Pioneer Women - by Joanna Stratton (Paperback)

About the Book

Never before has there been such a detailed portrait of women's courage. Here are the stories of wilderness mothers, schoolmarms, Indian squaws, immigrants, homesteaders and circuit riders. And their recollections of prairie fires, locust plagues, Indian raids, cowboy shootouts, blizzards and more. Photos.

Book Synopsis

From a rediscovered collection of autobiographical accounts written by hundreds of Kansas pioneer women in the early twentieth century, Joanna Stratton has created a collection hailed by Newsweek as "uncommonly interesting" and "a remarkable distillation of primary sources."Never before has there been such a detailed record of women's courage, such a living portrait of the women who civilized the American frontier. Here are their stories: wilderness mothers, schoolmarms, Indian squaws, immigrants, homesteaders, and circuit riders. Their personal recollections of prairie fires, locust plagues, cowboy shootouts, Indian raids, and blizzards on the plains vividly reveal the drama, danger and excitement of the pioneer experience. These were women of relentless determination, whose tenacity helped them to conquer loneliness and privation. Their work was the work of survival, it demanded as much from them as from their men--and at last that partnership has been recognized. "These voices are haunting" (The New York Times Book Review), and they reveal the special heroism and industriousness of pioneer women as never before.

Review Quotes

Peter S. Prescott Newsweek Irresistible...uncommonly interesting...a remarkable distillation of invaluable primary sources.

About the Author

Joanna L. Stratton was born and raised in Washington, D.C., but considers Kansas and her family there as her second home. She began her work on "Pioneer Women" while attending Harvard College, from which she graduated with honors in 1976. She is currently pursuing graduate studies at Stanford University.