Disaster & Triumph: Sacramento Women, Gold Rush Through the Civil War

by Cheryl Anne Stapp

Book is in excellent condition. This is an autographed copy.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

272 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love running into these little gems of books, works of nonfiction that come from the passionate work of local historians whom simply love learning about the people and places of yesteryear that filled in the gaps for what makes each place special today. Cheryl Anne Stapp has done a wonderful job in bringing color and life to the historic women of Sacramento and surrounding areas, demonstrating the often untold work of women in creating established locales. Each chapter discusses the unique ways in which women coming to Sacramento around the Gold Rush Era (but few for this actual reason) and infiltrating culture with their women-kind. It is clear from the writing how much joy Stapp finds in writing about what she discovers in her firsthand review of primary sources (journals, census logs, etc.) and wants to share with the world. What is particularly enjoyable is the recognition of these buildings and streets she talks of and the history of what they once were, as well as knowing the origins of famous landmarks, such as the contributions of Margaret Crocker a la the Crocker Art Museum. I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Stapp at Sutter's Fort, where she lead a small discussion about women in the pioneer era and their contributions to early California history and settlement. She is clearly passionate about her area of expertise and demonstrates this through her love of sharing her knowledge with others. I enjoyed reading my signed (and personalized!) copy of this book and will treasure having this small piece of honest, insightful writing into an area which I will always remember well for the time that I have made it my home. Feeling a connection with the personal and professional lives of the women whom walked these historic streets before me makes it that much more powerful and inspires me to contribute my own expertise to Sacramento life.

[Bozena Zawisz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally, I was hooked by this book. I love reading historical accounts and I found Cheryl Anne Stapp's writing style very engaging and entertaining. For me, this book felt like a delightful combination of reading historical fiction (this book however, presented superbly researched, actual accounts) and a historical non fiction book, so I flew through the pages. I gained much insight into women's roles, the details of their every day life and struggles. I would give it 6+ stars if I could, as I continue to be inspired by this author's research and writing.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are from Sacramento, it was very enjoyable. I learned much about the history of our city and it was interesting because it was through women's eyes. I ended up researching more about women's suffrage activities in California. Definitely worth reading.
I started it and then put it down to read a different book, but then went back to it and found it even more charming than I had before.

[Gina Engman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful information about the women in California's founding times. I especially loved learning about Jennie Wimmer's part in the Gold Rush! Will be keeping this book around to reference! Very well researched and great to give a voice to the women of the Gold Rush and California's history.

[Lady Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informational, providing a close look at the lives of four prototypical Sacramento pioneer women.

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This detailed book includes not only well researched historical facts, but the human element as well. I enjoyed reading details about historical events that helped shape Sacramento to be the city it is today. The courage, faith and resiliency of Sacramento's early women come through in their stories on the frontier.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fun and interesting to read about daily lives of not-so-famous people. The author's suppositions help you get an idea of what life was really like in that time period.