An Ordinary Woman: A Dramatized Biography of Nancy Kelsey

by Cecelia Holland

With her stunningly realistic and exhaustively researched novels, Cecelia Holland has earned unanimous acclaim as one of the finest historical novelists of our time. Her subjects range from the dawn of prehistory and the turbulent middle ages to the rough-and-tumble pioneer days of her own native California, chronicled in such sweeping epics as The Bear Flag, Pacific Street, and her most recent novel, Railroad Schemes. Now, in An Ordinary Woman, Holland gives us an intimate portrait of a remarkable woman who played a crucial role in the settlement of the West--Nancy Kelsey, the courageous young pioneer who was the first American woman to set foot in California. Drawing upon Nancy's own accounts of her harrowing journey, as well as the writings of those who traveled with her, Cecelia Holland has crafted a stunning biography of this amazing woman that is filled with all of the action, passion, danger, and determination that have made her historical novels bestsellers around the world. Married at the age of fifteen to Ben Kelsey, a restless young Scotch-Irish pioneer who eked out a meager living on the Missouri frontier, Nancy Roberts Kelsey was a strong and capable woman who could milk a cow, skin a deer, make hew own clothes, plant a field, drive a team of oxen, and shoot a rifle. The child pioneers, bred to courage and risk, she had grown up in the wilderness only a few miles from the great Missouri River that was, in 1838, the border of the settled United States. But when the lure of a new life on the farthest edge of the frontier beckoned to Ben Kelsey, Nancy was determined to be at his side. Together they embarked on an arduous odyssey across thousands of miles of uncharted wilderness, crossing the Great Plains, the Rockies, and the High Sierra to reach their promised land. Braving hunger, disaster, illness, betrayal, and death, Nancy Kelsey and her family would play a crucial role in American history, becoming the first wave of a great tide that would transform a nation.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Westerns, 19th Century, Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Pen name used by Elizabeth Eliot Carter.

Cecelia Holland is one of the world's most highly acclaimed and respected historical novelists, ranked by many alongside other giants in that field such as Mary Renault and Larry McMurtry. Over the span of her thirty year career, she's written almost thirty historical novels, including The Firedrake, Rakessy, Two Ravens, Ghost on the Steppe, Death of Attila, Hammer For Princes, The King's Road, Pillar of the Sky, The Lords of Vaumartin, Pacific Street, Sea Beggars, The Earl, The King in Winter, The Belt of Gold, The Serpent Dreamer, The High City, Kings of the North, and a series of fantasy novels, including The Soul Thief, The Witches Kitchen, The Serpent Dreamer, and Varanger. She also wrote the well-known science fiction novel Floating Worlds, which was nominated for a Locus Award in 1975. Her most recent book is a new fantasy novel, Dragon Heart.

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A better book than I expected. I've read a few other books by this author and they've been pretty mediocre but this was quite good. I wish she'd spent a bit less time focused on the trip west (as once you've read one story about the Oregon trail, you've read them all) and a bit more time actually in California, but I still enjoyed everything. This is a book I'd recommend for anyone interested in early California history or the gold rush or just someone looking for an action-packed thrill ride with shootouts and Indian attacks galore.

[Susann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good and not so good

If you are interested in the daily minutiae of what it was like as a woman with a young child to cross the country to California, the first as it happens, then you will be intrigued. If you are interested in an amazing tale of courage and sheer gutsiness in the midst of Indian attacks, starvation, walking barefoot, etc., you will like this book. I found it a bit of a slog at times and was really irritated at the beginning of the book with the author's silly conjectures about what Nancy Kelsey was thinking, doing and feeling. It put the whole story out of whack, made me wonder about it's veracity and was so unnecessary. A scene where she is in her husband's arms, looking at her home before setting out for the west, probably feeling sad and wondering if she would ever see her family again was silly and superfluous. If this was not historical documented fact, why put it in. If it as documented, why not quote it. The idea of a dramatized history doesn't sit right with me. Is it a novel or factual history? Any way, it was quite the tale and a very good insight into Pioneer life and early California history. I was horrified that many early settlers, including Ben Kelsey, virtually enslaved, starved and murdered many innocent Native Americans out of greed and revenge.

[Marcia Brineman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative

Fairly new to Sacramento, this book was very informative. Not only was it a story of brave men and women, namely Nancy Kelsey, but also a story of the Sacramento area, Sutter and his fort. I have not yet been to see Sutter’s fort, but it is now a priority for me. I’m very glad I read it and learned about the area where I now reside.

[Constant Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent portrayal of the beginnings of the westward expansion of the United States and the importance of a woman making the trek. Most historians agree that women brought civilazation to the west. The reason for four stars instead of five is the author became too caught up in the history of California instead of telling the history of Nancy Kelsey. However, a good dramatized biography regarding Her story.

[Carol Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this may not appeal to everyone, it is a remarkable story about a young woman born in Missouri who marries and sets off for the west with her husband and baby daughter. She is the first white woman to come to California. Her story is one that most women, and especially those who know their ancestors, will be able to resonate with. I felt like I was reading about my second or third great grandmother. I missed her when the book was done.

