The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party

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Synopsis

On April 15, 1846, a group of pioneers who became known as the Donner Party left Springfield, Illinois, heading for the tantalizing promise of a new life in the California Territory. The journey began well, but along the way infighting amongst the members of the party and questionable judgment led them to take an untried route that caused major delays. Unable to reach the treacherous mountain pass of the Sierra Nevada range before winter storms set in, making it impassable, they found themselves stranded in the mountains for months. As their food supplies dwindled, leaving them with few options for sustenance, and the possibility of rescue seemed remote, some members of the party crossed the line into the final taboo of cannibalism. Drawing from journals and letters written by several of the survivors, the author focuses in on the experiences of some of the party's children, who made up nearly half of the group, to paint a vivid picture of what the journey and the fight for survival was like for this ill-fated wagon train.

Review

The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party tells the story of this ill-fated group of pioneers. If you're unfamiliar with their story, on April 15, 1846, three large families, two Donner families and the Reeds, along with their hired help, set out from Springfield, Illinois, headed to California. Along the way, fifty-nine others joined them. While most pioneers of the day took a well-traveled route to reach the west coast, the Donner Brothers and James Reed had consulted a book titled The Emigrants Guide to Oregon and California written by Lansford Warren Hastings, which touted a "short-cut" that would reportedly shave 350-400 miles off their trip. Unfortunately Hastings had limited experience with traveling in the west and had never led a wagon train via that route. The Donner Party's journey from Illinois to Wyoming territory went pretty smoothly. However, before they reached the so-called Hastings cut-off in Wyoming, a vote was held with those who favored taking the lesser-traveled route winning, even though many women in the party (who weren't allowed a vote) opposed it. From there, they encountered numerous unexpected hardships and a run of very bad luck that delayed them, meaning that they reached the treacherous Sierra Nevada Mountains much later than anticipated. Still, they thought they'd have time to cross, but an early winter snowstorm blew in and never really relented, trapping them in the mountains. Though fifteen brave souls set out, searching for help, and rescue efforts were mounted by a couple of men who'd forged ahead before the storm hit, none of the Donner Party made it to safety until several months later. During that time, provisions ran out and with wild game hard to find in the high elevations, eventually many in the party resorted to cannibalism to survive. In the end, only about half the party made it out alive, but the sensational nature of their story has kept it alive in the American historical lexicon for well over a century and a half.

I first recall learning about the Donner Party while watching a movie on television when I was a kid. I'd always been interested in pioneer stories and admired the brave people who risked everything for a chance at a better life on the frontier. With this particular story, my sensitive childhood self was enthralled by the adventure of it all while simultaneously being horrified and morbidly fascinated with the dark turn it took. Not having seen that movie since childhood, I only remembered the basics of what happened to the Donner Party, and with it being a dramatization, I'm sure it was probably somewhat short on facts anyway.

The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party helped fill in a lot of information that I never really knew. I have to admit that while I always sympathized with pioneers taking risks for a place to call their own, I'm somewhat baffled by the decision of a wealthy and prosperous businessman like James Reed to uproot his family and take such a dangerous journey. I'm also not sure I understood his and the Donner men pushing so hard to take an untried route either. Sure it's great to get there sooner if everything works out, but as we see in their story, it was a serious lapse in judgment. I also found it interesting that most of the women didn't want to take that chance, but they unfortunately didn't get a say. It's interesting, though, that more of the women survived than the men, so maybe that was a bit of karma. While I don't think that I could do it, I don't necessarily fault the settlers for resorting to cannibalism in the face of starvation. I don't think that we can know what we'd do in such a stressful situation unless we actually experienced it, and who wants to do that? However, what I couldn't abide was the killing of some people by others on the train. Two Native American guides were murdered for sustenance (an extreme case of racism). A couple of other people died much earlier in the journey, either under mysterious or unsettled circumstances, and in the case of one elderly man, he was forced off the train and left to die simply because he couldn't walk. It seemed like there were some cold-hearted people on that wagon train, and unfortunately none of them were ever held accountable for their actions. I do commend the women, though, for working hard to keep their families alive in the face of impossible odds, as well as the men who didn't do highly questionable things.

The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party is aimed primarily at middle-schoolers, but I think it could definitely be of interest to older teens as well. I think older teens should be able to handle the material, but the appropriateness of the book for middle-schoolers could vary from one child to the next, depending on their sensitivity level. I was around middle-school age when I first encountered the Donner Party story, and it didn't scar me for life. If anything it created an interest in learning more about it, which is why I chose to read this book. I didn't find anything overtly graphic within its pages, but the overall gruesomeness of people resorting to cannibalism and the relating of certain acts of violence might be troubling to some kids. However, others might be morbidly fascinated by it in the way that I was to some extent. I'd simply say know your child and choose for yourself based on what you think they can handle, and be there to discuss any questions they might have. I think this story could lend itself well to deep conversations about critical thinking and judgment, as well as "what if" scenarios. The book itself is very well-researched and written in an engaging way that draws readers into the story of these pioneers who were placed in an untenable situation. I like that the author showed sensitivities toward women and minorities within the text. I also like that she was clear about who the survivors were and talked about what happened to them after they were rescued, even years later. I appreciated that she drew material directly from the journals and letters of actual members of the party, particularly those of Virginia Reed who was only twelve when they first set out on their journey (she turned thirteen along the way). I think having the first-person perspective of a child the age of those at which the book is aimed could make it even more interesting to young readers. Overall, The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party was a very well put together book that I learned a number of things from about this sordid little piece of American history and I think that kids definitely will as well.

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Marian Calabro