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A review by pineconek
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party by Daniel James Brown
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.75
This review features a suggested reading list for someone who, like me, have a fascination with the lengths human beings go to to survive, and how arduous survival conditions can be.
I knew very little about the Donner Party until recently. Like, I remember hearing the phrase a few weeks about and, in context, assumed it referred to Jeffrey Dahmer's biggest killing spree (i.e. "Dahmer's Party). That's how little I knew. I also don't typically read about the history of American settlement, so there were many aspects that I hadn't considered.
The narration was extremely respectful and factual. The author introduced the members of the migration party and their family members thoroughly, and relied on historical sources as much as possible. Speculations were clearly demarcated, and alternate or conflicting explanations thoroughly explored. There were also fascinating details about how the human body and psyche react to the conditions described, including scientifically- grounded speculation as to why some survived but others didn't. While slow in pace, I was hooked.
This book paired perfectly with a few others that I read this year. These include (from most to least grounded in reality):
- Cannibalism: a Natural History by Bill Schutt
- The Terror by Dan Simmons
- Doomsday Book by Conniee Willis
- World War Z by Max Brooks
Recommended if you're fascinated by human resilience, the fragility of surviving in the wild without an adequate skillset, and want to learn more about the brutalities of both winter and starvation. 4.75 stars.
I knew very little about the Donner Party until recently. Like, I remember hearing the phrase a few weeks about and, in context, assumed it referred to Jeffrey Dahmer's biggest killing spree (i.e. "Dahmer's Party). That's how little I knew. I also don't typically read about the history of American settlement, so there were many aspects that I hadn't considered.
The narration was extremely respectful and factual. The author introduced the members of the migration party and their family members thoroughly, and relied on historical sources as much as possible. Speculations were clearly demarcated, and alternate or conflicting explanations thoroughly explored. There were also fascinating details about how the human body and psyche react to the conditions described, including scientifically- grounded speculation as to why some survived but others didn't. While slow in pace, I was hooked.
This book paired perfectly with a few others that I read this year. These include (from most to least grounded in reality):
- Cannibalism: a Natural History by Bill Schutt
- The Terror by Dan Simmons
- Doomsday Book by Conniee Willis
- World War Z by Max Brooks
Recommended if you're fascinated by human resilience, the fragility of surviving in the wild without an adequate skillset, and want to learn more about the brutalities of both winter and starvation. 4.75 stars.