Across The Wide And Lonesome Prairie

Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell (Dear America)
By: Kristina Gregory
Published by: Scholastic Inc.


Now that we're in the North Platte River Valley the air feels dry and thin. My lips are so chapped they bleed when I talk. The only thing to do is dip our fingers in to the bucket of axle grease and rub our lips every hour or so. It smells bad, it tastes bad, and the blowing dust sticks.

It feels like we must be halfway to Oregon, but Tall Joe says, no, we've only gone five hundred miles. He also says the worst part of the trail is to come.

Does he mean more rivers to cross...? I'm afraid to ask what he's talking about.

When I was in elementary school we had a club for girls who liked to read. We would meet after school in the library and talk about the book. This was one that was featured. We had 'skeeter cakes' which looked funny (at least ours didn't have real mosquitoes in them). Our tables were decorated with girly antique things like you could find along the Oregon trail. It was very enjoyable as a young lady.

I cannot tell you how many times I have read this book. Even the blue ribbon is frayed to the top so I can no longer use it as a book mark. I have had many books come and go but this one will never leave my shelf and it's been almost 20 years.

This diary of the Oregon trail is full of adventure, love, loss and growing up. I would highly recommend this book to young ladies even grown ladies. It is an adorable read and just talking about it I have a hankering to reread it...