Book Review and Giveaway ~ Where the Trail Ends by Melanie Dobson

 
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review as part of a Litfuse Publicity Blog Tour.  To see more about the book, author, and other reviews please click HERE.

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Title:  "Where the Trail Ends"
Series:  An American Tapestry:  The Oregon Trail

Author:  Melanie Dobson
Publisher:  Summerside Press
Publication Date:  10/1/2012

Pages:  336

Buy From Amazon:  HERE

Book Description:

For two thousand miles along the trail to Oregon Country, Samantha Waldron and her family must overcome tremendous challenges to reach the Willamette Valley before winter. Together they weather autumn storms, hunger and thirst, and the dangers of a wild and unfamiliar country. But when their canoe capsizes on the Columbia River, they must rely on handsome British exporter Alexander Clarke to rescue them from the icy water.

Alex escorts Samantha and her young brother, Micah, to Fort Vancouver. There Samantha is overwhelmed with men vying for her affections, but the only one who intrigues her-Alex-is the one she cannot have. When his betrothed arrives unexpectedly from England to escort him home, Samantha becomes determined to create a home for herself and Micah in the fertile valley far away from the fort. But how will an unmarried woman support herself and her brother in the wilderness alone? Then Micah disappears into the wilderness one rainy night, and Samantha must rely on the man she loves-the man she’s trying desperately to forget-to rescue her brother before it’s too late.

My Overall Feeling of the Book:

I've read quite a few books based on the Oregon Trail and wagon trains heading west.  What I loved about this book is that it told the tale of traveling west best also described life on the other end of the journey.  I had no idea about a lot of the history of settling Oregon and British Fort Vancouver.  I love history and this book was so interesting!

The descriptions of the terrain, the hardships, the milestones and the people were amazingly well written.

My Favorite Character:

Samantha had to be my favorite character if no other reason than everything she endured and conquered and still kept her faith and determination to move forward.  I probably would have thrown in the towel after walking 10 miles let alone 2000 miles.

My Favorite Scene:

At one point while traveling through the mountains, a bear comes into camp.  Samantha is no pansy and does what she needs to in order to survive and keep her brother safe.
My Favorite Sentence/Paragraph:

The earth quaked under her feet; pinecones bobbed up and down.  Then silence hung in the night as they all stared at the bear, the second crawling so slowly that it seemed like hours.  She filled her rifle one more time just in case it lifted its head again.

Page 111

It Would Have Been Better If:

There was one very disturbing part of the book that had to do with the family dogs belonging to the people on the wagon train.  It was pretty tragic.

Also, Samantha and Alex didn't even meet until at least half-way through the book.  I was a bit impatient to see what would happen with their relationship.

I Would Recommend This Book To:

History buffs, dog lovers, hikers, naturalists, minimalists, older sisters, road-trip lovers, campers, Oregonians, gardeners, teachers, anyone who likes a well-told story.


Rating

4/5

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Now, for the giveaway!

To enter for a chance to win my review copy of this book:

*Mandatory-  Please leave a comment telling me what you would miss most if you left your home behind in order to settle in a new land.

*Extra-  Follow my blog and leave a comment telling me you do :)

The giveaway will run until October 18, 2012 at 11:59pm.  The winner will be announced on October 19th.

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On to the next book,