buff.