Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West by Ethan Rarick

Nov 05, 2012 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the best books I've ever read!

I couldn't put it down. It truly brought history to life. And I found a couple of wonderful heroes to look up to.

The first half of the book takes you into the lives of people on the westward trail. You learn about individuals who were drawn to take their families to a new land out west. Then you see what life was like upon the wagon trail and the decisions they had to make along the way. It's a very engaging account.

I found myself wondering how *I* wo...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first learned the history of the Donner Party when, as a little girl, my family took a summer road trip through the Sierras over Donner Pass and stopped at the Monument site. I’ve always felt a sense of awe and reverence standing in a spot upon which, in an earlier era of history, a great triumph, sacrifice, or tragedy occurred. Perhaps that childhood exploration of the Donner Monument and surrounding environs served as a catalyst for planting in my consciousness an awareness of the concept of...more I first learned the history of the Donner Party when, as a little girl, my family took a summer road trip through the Sierras over Donner Pass and stopped at the Monument site. I’ve always felt a sense of awe and reverence standing in a spot upon which, in an earlier era of history, a great triumph, sacrifice, or tragedy occurred. Perhaps that childhood exploration of the Donner Monument and surrounding environs served as a catalyst for planting in my consciousness an awareness of the concept of hallowed ground. Soon thereafter, I discovered George Stewart’s landmark study from 1936, “Ordeal by Hunger.” I defy anyone to read his detailed and devastating account and remain unmoved. Since then, whenever I am reminded of the story in some way, my longstanding interest in all things Donner will often resurface with fresh appreciation and intensity. It was during my latest “Donner phase” that I came across “Desperate Passage.”

As many may not know, the tragedy of the Donner Party that culminated in their horrific winter entrapment in the High Sierra had actually begun months before, when they chose to attempt an untested “shortcut” over Utah’s Wasatch Mountains and across the Great Salt Lake desert, rather than sticking to the tried and true California Trail. Stewart gives a heartbreaking account of the travails and losses they endured as a result of this decision, well before they even came close to the Sierras. To give this portion of their journey short shrift is to diminish the full understanding of the magnitude of their misfortune. In “Desperate Passage,” the author’s treatment of this leg of their trip seemed hurried in comparison to Stewart, and lacked sufficient detail to fully impress upon the reader the devastating nature of the difficulties they encountered there.

Nevertheless, whatever shortcomings may have marred the first half of the book, the second half makes up for it in the author’s balanced, sympathetic, and nightmarish description of the emigrants’ months of entrapment, the heartrending attempt of some to escape, and the resolve of others to stay alive at all costs until the winter passed, or they were rescued. The earliest rescue attempts were fraught with disaster as well, and led to survival measures as desperate as any experienced by those who had remained behind due to illness, weakness, or family responsibility.

The book is also strong in its detailing of the lives of many of the major players after the survivors had finally reached their destination. It was very interesting to me to read of the public reception of the tragedy, both immediately and over time, and how the survivors reacted to their notoriety while learning to live with the memories of what they had experienced. Overall, I found this to be a worthy and unbiased addition to the sobering record of the Donner Party.(less)

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Jun 30, 2010 Deirdre rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When we think about the Donner Party, most of us think about just one thing -- the horrible tragedy that resulted in cannibalism. In this beautifully written, and quite emotionally engaging account, so much more is revealed -- the range of personalities involved in this story, the complex motives that propelled them forward, the role of fate and the difference a single action or decision might make. The Donner Party episode is also so much more complex than I imagined -- we think today that if w...more

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May 12, 2010 Evan Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

 "Desperate Passage" by Ethan Rarick is a tragic adventure story that tells the tale of a caravan of more than 150 people moving west in search of a new life but are halted by the harsh conditions of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

 Rarick did a fantastic job on writing this novel. One reason this is said is because he incorporated the use of imagery in his book to help readers experience the horrifying story that occurred in the mid to late 1800's. He used different adjectives to help the readers'

...more

 "Desperate Passage" by Ethan Rarick is a tragic adventure story that tells the tale of a caravan of more than 150 people moving west in search of a new life but are halted by the harsh conditions of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

 Rarick did a fantastic job on writing this novel. One reason this is said is because he incorporated the use of imagery in his book to help readers experience the horrifying story that occurred in the mid to late 1800's. He used different adjectives to help the readers' five senses relate to the story. Imagery was exemplifies multiple times in this book, one example, "the U-shaped pieces of wood that fit under the neck of oxen and attached to the yoke" is perfect to show imagery. This lets us understand the many settings of the Donner Party's move west.

 In the novel, Rarick seemed to do a tremendous job on keeping the reader hooked in on the book. The reason keeping a reader hooked in on the novel is important because then the reader doesn't want to put the book down and is always kept wondering what will happen next, or what will happen to the characters. I found myself constantly thinking about what will happen in the unread pages ahead. I often caught myself reading more than I planned on, for example the end of chapter 14 read "they knew with more certainty than ever that the families they were leaving behind could not last much longer, that help must be fetched or everyone would die". This quote exemplifies a cliffhanger and keeps the reader wondering what will happen next, and pull him or her in to the next chapter.

 Even though the novel was written very well it was not perfect. There are always some flaws in every book. One example is that there was not much dialogue in the story. If there would have been more dialogue, the book would seem to be more alive, and almost as if you know the characters like they were your friends and family. Dialogue helps you learn more about the characters and understand their reactions and emotions toward others.

 All in all, "Desperate Passage" by Ethan Rarick is a fantastic non-fictional story showing how carelessness and desperation can lead to the downfall of many. This novel has many ups and downs but clearly the pros weigh out the cons. Some pros were the fact that Rarick used imagery and cliff hangers well in the story to help readers understand the book and want to read more and more. But there are also flaws, like that fact that there was very little if any dialogue in the story.

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Nov 23, 2009 Kristel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

On route to California stranded in the deep, freezing blanket of snow, following bits and pieces of a rumored short cut, with few supplies, ill-equipped, and uneducated on how to survive the rugged winter wilderness of the West; No rescue in sight while watching family members, children, and husbands die each day from fatigue and hunger. While stuck in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, this is the predicament of the Donner Party toward the later part of their crisis during the winter months of 1846....more

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Apr 21, 2010 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one book that I wouldn't hesitate to call "amazing". The subject matter was truly ghastly at times. Before reading this book, I had only a vague idea of what happened to the Donner Party - just what I got out of a cursory reading on Wikipedia.
The author did an amazing job of being balanced and informational. He didn't dwell on the horrible conditions, but he also didn't gloss over them.
My original goal in reading this book was not only to learn more about the infamous Donner Party, but...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good, quick, easy read about the tragedy of the Donner Party and I guess more accurate than previous books on the topic, though it seems less detailed (and much shorter) than other books on the topic. I still prefer Stewart's Ordeal By Hunger-- it really did a better job of giving the reader a full understanding of the severe trials the emigrants faced not only at their winter at the lake, but almost from Day 1 of the trip (the horrific crossing of the Great Salt Lake desert, for instance). Desp...more

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Mar 21, 2009 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The unimaginable retelling of the journey from Missouri to California in 1846. Mr. Rarick introduces us to the members of the Donner party, making the pilgrims as real as we are. I won't complain of being cold again.

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May 06, 2011 Krysten rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

A fairly light read for such a horrifying topic.

This may be overly picky of me, but I hate it when nonfiction books get into "reasonable speculation" (as the author of this book calls it in the Author's Note). This book has a lot of relevant but unimportant speculative "details" about, for example, how a certain person loved riding horses and feeling the wind whip through her hair. Unless there's something from a primary source to back up that sort of detail, I really don't care.

At any rate, th...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Eve rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

Fourteen years ago, a friend and I shakily crossed the Sierra Nevada in an age-battered Toyota, nervously watching the dials on the dashboard as we ascended. Around Donner Summit, we got out and took pictures. Even though it was July, there was snow at our feet.

Today, I marvel at our remarkable ease, and my mind boggles at the plight of the pioneers who attempted that crossing some century and a half before my own journey.

