This small book's size belies the wealth of information it contains. The book gives brief (2-5 page) summaries of the lives of a wide variety of women that participated in the Klondike Gold Rush. The authors write as if they personally knew these women and were telling their friends about them. Their writing style is easy to read, brief and very descriptive.The women include a native woman whose husband made an early stike; a woman whose son didn't return from the Klondike so she followed to search for him; several women who started/worked in businesses in the Klondike and women and families that entertained the prospectors. Photos accompany each biographical sketch.These are poignant stories that made me marvel at the strength of character of these women. Many made fortunes and found husbands in the Klondike but most suffered emotional or financial loss later.This book can be savored as either a very enjoyable read or for the historical bibliography it provides. I've referred to it several times and will continue to re-read it.

What an awesome book! Couldn't put it down. The odds these women fought against to chase their dreams during such a dangerous journey, not to mention the hardship of simply being a woman during this time in history is astounding! A must read for any woman looking for inspiration and motivation to follow her dreams!

I loved this book it was a great resource to me in building my Women in Alaska's History page. It was both well written and visually appealing, it flowed nicely and had excellent graphics!

At last! An historical novel that's interesting, amusing, and *entertaining* and so *real* you feel you need to clean your boots every time you read a piece of it. Yeah, the pictures are faded. They're *old*, dammit, *real*. These are *everybody's* folks, the way they grew up and loved and lost their limbs just so we could be here. John Sayles, *do* read these books. You'll have another "Matewan" in your hands.

'Labor of love' seems inadequate in describing BEHIND THESE MOUNTAINS, authored by resident-historian, Mona Leeson Vanek. This engaging book narrates virtually every known event of significance in the region, through the use of oral tape recordings, letters, and written documentation. Beginning before the arrival of David Thompson, it contains determined homesteaders, exciting log drives down river, pioneering merchants, establishment of schools and churches, and the horrors of the 1910 forest fire. Countless stories of individuals, ranging from mildly amusing to hilarious enliven this history. Where else in a book of this sort can one find characters who vow to escape from a local jail "disguised as a bunch of radishes?" or a shingle-mill owner who closed down his mill after having to ante up compensation for too many workers' sawed-off fingers - at $1,000 per finger. BEHIND THESE MOUNTAINS stands as the definitive history of its region, the lower Clark's Fork of the Columbia River and the Bull River valley in Sanders County, Montana. The chapter on the Forest Service's arrival in the valley clearly describes the bitter struggles between pioneer ranger Augustus Ferdinand Silcox and local businessmen, led by Clifford R. Weare, who wanted to continue their unfettered exploitation of the public domain. The more than 200 photographs are positioned in the book to match and enhance the text, but reporoduction of many of them obviously is more faded and washed out than the author would have liked. The thorough index is a boon for genealogists. A complete set of end notes contain material that enhance the stories, and if readers ignore the footnotes, they'll miss some stirring accounts of vigilante activity during the 1880s. Excellent accounts of the building of the Northern Pacific Railroad, which opened the northwest area of Montana to settlement, provide vivid accounts of problems along this 'most difficult and expensive division' of the entire NPRR line. Vanek has done her community and Montana a great service

Can we make it beyond the valley to the next mountaintop? Al and Joanna Lacy answer that question in another moving book in the fiction series "Hannah of Fort Bridger." This book, along with others in this series, are not only entertaining fiction, but helpful guides for our Christian walk. Carrie's struggles with trusting God to bring her beyond the valley are like the struggles many of us face today. I, for one, hope that the series continues beyond book 8. I have read the 8 books in the series and find myself wanting to know more about Hannah.

This is the last in the series of the Hannah of Fort Bridger books. You must read the other books in the series to really appreciate this story. Moving West was a thrilling and tragic time for families, esp. the women. This book tells of two families who's Valley of Baca turns into a mountain of praise and happiness. These books are wonderful. They are full of people living as God wants us to live. They have romance, adventure, mystery and life lessons. Start with #1 - you won't be sorry.

I think just about anyone who has taken a literature class has been ENCOURAGED...[required] to memorize this poem.

And it's a darn good poem; tells a story that sounds, [especially to a younger person, very real].

Robert Service has always been like...the 'other' Jack London. These two authors should be, [if not already], required reading in any English/Literature class taught.

This particular poem was always a good one to have memorized--- in order to recite it around the campfire at a Boy Scout camping trip. Just seeing the title in print brings back fond memories.

The Cremation of Sam Magee is definatley Robert Services funniest poems ever, it shows a master genius at work and I shall always remember the words "Strange things are done in the midnight sun by the men who mole for gold" This book is a definate buy!!! I shall keep this book till the day I die

When I studied poetry in school I didn't particularly like most of what we were assigned to read. And then I read Robert Service's poem The Shooting of Dan McGrew and discovered that I liked it. Next I read The Cremation of Sam McGee and decided that poetry could actually be fun. Eventually I read other poems by Robert Service and discovered that, although most were more serious than Dan McGrew and Sam McGee, they still appealed to me. In fact, thanks in large part to Service, I have now developed a taste for other poetry as well. Robert Service was an adventurer as well as a poet and his adventurer's perspective makes his poems particular appealing. If you're a fan of Robert Service this is a good collection of his work. If you haven't read him yet this is a good place to start. And if you think that you don't like poetry, maybe Service will help convert you as he did me.

