Enchanting . . . Interspersed with the story of his westward journey,Rinder . Buck entertains and enlightens with discourses on American history and culture. . . . He has delivered us a book filled with so much love—for mules, for his brother, for America itself. . . . Long before Oregon, Rinker Buck has convinced us that the best way to see America is from the seat of a covered wagon.
Rinker (the author) and his brother decided on a whim to build a covered wagon, buy a set of mules to pull it, and head out on the Oregon Trail. They started In Missouri and travelled through Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon to get there - over 2000 miles. They essentially traced the route the settlers took, over 400,000 of them made the trip in the middle of the 1800's.
The book consists of several things - the story of the trip I great detail, ruminations about Rinker's father and how he made him who he was, and passages about the West. These included, among others, information about the importance of mules, how the wagon business prospered as a result of the Trail, the impact of the trail on the Native American population, and how the Mormons (LDS) affected the trail and its history.
In the beginning the sheer amount of information is a bit off-putting. After the first few chapters are complete it sort of becomes part of the scenery and blends in. Additionally he and his brother become humanized and there is often a warm feeling present.
They actually do make it after making their way through many hair-raising adventures. All of those are told with a breathless spirit that adds to the interest. If you have an interest in the West and how it came to be, you will enjoy this wonderful book.
No comments:
Post a Comment