April 9, 2011

Impatient with Desire by Gabrielle Burton

Impatient with Desire by Gabrielle is a novel that is based on a lost journal of Tamsen Donner. This is a historical novel that takes place during the spring of 1846 when families were heading west along the Oregon Trail to start their lives over in California. If this is a period in time you were ever interested in, this is a must-read book.


Book Description

“The Donner Party
You know how some died.
Here’s how some lived.
“My heart is big with hope and impatient with desire.”
—Tamsen Donner, a letter to her sister


In the spring of 1846, Tamsen Donner, her husband, George, their five daughters, and eighty other pioneers headed west on the California-Oregon Trail in eager anticipation of new lives in California. Everything that could go wrong did, and an American legend was born.

The Donner Party. We think we know their story—starving pioneers trapped in the mountains performing an unspeakable act to survive—but we know only that one harrowing part of it. Impatient with Desire brings to stunning life a woman—and a love story—behind the myth. Historians have long known that Tamsen kept a journal, though it was never found. In Impatient with Desire, Burton imagines this lost journal—and paints a picture of a remarkable heroine in an extraordinary situation.” – Impatient with Desire


My Thoughts
Impatient with Desire is a novel that is based on the Donner party that was trapped in the mountains along the Oregon Trail during a very harsh winter. Gabrielle Burton does a fabulous job bringing the characters together in a journal format as a lost journal that was written by Tamsen Donner.

If you ever played the game “Oregon Trail” this book give new meaning to just what the very real people endured on their path. Burton does a perfect job showing just how hard traveling along this path was for so many. The countless hours of research she did for this book really shows in her writing and will leave you captivated by this memorable tale.

Impatient with Desire by Gabrielle Burton is a must-read novel for fans of historical novels, and especially those who just love a good and haunting read. I highly recommend it.


* Thank you to the publisher of Impatient with Desire, Voice, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

3 comments:

The Random Years said...

Sounds like a good book, def gonna add to my reading list!

Sarah said...

This is my type of book, thanks for the review!

gabrielle burton said...

Dear Sheri,
I just saw your review of my novel, Impatient with Desire, and I'm so pleased it resonated with you. it was my deepest hope to make Tamsen Donner and the Donner Party saga real. You're absolutely right when you say how hard the traveling was--most of the pioneers WALKED the 2000 miles, they were tough people and we owe a great deal to their adventurous natures. I appreciate your support very much.