nomadreader

The backstory: After thoroughly enjoying The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott ( my review ), the first novel by Kelly O'Connor McNees, I was eager to read her latest work. The basics: Shortly after the Civil War, Clara Bixby, whose husband ran off with another woman, reads about Destination, Nebraska in the newspaper, and she realizes it's the perfect business venture for her after she loses her job at a tavern in Manhattan City, New York. Clara writes to Destination's mayor and strikes a deal: she'll provide widows and single women willing to move to Destination to get married if the men will pay for their transport, plus a fee for her services. My thoughts: In the past few years, I've realized how much I enjoy tales of the frontier life and homesteading. I enjoy the intrepid characters and their discoveries in these new, desolate lands. In Need of a Good Wife  opens in New York, and I enjoyed getting to know the women and share their journey, both emotionally ...

The backstory: The Personal History of Rachel DuPree  was longlisted for the 2009 Orange Prize . The basics: Aptly titled, The Personal History of Rachel DuPree  is the story of Rachel DuPree, a young black woman in Chicago (albeit a Louisiana native) who marries at the age of 25 and sets off for the Badlands of South Dakota with her new husband as a homesteader. My thoughts: I'm beginning to realize how much I love westerns. The Personal History of Rachel DuPree  isn't a shoot 'em style western by any means, but it is a fascinating tale of life on the frontier. I was captivated by the DuPrees' voyage. This novel is also the story of a marriage on the frontier. It's the story of a family. Indeed, there is a certain added intrigue that Rachel and Isaac are black. The new hope of the frontier, even the inhospitable Badlands of South Dakota, is especially poignant for a black couple. Still, on the farm itself, race often becomes irrelevant: "Accidents happene...