Not every reader will enjoy, as I did, the details and timeline of traveling The Oregon Trail. For example, a wagon train would follow the Big Sandy River to its confluence with the Green River, circa 70 miles which would take five to five-and-a-half days. There were many rivers to be crossed; some easy, some difficult, and quite dangerous. The Snake River had to be crossed multiple times.
While the book doesn’t specify the year this trip was made — and the last one for the wagon master, it was after 1864. A reference is made to Fort Hall which was washed away and rebuilt after a flash flood that year.
Did you know that several of the rivers that were crossed had ferries that could be used for a fee? Remember that $5 or $10 in those days was much more. In 1865, $5 is equivalent to $94.61 today (thanks Google). And there was a Barlow Road toll gate that cost $5 for each wagon and 10 cents a head for livestock. The road was much better than using boats to travel to the next stop. The wagon master made sure everyone was aware of these tolls and that people verified they had the money to pay them.
Or that there was more than one place where people left their names and the date they were there? Or the travelers tied their wheels so they would slide down those tall mountain passes?
I found this fascinating highlighting in my Kindle each one. No, my ancestors never traveled to Oregon. But I always value when authors make these kinds of effort in a novel.
The personnel on the train are introduced nicely, with no dumping of characters. As the weeks go by, some become more interesting than others. Everyone eventually notices that Thorton’s wagon is much heavier than everyone else’s. What *does* he have in there? And Leach. Leach travels with the Thortons and is a huge, brutish man. Quiet, rarely attends socials. And some unkindly call him the “ape”. That character started intriguing me and it turned out I was right to be so interested.
I became partial to Clint Buchanan, wagon train scout, and nephew to Clayton Scofield, wagon master. But not appointed because of the family association — Clint was very good at his job. This was not his first trip with his uncle but it would be the last since his uncle had made it clear he wouldn’t be traveling the Oregon trail again.
Of course, there is a bad apple amongst the people on the train. And that one woman who has an opinion on everyone and everything. Wagon masters could legally perform a marriage. And also handled funerals.
On the whole, I enjoyed this book but as I stated earlier, I was intrigued by the timeline & details of each stopping place. Not all readers would be. So I do recommend it and if you are researching ancestors who traveled to Oregon by wagon train, the descriptions of the distances, stops, rivers crossed, and forts would be helpful. Just remember, this *is* a novel. Whether readers will find the sub-plots havei enough substance to keep them entertained throughout … Thus, the rating is 3.5 stars but rounded to 3 stars for websites showing only whole numbers.
It should be noted that William W. Johnstone has passed away and his family is working with a writer to take the many notes and partially finished manuscripts and create completed works. This book, The Oregon Trail, “was inspired by Mr. William W. Johnstone’s storytelling.”
I received a complimentary DRC (digital review copy) of The Oregon Trail via NetGalley from the publisher, Kensington Books. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Rating: 3.5 stars but 3 stars on sites that can only display round numbers.
Series: Go West, Young Man #2
Cover: Total miss. Does not fit the book at all. Instead, the cover would better fit a book about a gunslinger.
Pages: Unknown at the time of this review but will be over 200 pages.
Publish Date: 23 Apr 2024
#TheOregonTrail #NetGalley #WilliamWJohnstone
