Ella Cara Deloria, Waterlily. This is a story of a woman's life as a Dakota Sioux in the days just leading up to the spread of the white presence in the West. It has a lot of rich detail regarding the way of life in the camps and the various rituals and behaviors that were important, but is also a good story with relatable, interesting characters.
Roger Lea MacBride, On the Banks of the Bayou. This story follows Rose Wilder as she leaves home for the first time, to stay with her father's sister in Louisiana. To me, it reveals the real reason why I find these books less compelling than the originals: Laura Ingalls Wilder is someone I want to spend days sitting on the porch and talking with. Rose Wilder is a person I want to give a good smack upside the head. Vain, thoughtless, selfish, chuffed with her own superiority, she comes across very poorly here. She's interested in other people only to the extent that being interested in them reflects on her. Which is not to say that it's a bad book - it's very interesting, and filled with detail regarding her experiences. I just wish it wasn't necessary to get to know Rose in order to read it.
Sarah Josepha Hale, Early American Cookery. We may owe Mrs. Hale our annual celebration of Thanksgiving, but that's about as far as I'm willing to go with her. Her book is far less about cookery and more about telling people what to do, and in a manner that reflects poorly on her, read in 2010. (In 1841, her attitudes might not have been so offensive.) Additionally, I found her writing dry and uninteresting - in short, not worth the bother.
David Dary, The Oregon Trail. This comprehensive history traces the trail from its earliest pathways through to its rediscovery in modern times. Filled with detail and with excerpts from diaries and letters, every chapter is informative and interesting, and covers a wide range of trail experiences. A good read and an excellent reference!
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