This is an outstanding collection of great Robert Service Poetry, superbly illustrated.

Brock Thoene is the greatest writer I have ever read from! He describes so clearly you can see it!! He is an awesome writer! I love his books!! Hope Vally War is an excellent choice, a must-read!!!

John Thorton hears from his long lost love, Marie, who married his brother, Lucky, 9 years previously. Lucky has been murdered and Maria needs Johns help. John hightails it back to Hope Valley to solve the mystery with danger lurking around every corner

In the fall of 1849, 27 wagons and 100 people followed a nonexistent shortcut to the California gold fields. The unfortunate travelers trekked through Utah Territory and blundered into Death Valley, becoming the first non-Native Americans to experience its grim landscape. While 13 men died of hunger and thirst, four families and their 11 children walked through Death Valley and the Mohave Desert to Los Angeles.

Other books have been written about these "Death Valley '49ers," but this is the first that concentrates on the four families, the Briers, Arcans, Bennetts, and Wades. It's also the first book written for children about this exciting and little-known historical event. Suitable for ages ten and up, adults enjoy the story of these four brave families as much as children do. The book is rich in archival photographs and quotes from source documents. This thrilling adventure will appeal to nonfiction and fiction readers alike.

This nonfiction book tells the story of a group of '49ers who looked for a nonexistent shortcut and got lost in Death Valley on their way to the California Gold Rush. While 13 men perished of hunger and thirst, the four families and their 11 children walked through Death Valley and the Mojave Desert to Los Angeles. Filled with archival photographs and quotes from source documents, this book is suitable for ages 10 through adult. A new story of the Old West - one that is sure to thrill history buffs.

This is the little known story of an extraordinarily brave and determined woman that influenced the lives of many people. Against all odds, Clara Brown bought her freedom out of slavery, successfully established herself in the west, and assisted other ex-slaves in the same difficult journey. The life of Clara Brown, told by Linda Lowery, proves to be an amazing story of heroism and compassion. I highly recommend sharing this story with your children, as it is beautifully written and historically important.

From Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks to George Washington Carver and Harriet Tubman, there are scores of African-Americans who were and are genuinely heroes. However, after reading this tale, I can't think of a single individual who possessed the drive, determination and sheer guts of Clara Brown. Lowery has uncovered a slice of both American and African-American history that's exciting and inspirational. My young daughter loved this book, as did I, and the author's fluid writing style really keeps the tale tantalizing and emotionally moving. Black or white, young or old, I highly recommend this book. Though largely unknown today, Clara Brown's life story is one that really should be told, and Lowery's book is an excellent introduction to this amazing woman.

I last read this book two years ago and plan to read it again soon. I honestly could not put it down! It is a true story of Simon Kenton who as a teenager became one of the bravest and most skilled frontiersmen of the late 1700s. He became a friend of Daniel Boone and in fact saved his life in a daring rescue at Boonsboro. The book includes many detailed facts gathered from diaries, memoirs, historical records and many other sources and each is carefully footnoted. Many references are made to geographical locations of events so that you can actually drive up to the place where these historical events occurred. It is history turned into a novel and is very enjoyable reading.

I love this book! Eckert's classic tale of Simon Kenton and settlement of the Ohio Valley is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the United States. This book was recommended to me after reading Eckert's "Dark and Bloody River". It is exciting, highly engaging, and historically detailed. The notes at the end of the book are a novel by themselves. The story of Kenton, Boone, and the Kentucky settlers is truly amazing. It has often been said that this should be required reading in high school and I can't help but agree. Eckert's books take place in a time and place nearly forgotten by modern Americans. Children raised on the old "Cowboys and Indians" westerns never learn that there was a whole other "West" on the Eastern frontier and the Northwest Territory. I grew up in Ohio, and I never learned about many of the events that happened in my own back yeard until I began reading Eckert! Many people are surprised to learn that there were a number of very bloody and significant battles during the Revolutionary War west of the Appalaichans, right here in Ohio in fact. A whole chapter of our history is being forgotten, but luckily, Eckert's books help to prevent that.

This is one of the best books I have ever read! I highly recommend it to everyone. This book kept me spellbound. If you had trouble getting interested in history before, you won't while you are reading this. Why can't they teach history like this in school?

Allan Eckert spent 7 years researching this book. It is a true story of history. He tells the truth about the frontier as it was for real people. I am so glad a friend recommended this book to me. I plan to re-read this book and check out some of Eckert's other books.

This was the first book of Jane's that I read. It amazed me how much she did and survived to tell about it, sometimes in a funny way. It is a great way to get to know Jane personally.

This was my favorite of Jane's many books. Jane's tale held me spellbound from beginning to end. I could hardly believe how much she and her husband lived through in order to establish a home in a very difficult environment. I felt like I lived the entire ordeal with them. Very worthwhile reading.

This is truly a "can't put it down" book. Jane's own story is deeply inspiring to anyone facing his or her own challenges. She writes with great humor and a deep faith in the power of the Almighty. Throughout the whole book the reader finds herself laughing and crying with Jane and cheering her on. Her descriptions of events are so vivid that the reader feels like it is taking place right here, right now. Jane has captured the spirit of the pioneer woman that she could have been if she had lived 100 years earlier.