Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier [B2045]

1982 PB with just minor wear. From a rediscovered collection of autobiographical accounts written by hundreds of Kansas pioneer women in the early twentieth century, Joanna Stratton has created a collection hailed by Newsweek as "uncommonly interesting" and "a remarkable distillation of primary sources." Never before has there been such a detailed record of women's courage, such a living portrait of the women who civilized the American frontier. Here are their stories: wilderness mothers, schoolmarms, Indian squaws, immigrants, homesteaders, and circuit riders. Their personal recollections of prairie fires, locust plagues, cowboy shootouts, Indian raids, and blizzards on the plains vividly reveal the drama, danger and excitement of the pioneer experience.

These were women of relentless determination, whose tenacity helped them to conquer loneliness and privation. Their work was the work of survival, it demanded as much from them as from their men-and at last that partnership has been recognized. "These voices are haunting" (The New York Times Book Review), and they reveal the special heroism and industriousness of pioneer women as never before.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "History books should be written the way this book was put together--personal recollections from people who lived through it...detailed descriptions and explanations of events--I really enjoyed it and feel I learned a few things I didn't know before."; "This bittersweet, nostalgic collection of the memories of Kansas pioneer women is a wonderful read. The hardships and tragedies are tempered with tales of heroism and humor and triumphs. Very highly recommended!"; "I really enjoyed this one. The first-hand accounts of the pioneer women during the mid-19th century are captivating. It was something totally different than the other books I have read and I'm glad I got to learn something new :)"