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Eliza's Fire: The Story of a Single Mother in the Martin Handcart Company
Experience the pioneer trail in a different way as you get the perspective of a pioneer mother with young children written by her fourth-great-granddaughter, who also happens to be a mother with children the same age.
Eliza Cusworth was born to a wealthy family in Almondbury, England. A few years after her miraculous conversion, her husband died. On his deathbed, he urged Eliza to move to Utah and raise her children amongst the saints. This book tells the story of ELIZA’s FIRE from her mischievous youth, to the wondrous day when her family is sealed in the Manti temple.
Praise for ELIZA'S
"I appreciate and loved how accurate and real the story was-how it's actually taken from your ancestor, and how it portrayed the hardships of the pioneers. The later part of the book, during those hardships, felt like I was actually reading Eliza's own words, as if she'd written them herself, and I felt emersed in the story with her."
"I loved that they were good side characters with a lot of substance to give without taking away from the story of Eliza. You wrote so well how they contributed to her faith, strength, and perseverance."
"I cried A LOT. Some of it was a sad cries because I related with the grief Eliza felt - and the fear of losing a child when Martha was sick and cold. But a lot was because Eliza expressed her feelings - especially spiritual feelings in ways I am not equipped to do. I felt like someone was describing how I've felt many times in my life, and cried because I felt seen. Not many people know the kind of grief or struggles, even longing for spiritual experiences I've felt. I'm sure people have experienced the same feelings, but the story of Eliza put it all into a beautifully worded box and tied it with a bow that helped me just feel more validated."
Eliza Cusworth was born to a wealthy family in Almondbury, England. A few years after her miraculous conversion, her husband died. On his deathbed, he urged Eliza to move to Utah and raise her children amongst the saints. This book tells the story of ELIZA’s FIRE from her mischievous youth, to the wondrous day when her family is sealed in the Manti temple.
Praise for ELIZA'S
"I appreciate and loved how accurate and real the story was-how it's actually taken from your ancestor, and how it portrayed the hardships of the pioneers. The later part of the book, during those hardships, felt like I was actually reading Eliza's own words, as if she'd written them herself, and I felt emersed in the story with her."
"I loved that they were good side characters with a lot of substance to give without taking away from the story of Eliza. You wrote so well how they contributed to her faith, strength, and perseverance."
"I cried A LOT. Some of it was a sad cries because I related with the grief Eliza felt - and the fear of losing a child when Martha was sick and cold. But a lot was because Eliza expressed her feelings - especially spiritual feelings in ways I am not equipped to do. I felt like someone was describing how I've felt many times in my life, and cried because I felt seen. Not many people know the kind of grief or struggles, even longing for spiritual experiences I've felt. I'm sure people have experienced the same feelings, but the story of Eliza put it all into a beautifully worded box and tied it with a bow that helped me just feel more validated."
218 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 14, 2026
Enjoyed very much!
I have read stories of the Martin Handcart company before. This one was so good. Thank you Kiylee for sharing. What a blessing to have ancestors who were so strong.
I have read stories of the Martin Handcart company before. This one was so good. Thank you Kiylee for sharing. What a blessing to have ancestors who were so strong.
January 6, 2026
I'm not usual a fan of "pioneer books" but this one was incredible! So inspiring with a splash of regency romance! One of my new favs!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews