Eight Women, Two Model Ts, and the American West

by Joanne Wilke

In 1924 eight young women drove across the American West in two Model T Fords. In nine weeks they traveled more than nine thousand unpaved miles on an extended car-camping trip through six national parks, “without a man or a gun along.” It was the era of the flapper, but this book tells the story of a group of farm girls who met while attending Iowa’s Teacher’s College and who shared a “yen to see some things.”

 

A blend of oral and written history, adventure, memoir, and just plain heartfelt living, Eight Women is a story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Weaving together a granddaughter’s essays with family stories and anecdotes from the 1924 trip, the book portrays four generations of women extending from nineteenth-century Norway to present-day Iowa—and sets them loose across the western United States where the perils and practicalities of automotive travel reaffirm family connections while also celebrating individual freedom.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, History, Womens, Adult

198 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2007

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I loved the stories about the women going out to the "wild West" - - -which was indeed wild in their day - - -I had a bit of trouble with the way the author intertwined her own story with the story of her grandmother and friends. The abrupt changes in the middle of chapters took me by surprise more than once, and I often had the feeling of "wait, what time period are we in right now?".

That being said, the descriptions of the adventures had by these three women made up for the sometimes chaotic writing style, and I found myself enjoying this little book.

[Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for adventurous women! I wish I had had the chance to know these women personally. Great peek into a time when women were really beginning to stretch their wings. Quick and enjoyable read.

[Rrshively · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was swept up in this story of eight young Iowa women who in 1924 toured the west in two Model Ts. I think I was especially engaged because I have many connections to and memories of Iowa, especially in the hot, humid summer and because I have been to most of the places these young women visited. It was an adventurous thing for young women in that era to drive off by themselves for such a long trip without a gun and with little experience outside their state. Several of them just learned to drive just a few days before the trip! They mostly had to be their own mechanics with occasional help from passers-by. Since they were Model Ts, that amounted to a lot of tinkering, especially considering the quality of tires in those days. They managed to go up steep, narrow, gravel roads and through mud that had turned to gumbo. The author intersperses this with her memories of trips to Iowa to visit her grandmother, Marie, who was the instigator of the trip and her great-aunt Laura who went along. We get further insight into their personalities, as both traveled internationally before marrying. This is another book that can be read quickly to reach a yearly goal.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author did not seem to have much to work with here. She knew the trip took place and the names (but little else) of the participants. Beyond that she had random accounts, letters and diary entries, that mostly spoke of road conditions. The result was disjointed, fumbling in the dark over four generations of information.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patches of beautiful writing appear in this combination of personal journey and family history. Wilke herself was just as self-sufficient, adventurous and unique as the eight women who traveled over 9000 miles in 1924 by Model T.

[Stanley B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book jacket describes half of the book: In 1924 eight young women drove across the American West in two Model T Fords. In nine weeks they traveled more than nine thousand unpaved miles on an extended car-camping trip through six national parks, “without a man or a gun along.” It was the era of the flapper, but this book tells the story of a group of farm girls who met while attending Iowa’s Teacher’s College and who shared a “yen to see some things.”

Among excerpts from the women’s travel journals and notes, the author Joanne Wilke weaves in the other part of the book. Stories and experiences from her own childhood. She reveals childhood visits to the Iowa farm as the granddaughter of one of the traveling women.

The young women took this trip at a time when most roads were not paved and traveling was risky and dangerous for anyone. Through breakdowns, many flat tires, and constant maintenance of their model Ts, the women saw beautiful national parks, rustic Pacific coast scenery, and met many people they could never experience otherwise.

The pictures in the book added to the journey while the author’s description of visiting the old Iowa homestead added more to the story of the eight women. It told of the place they came from as the author introduced family memories of the women as a kind of backstory.

I enjoyed the book because of the author’s writing that combined the past and present into one story almost flawlessly. Mostly, I enjoyed the book because it showed the courage of these eight women and gave me a glimpse of what traveling meant in a Model T which was the only means of travel for many.

