Title: The Reluctant Pioneer
Author: Julie McDonald Zander
Major Themes: Pioneers, Oregon Trail, Frontier Life
Synopsis: Matilda did not want to go west to Oregon, but she certainly didn’t want her husband to go without her.
When I first noticed The Reluctant Pioneer, my impression was that it would probably be a prairie romance, which I am really not very interested in. Then, I noticed the note in the description that it was based on a true story. Hmm—that sounded more interesting! I decided to chance it and see what I thought.
Publisher’s description:
Matilda Koontz cherishes her life as a wife and mother on a Missouri farm, but her hardworking husband wants to claim free farmland in the Pacific Northwest. When he suggests selling the farm to trek two thousand miles across the Oregon Trail, she balks.
But in the spring of 1847, Matilda and Nicholas Koontz and their sons embark on a grueling journey westward. Fresh graves testify to the dangers of disease, accidents, starvation, and a multitude of hazards threatening her family and her beloved’s dream.
With new struggles at every turn, Matilda wonders how she can protect her sons on such a perilous journey. Will they reach the trail’s end? Will the babe growing inside her womb survive?
When tragedy strikes, the question changes: How can she possibly continue?
This pioneer woman’s journey is inspired by a true story.
My thoughts:
Julie McDonald Zander did a good job of portraying the dangers of the Oregon Trail in The Reluctant Pioneer. She created a character who is annoying in her constant worrying—but also very relatable, as I can see myself struggling not to worry constantly, as she did. Matilda did her best to keep her focus on her blessings and God, and she spent her time caring for her family and helping the people around her rather than dwelling on her problems and potential catastrophes—even though she did not want to make the trip to Oregon and was afraid her family would meet with tragedy as so many others did.
The conditions Matilda faced as she and her family traveled the Oregon Trail felt very realistic to me. There were good days that were enjoyable—and many days that were simply drudgery or worse. One thing that did not seem historically accurate was a scene in chapter two in which Matilda had her sons butcher some chickens on Sunday to feed to company. I had the impression that people at that time and in that type of setting would not have worked on Sundays like that. Otherwise, the book felt authentic, and I really enjoyed it. Some scenes were hard to read, but I liked the way the author showed Matilda learning to trust God more and more throughout her life, and I really liked that the author told her real story at the end of the book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: Chapter 6: Mention of a man cursing. Chapter 8: Do their darnedest, man cursed. Chapter 15: Boy killed. Chapter 18: One man beats up another. Chapter 20: Mention of the cannibalism that happened with the Donner Party, birth scene. Chapter 23: Another reference to the Donner Party. Chapter 25: Birth scene. Chapter 26: Man drowns. Chapter 27: Baby dies. Chapter 33: Story of the massacre of the Whitmans in Oregon, man wants to hang those responsible. Chapter 34: Man grabs woman.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
