Will I love The Oregon Trail?

I had never heard of Rinker Buck—nor of C-Span Book TV, for that matter—when one day, flipping through channels, I landed on him giving a talk about his then-new book, The Oregon Trail. I was smitten. As soon as his talk ended, I rushed to my local library to check out a copy.

Part travelogue, part memoir, part history lesson, The Oregon Trail had me mesmerized from the first page. “Exceptional” is not too strong a word to describe Buck’s skill as a writer and his extraordinary 2000-mile journey in a real covered wagon pulled by mules, tracing the pioneers’… show more.

This is a true story about different people on a majestic but dangerous journey traveling cross country in America during the 18th century in a covered wagon, hoping to escape to a better life.

We see how travel in this new world is full of harrowing adventures which helps to bring them together instead of tearing them apart. Ordinary people shine bright to survive this treacherous journey, and I learned that the people, not the wilderness, are the winners in this travel journal rich in personal stories.

It is a book with a big heart.