The Expedition of the Donner Party and its Tragic Fate


Lu par LibriVox Volunteers

(4.5 stars; 17 reviews)

The Donner Party was a group of California-bound American settlers caught up in the "westering fever" of the 1840s. After becoming snowbound in the Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1846–1847, some of the emigrants resorted to cannibalism. Although this aspect of the tragedy has become synonymous with the Donner Party in the popular imagination, it actually was a minor part of the episode.

The author was about 4 at the time. The first part of the book accounts the tragic journey and rescue attempts; the last half are reminiscences of the child orphan, passed from family to family while growing up. (Summary from Wikipedia & Tricia G) (10 hr 11 min)

Chapitres

Preface 6:36 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter I 16:06 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter II 16:57 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter III 16:11 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter IV 15:01 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter V 24:20 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter VI 17:48 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter VII 5:50 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter VIII 14:55 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter IX 25:46 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter X 14:21 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter XI 6:06 Lu par Alana Jordan
Chapter XII 7:56 Lu par TriciaG
Chapter XIII 8:13 Lu par TriciaG
Chapter XIV 12:23 Lu par TriciaG
Chapter XV 14:57 Lu par Donna Stewart
Chapter XVI 9:06 Lu par Donna Stewart
Chapter XVII 14:20 Lu par Donna Stewart
Chapter XVIII 13:43 Lu par Jacquerie
Chapter XIX 14:45 Lu par Jacquerie
Chapter XX 25:01 Lu par Donna Stewart
Chapter XXI 17:56 Lu par Donna Stewart
Chapter XXII 12:13 Lu par Donna Stewart
Chapter XXIII 21:21 Lu par Donna Stewart
Chapter XXIV 18:16 Lu par Donna Stewart
Chapter XXV 9:37 Lu par Donna Stewart
Chapter XXVI 15:06 Lu par Donna Stewart
Chapter XXVII 13:48 Lu par Donna Stewart
Chapter XXVIII 6:39 Lu par David Lawrence
Chapter XXIX 13:30 Lu par Miriam Esther Goldman (1991-2017)
Chapter XXX 7:07 Lu par RoseA
Chapter XXXI 21:02 Lu par Jacquerie
Chapter XXXII 11:36 Lu par Jacquerie
Chapter XXXIII 12:24 Lu par Jacquerie
Chapter XXXIV 14:27 Lu par Jacquerie
Chapter XXXV 19:24 Lu par Jacquerie
Chapter XXXVI 7:22 Lu par Jacquerie
Chapter XXXVII 3:50 Lu par Joy Easton
Chapter XXXVIII 14:04 Lu par Jacquerie
Appendix I 20:15 Lu par Jacquerie
Appendix II 13:06 Lu par Jacquerie
Appendix III 16:24 Lu par Jacquerie
Appendix IV 21:24 Lu par Jacquerie

Critiques

a moving tragic true story


(5 stars)

most of the readers did a fantastic job, there is one chapter of 7 minutes reading that has an annoying buzz in the background. the book starts quickly into the wagons moving west and it does not concentrate on the snowed in the Sierra Nevada part for very long. most of the book is about the young donner's girl after the tragedy growing up as an orphan. then at the end of the book she returns to the events of the trapped donner party. if you are looking for sensational tales of cannibalism, there are none. she only lightly refers to two cases of it and does not dwell on it. the appendix does contain pieces of other articles and statements of murder and preferences of human meat of animals, but the writer does a good job of making a case against the most fantastic claims. such a sad moving story, makes me wish i had a time machine to go help those people!


(5 stars)

This is a worthwhile book to read. I have read as much about the Donner Party as possible and really enjoyed listening to this audiobook presented by Librivox. It is also a history book. Don't read fof entertainment because you might be disappointed. It has some grisly facts but bears record w other books I've read. How very tragic.