A Small Part of History: Peggy Elliott

Image Credit: Levante Journal

Yesterday I finished reading Peggy Elliott’s “A Small Part of History,” and realized that I had not written my observations on a piece of paper as I usually do. But since it’s a very light read it’s quite ok. Elliott’s novel tells the stories of women who traveled the Oregon Trail, which takes place in 1835. They cross in oxen-pulled wagons and it chronicles the tragedies, the happy moments and the various characters who all make up the long and arduous journey. I was fascinated by the book more so because Elliott bases it on many real incidents gleaned from the diaries of actual women who undertook this torturous journey in search of richer pastures and a better life.

A Small Part of History concentrates on two particular women, Rebecca, John’s third wife and Sarah his 15 year old daughter. Rebecca charms everyone around with her gentle ways except for Sarah who is quite the tomboy and lacks feminine grace. Along the journey Rebecca becomes the unofficial leader among the women in the train of wagons going to Oregon. She cooks, washes, cleans, offers prayers and tries to forge a friendly relationship with Sarah her stepdaughter.

In describing these various activities we get a glimpse of the lives of these extremely strong women who managed to keep house even out in the open. We get to know the attitudes that prevailed at the time and the way people lived. Elliott provides recipes, herbal remedies and diary accounts to build up the thoughts of the women, which makes the book different and more interesting since it focuses on their stories that go largely untold.

Everyone knows about the men who rode to the West in search of gold and other riches. Their stories have been made into books and even movies. But how did the women survive the hardships and the tragedies of a life on the road? Elliott’s book provides a lot of answers.

Verdict: Extremely enlightening in terms of facts and an entertaining read in terms of a story

Rating: 3.2/5