Heart of the Trail: The Stories of Eight Wagon Trail Women, by Mary Barmeyer O’Brien

Using first-hand accounts, this author tells us of eight indiviual women’s private dreams plus the mundane details of covered-wagon life. The stories represent the broad cross-section of women who traveled west. Amelia Knight’s diary details the birth of her eighth child on the Oregon Trail; the letters of 66-year-old Grandma Brown describe how she abandoned her wagon and continued her journey on horseback. These exceptional women arouse admiration and respect for their sheer grit and endurance.