tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36980566.post1081977670673396150..comments2023-09-10T03:32:12.015-06:00Comments on Snax On Line | Books, art, food, film, and travel: Schooner: Boating Dreams on Martha’ s VineyardRosemary Carstenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078731575772645930noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36980566.post-62430001482738340882010-06-17T12:50:11.932-06:002010-06-17T12:50:11.932-06:00Just heard a book review on NPR's Fresh Air of...Just heard a book review on NPR's Fresh Air of "Searching for Tamsen Donner" by Gabrielle Burton. <br /><br />Amazon describes the book: Burton was first drawn to the story of Tamsen Donner in the 1970s; she saw in Tamsen an independent spirit—wife, mother, and brave pioneer—with whom she somehow identified.<br /><br /> Her career as a writer kept circling back to the Donner party and its tragic end in the Sierra Nevadas in the winter of 1846–47. <br /><br />Finally, in the summer of 1996, Burton, her husband, and their five daughters retrace the steps taken by Tamsen, her husband George, and their five daughters from Springfield, Illinois, to California via the Oregon and California Trails. Trying to reconstruct Tamsen’s lost journal (her body was never found), Burton and family follow the trek of the Donner party. <br /><br />The result is a thoughtful and engaging blend of history and memoir including Burton’s struggle to be both a full-time mother and successful writer. <br /><br />Here's the part I thought might really hook you, Rosemary: Burton originally wanted to follow the Donner party trek by herself on a motorcycle--but she didn't because she was so petite she couldn't control the machine.Laurel Kallenbachhttp://www.LaurelKallenbach.com/lkblognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36980566.post-27875842994916972352010-06-15T08:58:43.755-06:002010-06-15T08:58:43.755-06:00VEry cool! My carpenter, who's rebuilding my d...VEry cool! My carpenter, who's rebuilding my deck, builds boats professionally; so this seems close to home right now!sibyllehttp://funclimbsaroundtheworld.com/?p=250noreply@blogger.com