The Letters of Narcissa Whitman .

Fairfield, WA Ye Galleon Press, 1986. Hardcover Very Good+: shows just a touch of wear to the corner tips; a bit of superficial scuffing along the front hinge. The binding shows the slightest lean, while remaining perfectly secure; text clean. Remains clean, sturdy, and quite presentable: a handsome copy. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 266pp. Blue laminate paper over boards with gilt titles and designs at the front panel and backstrip. Decorated with Endpaper Maps. Hardback: Laminate Boards. This book gives the first-person account of Narcissa Whitman's journey from Massachusettes to the Oregon territory to help settle it for the U.S. Narcissa is a talented and colorful writer and her story is full of adventure, courage and heartbreak. Her husband, Marcus, often gets credit for blazing the Oregon Trail, but Narcissa was a critical part of the ideological project of persuading Americans to move West. The Whitman's ambivalent relationship to the Indians in the region (whom they supposedly went to serve as Presbyterian missionaries) is one of the most rivetting and tragic aspects of the story. A great read for anyone interseted in adventure, history, women's studies, American Indian history, memoir, or just an all-around, well-written story.I was inspired and refreshed to read her own words. Her faith and steadfastness was amazing.