Women played an extraordinary role in the westward movement, but many historical accounts of the great migration overlook or inadequately detail women's tremendous contributions and sacrifices. Fortunately, many women recorded their experiences in diaries, letters, and memoirs. These writings offer priceless insights into life on the trail. Using such first-hand accounts, author Mary O'Brien tells us of eight individual 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.