We all know cursory information about the Donner Party: pioneers got stuc...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Abe Something rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this well enough. I wanted to gain a better sense of the Donner Party's story, and I got it. There is some great story telling in here, and there is some very dry storytelling in here. Though I am calling this book uneven, I would still recommend it to anyone curious to know the details, as best they can be known, of the Donner Party's expedition. And to the author's credit, he acknowledges the shortcomings of recorded history (in several places), that is to say, when piecing together...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Squeak rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you want to know more about the Donner party, I would highly recommend this book. The retelling of a tragic events, sticking with the details, and trying to give a feel for what it would be like for the Donner party, make this an excellent reading. It is very hard for most people to comprehend what it would be like to be trapped in the mountains without adequate food or clothing and I think the author did a good job by drawing comparisons with other things the reader might be able to relate t...more

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Oct 29, 2012 L rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bio-historical

Rarick integrates research on topics such as weather patterns, native/white encounters on the trail to California, and, of course, survival cannibalism with the Donners' tale, as he avoids the obvious potential for sensationalism. It is a fascinating read. It was strange to come across the rescue of the [remaining] party at about the middle of the book. They're safe and they've eaten all the people they're going to eat, so I had to wonder what the rest of the book would be. It was notes, bibliog...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Naomi Zyck rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

historical account of the era in our countries history. No propaganda. I have read it several times and researched the members of the rescue parties and their place in other spots of history. I find Mrs. Reed amazing. Her husband a bit of an attention hog in the beginning but he was a hero in the end he did not give up. Pushed for help. The pictures are wonderful in this book. It is not all about cannibalism as so many think. It is about so much more. The human will to survive. The bravery of so...more

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Mar 08, 2009 Kurt marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Just last week I drove over Donner Pass for the first time in my life. A massive snowstorm shut down the entire interstate just hours after I made it through. I couldn't help but imagine the hardships that the Donner Party faced during that terrible winter of 1846-47. So I resolved to read a book on the subject. This one seems to be one of the more highly recommended books. The other book that looks like it might be good is Ordeal By Hunger. If anyone has other suggestions, please let me know.

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Nov 26, 2012 Ken rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While there are plenty of books on the subject of the Donner Party, this book is by far the best and most complete telling of the horrific tale. And as I am a direct descendant of one of the survivors, it's very important to me and our family that the whole story be told. And Mr. Rarick has done just that. So if you are interested in the story, this is the book to read.

BTW, to think that all these years later that the story doesn't have lingering impact would be incorrect. Ask anyone who went to...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Paula rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While I have read other books on this subject, they all seemed to focus on the obvious desperate acts the Donner Party is known for. This book took the journey from the beginning, detailing finely the members of the party, as well as the journey, and the uninformed men who led them to their desperate ends. Nowhere have I seen such detail as here. One gets to know all the families involved, person by person, child by child, wagon by wagon. The reader understands why they did what they felt they h...more

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Feb 16, 2010 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This book was a quick, enjoyable read (if "enjoyable" is a word that can be associated with the Donner Party, that is).
I went into this book aiming to learn the history of the Donner Party and their perilous trek across the Western part of the country. And that's what this book delivered. At times, I felt as though some of the details were being glossed over, but I had to remind myself that, without simply making some of these details up, the author is left with no choice but to narrate the even...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Riley Dawson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fantastic account of a horrifying story. The author used mainly primary sources, and most of his quoted material came from letters and personal accounts of the Donner Party's members, which lent a personal and intimate feel to what could have been an otherwise cold and analytical story. I appreciate the stance he takes on the people involved as well- not as heartless fiends but mere victims of circumstance.

