Women's Voices from the Oregon Trail: The Times that Tried Women's Souls and a Guide to Women's History Along the Oregon Trail (Women of the West) [Paperback]

Susan G. Butruille (Author), Kathleen Petersen (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0963483986 | ISBN-13: 978-0963483980 | Publication Date: June 1994 | Edition: 2

WOMEN'S VOICES FROM THE OREGON TRAIL narrates the lives and evokes the voices of the women who traveled the 2,000 mile trail to Oregon 150 years ago. The book artfully blends women's diaries, songs, history, poetry, recipes, and quilts. Susan Butruille first takes us to the Midwestern farms where most of the women came from, then on their brave and outlandish trek, and finally to the strange and bountiful land where a new home was supposed to be.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A grand book...a vivid picture of life on the trails." -- William Bullard, Former Administrator, National Frontier Trails Center, Independence, MO

"Finely crafted, clean, engaging." -- Lillian Schlissel, Professor Emerita, American Studies, Brooklyn College

"This is the way people should learn history--through the lives of real people." -- Riane Eisler, author, The Chalice and the Blade; Sacred Pleasure

About the Author

Susan G. Butruille's writing career began with a fishing column for an Alaskan newspaper. Since then, she has published widely in newspapers and magazines and edited publications for the Council of American Embroiderers, the American University, and the National Society for Training and Development. The author is a seasoned keynote speaker and workshop presenter. A native of Colorado, Butruille has lived in Wyoming, Alaska, Washington, DC, Oregon, and Washington state.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Tamarack Books; 2 edition (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963483986
• ISBN-13: 978-0963483980
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,321,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Emotionally written. Wonderful book., September 18, 2002

By 

sharon (Nova Scotia Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women's Voices from the Oregon Trail: The Times that Tried Women's Souls and a Guide to Women's History Along the Oregon Trail (Women of the West) (Paperback)

Susan Butruille has captured the feeling behind the women's hard covered exterior on the Oregon Trail. This book touched me deeplyin the way that I cried during reading of the book and thought about the book many times after reading it. I read this book in two days and since then have visioned it while living my life here in 2002. I have felt so much for the reallife women of the diaries in this book that I talked about it with my husband and simple things that used to get him or me in a tizzy before I read this book now seem so trivial and unimportant. I think that this book changed my life, the way I look at life in a way that I appreciate way more than I did before I read this book and think much about how wagon women would solve a problem that I have daily and if they would have had that problem (via computers or toasters) at all because everything was so much more primitive, necessary and simple YET hard and trying and exhausting back then.
In two words I have for anyone thinking about buying this book is PLEASE DO ..... it will enrich your life. It did Mine.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, February 15, 2001

By 

Brian B. Looney (Aiken, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women's Voices from the Oregon Trail: The Times that Tried Women's Souls and a Guide to Women's History Along the Oregon Trail (Women of the West) (Paperback)

This is a poignant and moving book. It is well constructed. It addresses the daily activities, as well as the overall significance, of women on the Oregon Trail. The book weaves together (and is centered around) excerpts from diaries and other first hand writings. Hearing the stories from those who experienced the journey was an emotional and educational treat.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting women's history, June 13, 2000

By 

Karen C. Gass (Missouri) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women's Voices from the Oregon Trail: The Times that Tried Women's Souls and a Guide to Women's History Along the Oregon Trail (Women of the West) (Paperback)

If you are interested in the day to day lives of women as they walked the Oregon Trail, you'll enjoy this book.