[Cortney BeesInTheBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never cared for local history until reading this book. I learned about things that were never taught in school, not just about California but also many of the cities within our glorious state. Wow I couldn’t imagine being a woman back in the 1800s. Those woman were truly built from a different cloth. Nancy Kelsey is a true badass!

[Kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intersecting historical biography

Very easy read, we'll written and informative. Dramatized sure but that's the entertaining bit, this story stands on it's own truths. I really liked the characters, they were very realistic since they were real people.

[susan bristol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting true story of first pioneers to reach California.

Unbelievable, but real! Fact-filled story like no other! So glad Cecelia Holland told it! Wonderful characters brought to life!

CoCoFoWo ‘68 Celia 😊🍷🍷

[Joyce Schiff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read after reading The Whip. Amazing what women did in settling the United States.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh, this book wasn't written like I'd expect from Holland. This one was a slog to get through and honestly I didn't care enough about Nancy to care much.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Very well-written.

[Blubonnet1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/20/2025

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty good. Just when I was becoming bored with it, they got to California. I did love the fact that I was very familiar of the names of the areas and cities in California. Many of the Mexican names of the historical people became names of cities and areas in that state. Like Castro Valley, Sonoma, Benecia (where we went to church), and Vallejo (where my husband is from and we lived there for years). We toured General Vallejos' homes and extensive property as well as Napa Valley, Petaluma, etc.

When we lived in Sacramento, I had an strange thing happen to me. I took my family and visiting parents to tour Sutters Fort; halfway through the tour, we entered a large, crude wooden room with a high ceiling. As I entered the room I felt an overpowering feeling that sorrow, pain, and death had taken place there. I literally felt bowed down by it and left asking my kids to read the information sign. When they came out they said that many indians had been held captive there, tortured and killed. ooh!

I loved learning how the bear flag came to be. I did notice that it did give the reader the sense that this was how California came into the United States, but there is more. When the 500 strong Mormon Battalion entered San Diego, that gave the United States the weight it needed to finish any negotiating for that territory. Mexico sold California to the United States for $15 million. End of story.

[Ratforce]

You may be interested to read this fictionalized story of Nancy Kelsey, the first American woman to reach California. The story is well researched and has an immediacy that can make readers believe that this is actually Kelsey’s own memoir.

As a fan of both biographies and historical fiction, we would suggest that you try Cecelia Holland’s biographical novel An Ordinary Woman . Holland did extensive research on the novel’s subject, Nancy Kelsey, who was the first pioneer woman to make the trek to California and also fought in the war for California’s independence from Mexico.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! From the moment I picked up this book I didn't want to set it down. Fascinating true story of the first American woman to cross the Sierra Nevadas and enter California. I love early California history, but there were some nuggets in here I didn't know. The deprivations these early settlers went through is common knowledge, but it still amazes me that they had the fortitude to keep on pushing through. I appreciate that Holland didn't gloss over their less admirable qualities or make them seem heroic when they weren't, especially the abominable mistreatment of the Native Americans.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for this interesting story of the first American woman pioneer to cross the Sierra mountains into California. Because I was born and raised in California, I've lived in or visited many of the places in the book, but I learned new (to me) information about my wonderful state and the strong women who came before me. Our history books are full of male heroes, but their wives who were with them every step of the way are seldom mentioned. Nancy Kesley deserves to be remembered with gratitude.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent account of the Bartleson/Bidwell expedition of 1841, the first Yankee settlers to reach CA by land. In addition to being the first American woman to cross the Sierra, Nancy Kelsey was also the "Betsy Ross" of the Bear Flag revolt, sewing up the first red and white flag out of her old petticoats. Reads like a novel but it's all true - well researched and very readable.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pioneers might have been naive when they started there journey in 1841 from Missouri to California but some of the party, like Bartleson were rather useless. When they did get to California Ben Kelsey just couldn't settle, enslaved Native Americans, and cheated his employees. Not endearing qualities. It was only after he died that Nancy finally got to settle in a place to call her own.

[Denny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, young adult, book about pioneering into California. The real fun comes when the settings are all recognizable and familiar: Napa, Sonoma, Bales Mill, Berryessa, etc. Good primer for area history, and debunking of John Fremont myths (he was a jerk).

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very interesting subject. This was about the first woman's journey to California and her arrival. I really enjoyed the story, but the writing style felt awkward to me and did not flow as well as I normally like.

[Suki_Elle]

Waiting to read - will it be sappy? She has a lot of books dealing with women and their roles in history.

[Bobbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This woman was a true pioneer, and a near saint in my book. I enjoyed reading about the over land trek to California and all of the California history.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Factual narrative about an early California settler by one of the best historical novelists writing today.

[Melinda]

Didn't finish. It didn't keep my attention. This is the same author that wrote Pope Joan.

[Maryann · Rating 4 out of 5]

always love historical books- this one somewhat fictionalized but based on diaries and history. enjoyed added info on founding of california territory by white settlers.

[Mary Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about the "unsureness" and hardships of wagon train life, especially for women. Amazing details about the beginnings of California government. Excellent book. I want to go to CA....

[Kimberly Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is one of the best books i have ever read. it is so well written and a very moving story. i highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction.

[Barbara DeBerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Left a lasting impression.