Book Review: "Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey"
© Katie Anne Gustafsson
The overland trails of the pioneers who moved to the West have been portrayed in many movies, and from these we gather very little information about how life actually was for the women who made the arduous journey. We see them riding the wagons, pouring coffee and scrubbing clothes on a washboard by the river or in a tub, but that was a far cry from the actual extent of their real chores.
In her book Lillian Schlissel first analyses the information she has researched from the many journals and letters of the women who made the crossing that have been preserved from this period, and then several extracts from the diaries of very different women are reproduced so that readers may read for themselves the thoughts and activities of those who committed their feelings to paper.
Other interesting aspects of this book are a number of photographs from the period; a table showing the status and trail history of the women mentioned in the book; and a large bibliography of almost 100 diaries and personal letters that can be consulted for further study should the reader wish to do so.
If the women of this time period interest you, or you are interested in the way women were in reality as opposed to how they have been portrayed on the screen and in books, then this is a book for you.
Katie-Anne 2000
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