Rating: 5 stars ~ Genre: Historical fiction ~ Pages: 396 ~ Publish Date: 1 Oct 2024
Far from another Oregon Trail book, this poignant story was inspired by a true one. And it pulled at my heartstrings. I suspect it will do the same for you. I wonder how many husbands announced to their wives they were going west. And the wife had the same reaction Matilda Koontz had — “What!” followed by “No.” I was drawn to this book by the description. Plus I’m the family genealogist with ancestors who were the first settlers in what became Sullivan County, Missouri. As well as a yet-to-be-proved, great or great-great-grandmother “born in a covered wagon”. I have none who took the Oregon Trail. I am always pulled to a story about pioneers—the courage they had to travel into the unknown.
“All her direct blood descendants had died out, so there was no one left to tell her story,” Zander said. “I thought someone should.”[1] And I for one am so glad she did.
I highly recommend “The Reluctant Pioneer”. It is gripping. It’s filled with facts. It’s based on the journey Matilda (Glover) Koontz Jackson and family took in 1847. Matilda was later known as “Washington Territory’s Grand Lady”. The book did not feel like a 396-page tome — I read it in four days. Never forget the book is what I would call “semi-fiction” and is based on a true story.
I can’t imagine embarking on such a journey with four young children. Henry, age 8. Barton (Bart), age 6. Grundy, age 5. And Johnny, age 3. And she was pregnant with child number five. Keep in mind the first wagon train to Oregon was in 1836. The major migration via the Oregon Trail began in 1843. Nicholas Koontz had Lansford W. Hastings’ book, “The Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon and California” (published in 1845).[2]
Be sure to read the “Author’s Note” at the end of the book.
I received a complimentary DRC (digital review copy) of “The Reluctant Pioneer” via NetGalley from the publisher, BooksGoSocial. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Rating: 5 stars
Cover: Perfect
Pages: 396
Publish Date: 1 October 2024
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[1] Source: Sharing the Untold Story of ‘Washington Territory’s Grand Lady’.
[2] Note: The Donner Party used this same guide.