The snow fell three graves deep : voices from the Donner party /
This book recounts one of history's most harrowing and chilling tales of survival. In 1846, a group of emigrants bound for California face a choice, continue on their planned route or take a shortcut into the wilderness. Eighty-nine of them opt for the untested trail, a decision that plunges th...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Somerville, Massachusetts :
Candlewick Press,
[2020]
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| Edition: | First edition. |
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| Summary: | This book recounts one of history's most harrowing and chilling tales of survival. In 1846, a group of emigrants bound for California face a choice, continue on their planned route or take a shortcut into the wilderness. Eighty-nine of them opt for the untested trail, a decision that plunges them into danger and desperation and, finally, the unthinkable. This is a retelling of the ill-fated journey of the Donner party across the Sierra Nevadas during the winter of 1846-1847. Narrated by multiple voices, including world-weary, taunting and all-knowing hunger itself, this novel-in-verse examines a notorious chapter in history from various perspectives, among them caravan leaders George Donner and James Reed, Donner's scholarly wife, two Miwok Indian guides, the Reed children, a sixteen-year-old orphan and even a pair of oxen. Comprehensive back matter includes an author's note, select character biographies, statistics, a time line of events and more. This haunting tale raises questions about moral ambiguity, hope and resilience and hunger of all kinds. |
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| Physical Description: | 399 pages : map ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |
| ISBN: | 9780763663247 0763663247 |