Rarick's prose is strong and his storytelling interesting; there were no chapters that...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone interested in American History

I picked this book up when I visited the Donner Memorial State Park and Emigrant Trail Museum in July 2011. Well written, clearly laid out, well researched, it takes you from day one of their tragic journey from Missouri, through their trials and tribulations,and ultimately to their arrival in California. A quick read, I finished the book before we returned home. Another interesting look at at the perilous journeys emigrants endured to journey west. A very good read for anyone interested in Amer...more

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Jan 12, 2010 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An account of the infamous Donner Party and their journey to California in 1846. The author writes from a very non-biased, factual point-of-view which I appreciated. It would be a hard tale to read if you got too emotionally attached or had to bear all the gruesome details. I was reminded of this ordeal a couple of months ago in a book, and thought I would learn more about it. It was especially hard reading all the facts that led up to their winter encampment at Donner Lake. It could have been p...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Joanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Prior to reading this book, my only recall of The Donner Party was learning in high school history class, about how these families became trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains for months, having to live off the flesh from those who died.

Author Ethan Rarick discusses this journey in his book Desperate Passage, how the Donners, Reeds, and other parties ended up in this situation, what they did to survive, and how ultimately the fortunate were rescued. This book is a fascinating read because it r...more

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May 10, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arts-and-historical

In late October 1846, the last wagon train of that year's westward migration stopped overnight before resuming its arduous climb over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, unaware that a fearsome storm was gathering force. After months of grueling travel, the 81 men, women and children would be trapped for a brutal winter with little food and only primitive shelter. The conclusion is known: by spring of the next year, the Donner Party was synonymous with the most harrowing extremes of human survival. But...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Chrissie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Chrissie by: Lynne

Shelves: audio, bad-trip, bio, usa

An excellent reportage of the travail of this doomed trek. All the where, when, who, why and how questions are, if not definitively answered, thoroughly analyzed. Some questions still today cannot be conclusively answered. Over the years opposing views have been voiced. Who were the real heroes, who the villains and who the cowards? Why did this expedition go so tragically wrong? The push westward to Oregon and California over the plains and the mountains during the years of the 1840s-1860s, a 2...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Barbara Kluver rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiography-memoir, 2012, mental-health, non-fiction

I have read a lot of books about the Donner Party over the years. This one is written very well. It provides the reader with good background material about the members of the ill-fated wagon partly. The events of that winter are laid out in easy-to-follow chronological order. But what I enjoyed the most was the modern perspective provided at the end. Why did so many more women than men survive that terrible ordeal? What really happens to the body as it starves? And, the subject of cannibalism by...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Glad I can fly to California in a few hours, and do not have to go by covered wagon!

A fascinating read about the infamous Donner Party, but I found all the detail on what was required for these brave settlers to go west to be just as interesting as the main plotline. Rarick does an excellent job painting an accurate picture of the broader push for Pioneers to move West, including how parties band together, how they fund their trips, and other social norms of the time.

I also learned that women ha...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am off to vacation soon to Lake Tahoe. I decided to read about The Donner Party traveling to Ca. in the 1840's over the mountains to Truckee. The book Desperate Passage is a very well documented story of the doomed Dooner Group of many families who get trapped by bad weather and eventually turn to cannabalism in their desperation. An amazing, tough adventure with many characters showing amazing courage. Sad but very interesting book. Well written documentation

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Aug 17, 2012 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Confession: I sometimes struggle with historical nonfiction--I often get bogged down in it. NO chance this book could bog down anyone--I lost a lot of sleep staying up entirely too late to finish it.

Most people have heard of the Donner party--westward pioneers who became trapped in the mountains of California during an especially brutal winter. It is a staggering tale of human survival, heroism, selfishness, and duty in the face of conditions few of us could imagine. Though the Donner party is p...more

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Jun 09, 2012 della rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have always found the story of the Donner Party interesting but too many stories just focus on the cannibalism. I had read several reviews of this book and thought it would be different. Although it was non-fiction, it did read like a novel which I enjoyed. However the last third of the book was completely about the cannibalism right down to who ate who. It actually became quite gruesome. Once again it only defined the Donner Party by that one thing...not the fact that people fought and did su...more

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Jun 12, 2008 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is based on a real tale of a group of settler’s trip across the country to California. It is pieced together from primary sources with some artistic license from the author holding everything together. The fact that the tale is true makes it a compulsive read. Although originally I thought the book might be a bit gruesome it was very well written. It isn't often you can eat your lunch of pasta in red sauce while reading about cannibalism, without a second thought. If you are interested...more

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