The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party [Hardcover]

Marian Calabro (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

On April 14, 1846, the Donner Party set out from Springfield, Illinois, in search of a better life in the largely unsettled California territory. The trip started well but eventually questionable choices and infighting delayed pioneers' attempt to cross the Sierra Nevada until winter. As the impassable snows closed in and their supplies dwindled to nothing, the group faced an almost hopeless struggle for survival that would push some toward the final taboo of cannibalism. Nearly half the members of the Donner Party were children. This account, filled with selections from the survivors' letters and diaries, focuses on the children's experiences, making it uniquely compelling and accessible to young readers. Index, bibliography, chronology, group rosters, suggestions for further research.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Calabro's (Operation Grizzly Bear) gripping account of the Donner party's infamous 1846 trek from Illinois to the largely unsettled territory of California chronicles the unfortunate choices, travel conditions and personality conflicts that conspired against the pioneers to leave them stranded in the mountains for the winter. Of the 90 emigrants, teenagers and children comprised almost half of the party and proved the majority of survivors. Calabro incorporates memoirs, diaries and letters to capture the sense of adventure and joy at the start of their journey and to provide insight into the acts of rancor, heroism, cruelty and kindness that surfaced throughout the expedition, mountain imprisonment and rescue. The author conveys much of the experience through the eyes of survivor Virginia Reed, who was 13 when the party headed west; young readers will be particularly moved by her powerful letter at the end of the ordeal, printed here in its entirety. Calabro responsibly tackles the cannibalism that made these settlers an object of horror in their own time and the subject of grisly jokes in our own. By placing the desperate act in context, the author shows the dire circumstances that forced survivors to resort to, in her words, "the last taboo." She includes an insightful epilogue on the survivors, and devotes a chapter to the party's enduring legacy and the ancestors, landmarks and monuments that stand as testimony to both their sacrifice and survival. Maps, pictures, drawings and etchings from museums as well as the author's own collection support the skillful exposition of this horrifying and tragic episode in the history of the West. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. The story of the Donner Party, the ill-fated wagon train that faced horrific circumstances on its way to California, is the subject of books, videos, and, now, Web sites. Calabro's offering is a fine addition to the Donner Party canon and particularly well suited to its young audience, for whom the story of hardship and survival will be nothing short of riveting. Calabro wisely chooses to tell her story primarily through the eyes of one of the young emigrants, 12-year-old Virginia Reed. Using a letter Reed wrote to her cousin (reprinted in its entirety at the book's conclusion) as well as other original documentation, Calabro painstakingly traces the Donner Party's journey, from its optimistic beginning in Springfield, Illinois, to its destination in California--after the group had endured death, starvation, and even cannabilism of the fallen. Though never resorting to sensationalism, the book does not skimp on any of the details as the Donner Party finds itself trapped in the Sierra Nevada, with both supplies and hope in short supply. Calabro's research is meticulous. The book comes alive with details about clothing, household items, and, always, the food, even the tiniest morsels. She moves the story into the present with her interviews of survivors' descendants. There is an extensive bibliography as well as a list for further reading, a chronology, and a roster of the dead. Numerous photographs and reproductions of art and artifacts are included. Sometimes a heavily researched book can be dry, but not this one. From the haunting cover with its lonely campfire to the recounting of a survivors' reunion, this is a page-turner. Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; First edition. edition (March 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395866103
• ISBN-13: 978-0395866108
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #205,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > Children's Books > History > United States > State & Local

More About the Author

From the Donner Party to The Pep Boys, I love to write narrative nonfiction about colorful characters. I've written 12+ history books for teenagers and adults. By day I write, edit, and produce story-rich anniversary books and DVDs for businesses. I also lead workshops in writing and publishing; occasionally help individual authors with their "always wanted to write it" projects; and couldn't live without theater, club Scrabble®, and jazz piano. I'm a lifelong New Jerseyan and a graduate of Rutgers College. Visit me on Wikipedia and at www.mariancalabro.com and www.corporatehistory.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reading!!, November 25, 2002

By 

Michelle Mathiot (Folsom, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party (Hardcover)

I'm not much of a history buff, but I have to teach my kids CA history this year. Once I started reading this book it was hard to put down. The thing that surprised me the most was how thoroughly readable it is. I didn't feel like I was reading a history textbook. The prose is well done, there are ample photos of the people involved and artifacts etc.,.. The only thing I would improve would be to include maybe one more map. But that isn't even worth complaining about. This book covers a gruesome and sad event in American history without being overly maudlin, grotesque or judgemental. Despite the elementary looking artwork on the front, it's not a book for children.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party, March 5, 2000

By 

Sherri (Richmond, Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party (Hardcover)

You think you've had "trubels"? Wait until you read this book. This story details the journey of several families, known as the Donner Party, as they travel from Springfield, Illinois to Sutter's Fort, California in the Spring of 1846. The author tells the story through the eyes of the children, detailing Virginia Reed's recording of the journey. This is a gripping story of the unbelievable determination of survival. The book is loaded with authentic pictures and diary entries. You won't believe the sacrifices these people made to settle unknown land in America. A great piece of historical work!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Matt:Hungry for Adventure?, December 4, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party (Hardcover)

The Donner Party is a story about a group heading to California in April, 1846. However, bad decisions and trickery lead them to the point of starvation. To survive, they must eat those that have died along the way.

The Donner Party is the most exciting nonfiction book I've rea, written not as a documentary or research thing, but as an adventure story. It is, however, hard to imagine this actually happening because it seams so much like fiction. It is also written in a way that all the families, excluding the main family, the Reeds, are shoved way into the backround and seem to barely exist.

I recommend this book to those that don't mind lengthy stories and the overall concept of the book. It may also work well as something to help a report or something, having all the information right there in an easier-to-read way than most forms of research. I'd recommend this book for ages 12 and higher, because of the way it is written and it's length.