I read the first book, Independence, in December 2007, and wrote: “I enjoyed this book much more than I had anticipated I would. Not great literature by any stretch, but a captivating story with some likeable (and some not so likeable) characters.” Then I read the second book, Nebraska, in September 2008, and wrote: “It took me a little bit to get into this one, but once I did I got very caught up in it. So much so, in fact, that when I read the last page I was taken by surprise. The ending was quite abrupt, and unlike the first book, seemed to just stop in the middle of one of the plots. In this book the wagon train travels across Nebraska on their way to Oregon, and I guess I just figured the book would end when they reached Oregon. But of course, between Nebraska and Oregon they still have to travel through Wyoming and Idaho, duh!”
So now the wagon train is in Wyoming, and for most of the book they are holed up in a little valley, waiting for winter and the snow to pass before continuing their journey. I didn't enjoy Wyoming quite as much as the first two books. I think partly because I really liked the characters of Sam Brentwood and Claudia who’s last name I’ve forgotten, who are not in this book at all, having married and left the wagon train. In the second book, I got caught up in the story between Whip Holt, the leader of the wagon train, and Claudia’s sister, Cathy, but I was disappointed with the way that relationship played out in this book.
It was slow going at first, to get interested in it, and none of the many characters are really fleshed out, but it did pick up and was enjoyable for the most part. Still not great literature, but I don’t anticipate any of the series will be. Regardless, I’ve collected the majority of the books in the series – I think I’m only missing a couple – and I’ll continue with it.
(I received this book from a Book Mooch member in December 2007.)
No comments:
Post a Comment