Sacagawea: Westward with Lewis and Clark

by Alana White

A young Shoshone woman. A small baby. A gigantic dog. A journey like no other.In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to lead an expedition across the western United States to the Pacific Ocean. To communicate with the Native peoples they would encounter, they engaged a young Shoshone woman called Sacagawea to accompany them. Sacagawea’s knowledge of the West allowed them to trade for food and supplies and request help when desperately needed.In Westward with Lewis and Clark, Alana White explores the life and times of this fascinating woman. In their journals, Lewis and Clark describe Sacagawea as calm, courageous, and uncomplaining. Down raging rivers, around turbulent waterfalls, and over the Rocky Mountains, during desperate times when there was little to no food or shelter, Sacagawea endured.“Sacagawea’s remarkable life related throughout White’s book comes from entries in the Lewis and Clark journals, as well as Shoshone Oral Tradition. Concisely written and highly readable.” - VOYASacagawea’s legacy has been widely honored in the United States with statues, monuments, and markers, including one erected in patriotic memory of her by the Wyoming Daughters of the American Revolution on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.

Genres: Nonfiction

88 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2024

About the author

Alana White is the author of the Guid'Antonio Vespucci mystery series, whose titles include The Sign of the Weeping Virgin (#1) and The Hearts of All on Fire (#2). Both are set at the height of the Italian Renaissance in Florence, Italy. Other books include Come Next Spring, a coming of age novel set in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee in the 1940s, and a biography of Sacagawea, Sacagawea: Westward With Lewis and Clark. She is a longtime member of the Historical Novel Society and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives in Nashville, TN.

Alana welcomes readers and is always available for reader group chats. Please visit her at www.AlanaWhite.com for more information. As well as HNS and SCBWI, she is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, the Author's Guild, and the Women's National Book Association.

Reviews

[ᛚᚨᚱᚲᚨ × ᚠᛖᚾᚱᛁᚱ (Semi hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Everything I do is for my people."

The story of the brave Sacagawea, a woman from the Shoshone tribe that helped the Lewis and Clark Expedition, is well known. With this book, Alana J. White brings us on a journey into that unexplored land, and through the relationships with the Native Americans living in those lands.
I would have liked more information about Sacagawea, but they are scarce to begin with.

***Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

[Lauralee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sacajawea was one of the most celebrated women in American history. Sacajawea is on the American golden dollar. She also has monuments named after her. At the age of sixteen, Sacajawea was an interpreter during the Lewis and Clark Expedition. This biography of Sacajawea chronicles her expedition and the hardships she faced.

I have heard of Sacajawea since grade school. I was very pleased to learn that there was a biography of her. Sacajawea was a Shoshone woman. The Hidatsa tribe raided her tribe and took her captive. Charbonneau, a French Fur trader, acquired Sacajawea through either a purchase or a prize from gambling and married her. She then gave birth to a son named Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. At the age of sixteen, Sacajewea, her infant son, and husband accompanied Lewis and Clark during their expedition.

Overall, this was a very short and comprehensive biography of Sacajawea. Besides the Lewis and Clark expedition, there is very little information known about Sacajawea. Therefore, this biography mostly focuses on Lewis and Clark. Nevertheless, this biography proves that Sacajawea is an admirable historical figure! She made a difficult and perilous journey while taking care of her infant son! As a mother myself, I sympathized with her difficulties and respect for pushing through so many hardships. Therefore, I came away from this biography by having a deeper appreciation for her! This biography does an excellent job highlighting Sacajawea’s accomplishments! I recommend this for fans of Lakota Woman, The True Story of Pocahontas, and Wise Women!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)

[Megan Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young Shoshone woman. A small baby. A gigantic dog. A journey like no other. In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to lead an expedition across the western United States to the Pacific Ocean. To communicate with the Native peoples they would encounter, they engaged a young Shoshone woman called Sacagawea to accompany them. Sacagawea’s knowledge of the West allowed them to trade for food and supplies and request help when desperately needed.In Westward with Lewis and Clark, Alana White explores the life and times of this fascinating woman. In their journals, Lewis and Clark describe Sacagawea as calm, courageous, and uncomplaining. Down raging rivers, around turbulent waterfalls, and over the Rocky Mountains, during desperate times when there was little to no food or shelter, Sacagawea endured.“Sacagawea’s remarkable life related throughout White’s book comes from entries in the Lewis and Clark journals, as well as Shoshone Oral Tradition. Concisely written and highly readable.” - VOYA Sacagawea’s legacy has been widely honored in the United States with statues, monuments, and markers, including one erected in patriotic memory of her by the Wyoming Daughters of the American Revolution on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I heard of Sacagawea's tale as a child, but only as a summary compared to Alana White's novella. Since discovering her story, I have been trying to find the truth in her tale. Still, history is never faithful, and I could never find a concise book specifically about Sacagawea. That is until I found White's novella. I read the novella in a night, absolutely engrossed by Sacagawea's life. White paints Sacagawea's life before meeting Lewis and Clark and what happens after, stripping away the legends of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from her name and letting her story speak for itself, with White reminding her readers that Sacagawea was a teenage mother and survivor, not just a guide.

