Why Sacagawea Deserves the Day Off and Other Lessons from the Lewis and Clark Trail

by Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs

More than two hundred years later, the “voyage of discovery”—with its outsized characters, geographic marvels, and wondrous moments of adventure and mystery—continues to draw us along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs first fell under the trail’s spell at sixteen and has been following in Lewis and Clark’s path ever since. In essays historical and personal, she revisits the Lewis and Clark Trail and its famous people, landmarks, and events, exploring questions the expedition continues to raise, such as, What really motivated Thomas Jefferson to send out his agents of discovery? What “mutinous expressions” were uttered? What happened to the dog? Why did Meriwether Lewis end his own life? In the resulting trip through history, Tubbs recounts her travels along the trail by foot, Volkswagen bus, and canoe—at every turn renewing the American experience inscribed by Lewis and Clark.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have read the description better. I thought it was going to be more about Sacagawea. Some of the essays were pretty good, but overall I was bored.

[J Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A recommended read for L&C enthusiasts

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tubbs offers a few interesting observations.
I did find her trying to diagnose Lewis posthumously with Asperger’s Syndrome was a stretch.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I initially bought this book because I loved her dad Stephen's writing, missed his being alive during the Lewis and Clark Centennial, and was also put off by the mythical hoopla of Sacagawea. It is a good read, not a great one, its interest for me fueled mostly by the stories about her own travels. She knows the subjects well, having undoubtedly been steeped in them since childhood. It's easy reading, perhaps more interesting to a family Ambrose fan, and/or a new reader of the Lewis and Clark story.

[Marge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is made up of eleven essays about the Lewis and Clark expedition and /or the authors feelings about the expedition or her opinions and experiences exploring the L & C trail. Some essays are more interesting than others but most are quite academic in nature. Her insight into the personality of Meriwether
Lewis is fascinating.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Generally, I am willing to muscle through any book I pick up, but I tried several times and just couldn't get past the writing style. I guess that this book just wasn't for me.

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title is more interesting than the content, which is a hodge podge of articles.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I'm probably not the intended audience for her writing. My folks bought me the book after a trip along the Columbia in Oregon and Washington. I think they thought it would have a heck of a lot more to do with Sacajawea and would be something a regular person could read.
The book was clearly aimed at a reader who has read the entirety of the Lewis and Clark journals and preferably has had some other academic experience with their story. As a casual reader I was lost a number of times.
Second, I don't think the author's writing is very pleasing to read. Since there's no story to most of the essays, the repetition of the same word twice in a sentence or similar clunky phrasing did not hinder understanding but did hinder my enjoyment of the book.
And third, to be fair, I'm not a big fan of essays about someone's canoe trip along a scenic/historical river. Many people do like to read about nature trips and hikes and stuff, it's just not my favorite.
I thought the essays would talk more about the politics and social framework of our culture in how we celebrate the white men who led the expedition and not the Native woman who was so valuable on the trip. The title essay didn't really address the discrepancy, it was about how women work, I guess. It just fell short of any expectations I had. The essays in general praised nature, described nature, discussed random details about the trip with the assumption the reader was familiar with them, and didn't challenge contemporary American readers with anything more thoughtful than "kids today" don't go outside enough when they live in the city.