This past winter I read two books about a topic in American
history that still has the power to elicit a strong emotional response. The Hunger by Alma Katsu and The Best Land Under Heaven by Michael Wallis both describe the ill-fated Donner Party. The story lingers in our
imagination and can instantly set an eerie mood as represented in our popular culture at
the beginning of The Shining when Jack Nicholson’s character explains the story
to his wife and little boy as they’re driving through the mountains. The short
version is that a party of covered wagons gets stuck in snow in the Sierra
Mountains and resort to cannibalism to survive.
The taboo and grisly nature of the story make these events ripe for horror stories. The Hunger by Katsu is one of these horror-interpretations, but a mighty good one! The Best Land Under Heaven is a narrative nonfiction. It was interesting to read the nonfiction before the fictionalized account because it gave me some sort of historical basis and litmus test to weigh the Katsu book against. Both of the stories were excellent reads as I really felt like I was in the head of these early pioneers.
The taboo and grisly nature of the story make these events ripe for horror stories. The Hunger by Katsu is one of these horror-interpretations, but a mighty good one! The Best Land Under Heaven is a narrative nonfiction. It was interesting to read the nonfiction before the fictionalized account because it gave me some sort of historical basis and litmus test to weigh the Katsu book against. Both of the stories were excellent reads as I really felt like I was in the head of these early pioneers.
Katsu’s tale jumps right into the trip, later revealing
backstory (or inventing it) only to develop characters. She chose to
focus on only a handful to keep the storyline tight. We
get romantic tensions, jealousy, machismo, and back-stabbing among the party.
As I felt she took liberties with a lot of the characters, it was also clear
that she did her homework, as many of the journals from the party have
survived. As the party moves west and they encounter natural disasters, they
begin to feel like some other kind of force is following them. As party members
are attacked, and these attacks can be quite gruesome, we learn of some
possession taking over these individuals. Fans of horror who like atmosphere
will really enjoy the eerie setting and the suspense of the party being plucked
one by one. Knowing even a little bit of details from the real story adds to
the suspense as you wait to see how Katsu will arrive and resolve the final
harrowing chapters. Although this tale is horrific, and she does take liberties
with the characters—possibly making some nastier then they actually were—her
attention to historical detail gives her story credence. The romantic tension between characters also adds another element of emotional depth.
As much as I enjoyed The
Hunger, I feel the Wallis book was exceptional and one of the best books I read in 2017. This factual account of the
disaster is far more terrifying than having a supernatural explanation. He ties the story with the theme of
Manifest Destiny, the reason why even people of means left everything behind to
seek more. We meet many historical figures along the way—including a young Abe
Lincoln when he was a lawyer in Illinois. This book definitely moves at a
slower pace— I mean they only averaged about 10 to 20 miles a day in covered wagons—
but you get to follow the Oregon Trail and experience the awe and difficulties
of traversing this country in the mid-19th century. The historical
detail and the story of each character humanizes the tale and, in my
opinion, makes it more satisfying than any of the sensationalism often reported
around the event.
Neither of these books are comforting reads. Obviously one isn’t after that when they pick up a book on the Donner Party. They do have the power to transport one to another time in our recent history and put in perspective some of the motivations of settlers seeking better lives, for better or worse, and what they risked to pursue their dreams. These books, especially the Wallis text, paint a picture of the hardships they faced on a daily basis before even reaching the Sierras. While I’ll take the nonfiction over the zombie story, I can recommend reading either book. Though the setting can arouse a bit of romanticism in many, including myself, it’s difficult to take our modern comforts for granted when reading these books.
Neither of these books are comforting reads. Obviously one isn’t after that when they pick up a book on the Donner Party. They do have the power to transport one to another time in our recent history and put in perspective some of the motivations of settlers seeking better lives, for better or worse, and what they risked to pursue their dreams. These books, especially the Wallis text, paint a picture of the hardships they faced on a daily basis before even reaching the Sierras. While I’ll take the nonfiction over the zombie story, I can recommend reading either book. Though the setting can arouse a bit of romanticism in many, including myself, it’s difficult to take our modern comforts for granted when reading these books.
~Ben, Adult Services
Wow, a response from the author! How cool is that?! First off, thanks for writing a terrifically unsettling read. While I can definitely see how you would get Donnered out (I know I’m set for awhile), I get what drew you to the subject. This is a good subject to read about to understand what humans are capable of – both good and bad. I admit I tend to read more nonfiction than fiction, but am reading a lot more fiction these days to have recommendations for patrons. Yours has been one of the top ones as of late for those looking for a scary story. I don’t read a ton of horror fiction, but I liked your story a lot because of the atmosphere/historical detail and that the characters have emotional depth. I feel that you captured that spirit of “hunger” for more opportunities or different lives that Wallis captured as well.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense that you would take liberties with the characters. I just envisioned them a particular way after reading Wallis’ book, so had to get used to your characters. I would be curious to read another book on the Donner Party (sometime in the future) to see how they interpret these lives.
Best,
Ben
Very cool to get a response from the author!! Now I must go read these books....
ReplyDelete