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Things Will Be Better
An 1849 Journey on the Oregon Trail. It's 1849, Crispinus Fletcher has been orphaned. After being forced to move twice before in his life, hoping things will better each time, Cris must now leave his farm and, with his 12 year old sister, find positions on a wagon train heading west. Heavy rains turn the trail to a mire. The dread disease, cholera, stalks the western-bound travelers. Flooded rivers flip wagons, causing injuries and drownings. Young men heading for the California gold fields travel with few supplies, steal, murder and rile the Indians along the route. The trail also brings adventures and good friendships. But when Cris and his sister arrive in Oregon Territory, will things really be better?
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First published February 14, 2013
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February 10, 2026
Things Will Be Better by Barbara Linsley is an interesting and well-researched read. It sits squarely in two of my favorite genres-historical fiction and frontier America.
The story is sometimes brutal, but that feels true to the period rather than gratuitous. As I was reading, I often had the sense that this is what traveling the Oregon Trail must really have been like: hard, uncertain, and unforgiving.
I appreciated the author’s perspective and attention to historical detail, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
The story is sometimes brutal, but that feels true to the period rather than gratuitous. As I was reading, I often had the sense that this is what traveling the Oregon Trail must really have been like: hard, uncertain, and unforgiving.
I appreciated the author’s perspective and attention to historical detail, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Displaying 1 of 1 review