The illustrations are wonderful! ( )

nonfiction (more journal than history). I got this because it was narrated by Frank Muller (puts me to sleep, in a good way!) and because it was available on playaway from my library. ( )

It's a journal, don't expect this to be of incredible writing - but ignore the lack of writing style and just enjoy reading first hand history! . Highly recommended for anyone who, like me, is in awe of how people survived and even thrived on the frontier. Yeah, Parker was not ahead of his time and the racism of that period is cringe worthy, but the book will add to your understanding of how people coped on the frontier.

Audiobook note - very good, engaging narrator. ( )

I was really looking forward to reading a book about the trip on the Oregon Trail (my kids used to love that computer game very much!), but this was not what this book was about. The author (obviously very well-to-do and East Coast) thought it would be a great adventure to see how the savages live out West. He thought they all were sub-standard and ugly and dirty. He never even made it into the Rocky Mountains and just circled around like a lost sheep before making it back home. He is one of the reasons that the buffaloes almost were extinct.... because there obviously is no greater fun than shooting them, just so you can say that you shot lots of them. ( )

A very interesting and illuminating journal of sorts, written by a 23 year old man looking for adventure in the American West of the 1840s. While one might not agree with his analysis about the native societies, his observations appear valid, and his prose paints a clear picture of his time. Occasionally his narrative timeline was muddled, and I had to turn back a page or two to get my bearings, but the chapters flow well for the most part. The attitude of the author and his companions are sometimes upsetting, but should be viewed in the context of the time and the age of the people involved. Definitely recommended. ( )