I appreciate the fact that White does not embellish or speculate about what Sacagawea's life was like: she sticks to the facts she has researched and uses her matter-of-fact style to give Sacagawea the recognition she deserves. I can now better understand why she is such a cultural icon and why the NAWSA had her as a symbol of women's worth and independence.

Overall, Alana White's Sacagawea is a concise and intriguing novella about the life of an amazing woman who needs to be remembered, so I highly suggest Sacagawea to everyone who loves history, specifically women's history. It is also the perfect starter for anyone wanting to start reading non-fiction but who doesn't want to jump into bigger books.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Legend has it that a young Shoshone woman, baby on her back, guided Meriwether Lewis & William Clark on their expedition across the western United States to the Pacific Ocean in 1804. Who was Sacagawea? How accurate are the stories about the expedition? What happened to her afterwards?

Not being American, Sacagawea's story is not one I was familiar with. I'd heard her name mentioned but couldn't tell you any details. This book tries to bring together all the known information & the author does their best with what's available - the real issue is that factual information is scant. We're not even sure whether Sacagawea died young or lived to an old age, as her husband, Charbonneau, had two Shoshone wives & very often neither were referred to by name just as his wife. It is an interesting read, if a little disjointed in places, but I finished it with the disappointing realisation that the real Sacagawea is still unknown & probably always will be. 3.5 stars (rounded down)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Atmosphere Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

[Bonnie Blaylock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite scarce historical records of this Shoshone woman, the author traces her steps from her kidnapping at age 12 through her journey with Lewis & Clark. Like many of us, I'd heard her name mentioned in history class in association with Lewis & Clark, but I found I didn't really know about her at all! How much more interesting would middle and high school history have been had I known she was just SIXTEEN when she made this grueling journey--and with an 8 wk old baby along for the ride!? Weaving together known facts from journals and brief mentions of her sprinkled through written records, the author left me in awe, saddened (but not surprised) that we know so little of this strong, smart, courageous woman.

[Shayna greycoupon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sacagawea by Alana White is about the indigenous woman's role in Lewis and Clark's famed expedition to explore the northwestern United States. The book uses Lewis and Clark's journals and Native oral history as sources. It does a nice job covering Sacagawea's vital role while debunking some of the untrue stories about the expedition. It is a quick read and perfect for a middle school or high school student interested in history. Thank you to Alana White, NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the ARC. #Sacagawea #NetGalley.

[Catherine Mathis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the well told story of a woman whose name I knew but whose details I had only the vaguest memories from school days bygone. I bought this for my 10-year old granddaughter to read. She devoured the booked and told her best friend to read. That is high praise indeed. This book gave me the gift of reading and discussing with my granddaughter a book about a woman who impacted America's story. Adults and young people will enjoy a well-written and not too long tale.

[Tavia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short novel about the life of Sacagawea, who joined the Lewis & Clark expedition along with her French husband in 1805. Sacagawea proved to be an invaluable aid to the Corps of Discovery & this book covers the scant details of her life.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atmosphere Press & the author for a copy of this book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating, factual biography of Sacagawea and account of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It addresses the more controversial parts of the story in an age appropriate way. This would be great for home schoolers or any middle-grade reader with an interest in history or strong women of the past.

[Randy O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great story, especially for young people looking for a hero to read about.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sacagawea was a person whose story is often a mix of fact and fiction. Alana White does a fantastic job of wading through the myth and legend and getting to the truth in her story. Because of the way she handled the myriad stories about Sacagawea, anybody can pick up this book easily without any prior knowledge about her or the time period. I enjoyed the author's storytelling abilities as she broke down the Lewis and Clark expedition leg-by-leg. The maps were great tools in the book as well, adding a much needed visual to understand the scope of the journey they undertook. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author in the future.

Structure/Formatting 5/5
Thoroughness of Research 5/5
Storytelling 5/5
Enjoyment 5/5
Prior Knowledge Needed 5/5

[Tonya | The Cultivated Library Co · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember my mother telling me the story of Sacagawea when I was a young child. Growing up, there were not a lot of stories where Native women were not just useful but integral to the success of something.

As an adult, I appreciate Alana White's work in bringing Sacagawea's story to young readers today. Considering there is not much information about this formidable woman, White still managed to craft an engaging story of Sacagawea's bravery.