[Julie Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating story. The author weaves the storhy of a 1924 road trip in with memories of her grandmother, great-aunt Laura and her mother, summer trips to Iowa to visit her mother's family, then memories of years later, as her grandmother Marie and great-aunt Laura aged.
Laura and Marie took a car trip from their home in Iowa across the Midwest into California and back again, hitting Washington and Oregon, then Yellowstone on the way home. How this trip was done by eight women in two Model Ts during that time was just unheard-of. It wasn't all smooth sailing either, but the telling of the story kind of puts most of it in a fun light, not too serious, although you know there had to have been times when they wondered what the heck they were doing out there.
Interspersed throughout are stories about the author growing up, marrying and starting her own family, all the while still feeling the tug from Iowa.
It was fascinating to read about places I know are totally different now, but also wonder how much of it, like maybe parts of Yellowstone, are still pretty similar to how they were back then. By the end of the book, you feel like you know Laura and Marie, at least a bit, and like you've gone on parts of that trip yourself. This was a fun read.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give this 3.5 stars. I love memoirs, especially when they involve adventure. This book is the story/memoir of 8 young women, who, in 1924, bought 2 model T cars and drove across the country, mostly on dirt or gravel roads. Their goal was to see everything, and it seems that they did.

I've learned more about model T cars than I ever thought possible! Their tires blew out regularly, oil was changed every 500 miles, as were other parts that I am unfamiliar with.

The young women wore //gasp// knickers, as trousers weren't yet made for women. They hiked, swam, and made friends along their journey west from Iowa to California and back.

By the time the granddaughter of one of the adventurous travelers begins to compile the memoirs of the trip, much of the information is gone or forgotten. So, the book is short, and lacks the kind of detail I usually like in a memoir. The author also loosely ties in some of her own memories of her grandmother and summers spent together in Iowa.

Interesting - a quick read - enjoyable for what it is - a brief look back at a time that was simpler and at the same time more demanding.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! My husband and I absolutely adore taking road trips across the country and hitting up as many National Parks as possible. We have so many great memories of our adventures and the gorgeous scenery. While reading this book I couldn't imagine taking an epic road trip in the 1920s in a rugged Model T. Wow, those ladies were brave! The women are all from the Iowa area and decide they want to see the country. They go through Yellowstone, Crater Lake, Yosemite, and Rocky Mountain National Park. The book consists of actual journal entries from some of the gals and letters they wrote home. Since I have been to many of the same locations I felt a connection with the gals and enjoyed reading about what the country was like back then for travelers. A huge part of the story is how the ladies love to travel, but they will always love their home. The peace and quiet, family and friends, they have back in Iowa. I feel almost the same but replace Iowa with Nebraska. Very interesting and entertaining read. Quick read too.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed this book. It's about 8 women from Iowa, one that went to Iowa State Teacher's college, that go on a 3,000 mile trip back in the summer of 1924, in two model T's. There are pictures of the women from that trip, and detailed accounts. They had many, many problems with bad roads, and flat tires. The author also explores her summers going to to her grandmother's in Decorah Iowa. It's just a fascinating account.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my kind of nonfiction. Wilke wrote a good story about eight intrepid young women including her grandmother and great aunt. In 1924, the group set out from Iowa to see the sights of the American West. With little driving experience, they navigated mountain roads and patched their own tires as they camped from Iowa to the west coast and back. Wilke included some of her own story and memories of her grandmother and great aunt. This would be a good gift for a young woman.

[Toni Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always interested in women's history and this looked like something that would be interesting. I've only just started this book and like the way the author tells her story intertwined with the story of the women on the trip. Amazing in 1924 for these women to take off on a 9000 mile journey alone and when there were few if any paved roads on their route.

[Maelou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting without being particularly enjoyable. Wilke chooses to intertwine her own growing up story with the story of her grandmother and aunt's trip west in 1924 along with six friends. One story plus one story doesn't necessarily result in a satisfying book. That being said, there were a lot of connections for me because my mother was approximately the same age as these gutsy women.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the daring of these 8 women on this journey west. We can't begin to imagine the road conditions and the freedom the girls had. Thanks to the author for sharing her grandmother's experience in this book.

[Sj Satin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a wonderful account. These women didn't seem to realize how bold they were. I, however, was very impressed by them.