Official Review: Days of Hope, Miles of Misery
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Official Review: Days of Hope, Miles of Misery
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Days of Hope, Miles of Misery" by Fred Dickey.]
Step by step, mile after mile, the emigrants walk through plains, deserts, rivers, and mountains to reach the promised land of California. Days of Hope, Miles of Misery: Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail by Fred Dickey takes the reader on the trail from Missouri to California. The book describes a group of people brought together by their desire to reach California. Twenty-eight wagons begin the journey. How many will make it? Will this group give up their social status and learn to work together to reach California? This book provides an interesting look at what life was like on the Oregon Trail.
The character development allowed the reader to feel like they new the characters and were present for the conversations. I could put myself on the wagon train and feel the hardship and desperation. My favorite character was Nimrod. Like most mountain men, he was a man of his word. He was not very book educated, and he was often embarrassed by his educational ignorance. However, he was educated in the ways of the land and the Indian tribes. This allowed the pioneers to complete the trek to California. I appreciated that he was strong and honest. He often came across as uncaring. He would kill someone for survival. He was a man of few words and only spoke when necessary. However, he was not afraid to shed tears, which showed that he had deep emotions.
Hannah was also a strong character. She provided medical support and strength to the community. She was a leader in a time when women were not valued for their knowledge. I appreciated that she was willing to break the mold and provide the necessary leadership to the group.
My least favorite character was Ed Spencer. He became Hannah’s second husband. Her first husband committed suicide and left her with two children. Even though she had medical skills, her skills were not accepted in Missouri at that time. She was forced to marry Ed because she had no means to care for her family. Ed was a wealthy breeder of thoroughbred horses. He was abusive and lazy. He did not do his share of work for the wagon train. He would not listen when given directions. He seemed to think he was smarter than the other team members. He also seemed to think he was above any rules. He brought a lot of problems to the wagon train because of his arrogance and inability to listen to directions.
The book was interesting and kept my attention. I did not find many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors. It appears that it has been through several rounds of editing. I think the author did a thorough job of researching the topic. The language seemed appropriate for that period (1840’s). The book is historical fiction. It describes the 2,000+ mile trek of a group of strangers thrown together to make the trip. I was captivated by the story and did not want to put the book down. Therefore, I gladly give this book 4 out of 4 stars.
This book is recommended for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. The language of the period dominates the pages. Some parents may deem the language inappropriate for young children. There are some nondescriptive sexual scenes. This book is appropriate for all religions.
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Days of Hope, Miles of Misery
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Step by step, mile after mile, the emigrants walk through plains, deserts, rivers, and mountains to reach the promised land of California. Days of Hope, Miles of Misery: Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail by Fred Dickey takes the reader on the trail from Missouri to California. The book describes a group of people brought together by their desire to reach California. Twenty-eight wagons begin the journey. How many will make it? Will this group give up their social status and learn to work together to reach California? This book provides an interesting look at what life was like on the Oregon Trail.
The character development allowed the reader to feel like they new the characters and were present for the conversations. I could put myself on the wagon train and feel the hardship and desperation. My favorite character was Nimrod. Like most mountain men, he was a man of his word. He was not very book educated, and he was often embarrassed by his educational ignorance. However, he was educated in the ways of the land and the Indian tribes. This allowed the pioneers to complete the trek to California. I appreciated that he was strong and honest. He often came across as uncaring. He would kill someone for survival. He was a man of few words and only spoke when necessary. However, he was not afraid to shed tears, which showed that he had deep emotions.
Hannah was also a strong character. She provided medical support and strength to the community. She was a leader in a time when women were not valued for their knowledge. I appreciated that she was willing to break the mold and provide the necessary leadership to the group.
My least favorite character was Ed Spencer. He became Hannah’s second husband. Her first husband committed suicide and left her with two children. Even though she had medical skills, her skills were not accepted in Missouri at that time. She was forced to marry Ed because she had no means to care for her family. Ed was a wealthy breeder of thoroughbred horses. He was abusive and lazy. He did not do his share of work for the wagon train. He would not listen when given directions. He seemed to think he was smarter than the other team members. He also seemed to think he was above any rules. He brought a lot of problems to the wagon train because of his arrogance and inability to listen to directions.
The book was interesting and kept my attention. I did not find many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors. It appears that it has been through several rounds of editing. I think the author did a thorough job of researching the topic. The language seemed appropriate for that period (1840’s). The book is historical fiction. It describes the 2,000+ mile trek of a group of strangers thrown together to make the trip. I was captivated by the story and did not want to put the book down. Therefore, I gladly give this book 4 out of 4 stars.
This book is recommended for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. The language of the period dominates the pages. Some parents may deem the language inappropriate for young children. There are some nondescriptive sexual scenes. This book is appropriate for all religions.
******
Days of Hope, Miles of Misery
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Nightlord: Sunset by Garon Whited
