What do you think?
Rate this book
Sweetwater Rescue The Willie and Martin Handcart Story
Book by Swinton Heidi and Croberg Lee
136 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
1 person is currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Heidi S. Swinton
16 books15 followersHeidi Sorensen Swinton (born 1948) is an author, screenwriter and historian who has written several books to accompany historical documentaries created by film-maker Lee Groberg.
Swinton was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Frederick Christian Sorensen and his wife Harriet Horne. Swinton is a stepdaughter of Leonard J. Arrington.
Swinton is a descendant of George A. Smith. She and her husband, Jeffrey C. Swinton, also a descendant of George A. Smith, spent their honeymoon in England seeking for where in England the earliest Smith ancestors came from.[2]
Swinton is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). In the LDS Church, she served for a time as a member of the Relief Society General Board as well as at different times as both a Primary and Young Women president at the ward level. Her husband Jeffrey has served as an area seventy, stake president, and bishop in the LDS Church. He spent his career as a lawyer, working for the Salt Lake City lawfirm of Stoker and Swinton at the time he was called to preside over the England London South Mission in 2006.
Swinton attended the University of Utah and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
Among works that Swinton has contributed writing to are Trail of Hope, American Prophet, Sacred Stone which was the story of the Nauvoo Temple, Sweetwater Rescue, and America's Choir about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. She also written biographies of D. Arthur Haycock and Joseph Anderson. She has also co-authored articles on buildings such as the Hotel Utah and the Relief Society Building.
From 2006-2009 she was serving as a missionary in England along with her husband Jeffrey Swinton who was president of the England London South Mission. While in England Swinton contributed a column to Meridian Magazine entitled "Mission Mum".
Heidi and Jeffrey Swinton are the parents of five sons.
In September 2010 a biography of Thomas S. Monson written by Swinton was released.
Source: Wikipedia
Swinton was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Frederick Christian Sorensen and his wife Harriet Horne. Swinton is a stepdaughter of Leonard J. Arrington.
Swinton is a descendant of George A. Smith. She and her husband, Jeffrey C. Swinton, also a descendant of George A. Smith, spent their honeymoon in England seeking for where in England the earliest Smith ancestors came from.[2]
Swinton is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). In the LDS Church, she served for a time as a member of the Relief Society General Board as well as at different times as both a Primary and Young Women president at the ward level. Her husband Jeffrey has served as an area seventy, stake president, and bishop in the LDS Church. He spent his career as a lawyer, working for the Salt Lake City lawfirm of Stoker and Swinton at the time he was called to preside over the England London South Mission in 2006.
Swinton attended the University of Utah and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
Among works that Swinton has contributed writing to are Trail of Hope, American Prophet, Sacred Stone which was the story of the Nauvoo Temple, Sweetwater Rescue, and America's Choir about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. She also written biographies of D. Arthur Haycock and Joseph Anderson. She has also co-authored articles on buildings such as the Hotel Utah and the Relief Society Building.
From 2006-2009 she was serving as a missionary in England along with her husband Jeffrey Swinton who was president of the England London South Mission. While in England Swinton contributed a column to Meridian Magazine entitled "Mission Mum".
Heidi and Jeffrey Swinton are the parents of five sons.
In September 2010 a biography of Thomas S. Monson written by Swinton was released.
Source: Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 12, 2012
This was a beautiful book with lovely pictures. The story of the pioneers and their sufferings as they tried to get to Salt Lake late in the traveling season was so sad. So many died, they didn't have enough food and many lost limbs because they were frozen. Brigham Young sent out many, many to rescue them with food,clothes, and blankets and bring them back to Salt Lake where they were cared for and given rest, food, and care. My great-grandmother's brother and his wife were in the Martin Handcart company and were 26 years old. They both made it to Salt Lake and lived there until they passed away in the early part of the 1900's.
August 4, 2014
Beautiful, devastating, inspirational, and heroic are a few words which come to my mind now that I have finished reading this book. It's a "must read!" It has opened a window for better understanding -- and appreciating -- my pioneer heritage.
October 16, 2008
Love the artwork. Love the stories. Makes me ask "What do I sacrifice to build the kingdom?"
February 17, 2020
I'm simultaneously reading two books about the Willie & Martin Handcart Disaster - this one plus Devil's Gate: Brigham Young and the Great Mormon Handcart Tragedy. "Devil's Gate" is written by a non-LDS historian and is intensely critical of church leadership and their decisions which resulted in so much death and suffering. "Sweetwater Rescue," by contrast, is a lavish coffeetable book written by and for Church members.
A handful of takeaways:
1. There is not a single reference to polygamy anywhere in the text, an omission which is kind of bizarre.
2. Unlike "Devil's Gate," this book places no blame on anyone for the suffering and loss of life, just noting that the handcart companies commenced very late, and winter began rather early.
3. Though this book is intended to be faith promoting (and other Goodreads reviewers were clearly satisfied on this front), I came away with feelings of horror, and a sense of the pointless waste of all the suffering these poor people endured. Some thanked God for their deliverance! If God were indeed favoring and protecting these people, why wouldn't he have contrived to hold them over in Florence until the spring? Clearly the book wasn't faith promoting for me.
4. I know the (fantastically talented) artist who did the painting on page 80.
5. Alas, the efforts of my great-great-great grandfather David P. Kimball are not mentioned in this book, though other Kimballs have reasonably prominent roles in the story.
A handful of takeaways:
1. There is not a single reference to polygamy anywhere in the text, an omission which is kind of bizarre.
2. Unlike "Devil's Gate," this book places no blame on anyone for the suffering and loss of life, just noting that the handcart companies commenced very late, and winter began rather early.
3. Though this book is intended to be faith promoting (and other Goodreads reviewers were clearly satisfied on this front), I came away with feelings of horror, and a sense of the pointless waste of all the suffering these poor people endured. Some thanked God for their deliverance! If God were indeed favoring and protecting these people, why wouldn't he have contrived to hold them over in Florence until the spring? Clearly the book wasn't faith promoting for me.
4. I know the (fantastically talented) artist who did the painting on page 80.
5. Alas, the efforts of my great-great-great grandfather David P. Kimball are not mentioned in this book, though other Kimballs have reasonably prominent roles in the story.
September 15, 2025
I was disappointed in this book! the stories and experiences are heart wrenching. The format of the book, very disappointing! It jumps all over the place. confusing!!! The story is broken up by inserts and dialogue of the paintings and biographies of the people, not necessarily related to the content of the story that is being written. That story is picked up again 1 - 3 pages later. Some excerpts are repeated out of context. The paintings are of well dressed children and pioneers while the dialogue is of the pioneers in rags and shoeless barely alive.
July 24, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyed reading the histories of both the pioneers and their rescuers. Such an amazing story of faith and perseverance on all counts. The book gives a good rounded perspective, including pictures, maps, and historical documents. Well worth the read.
July 12, 2019
This is a book of stories and paintings and maps recounting the travels and trials of the Martin and Willie handcart companies of 1856. It follows the groups from England to Salt Lake, as well as some of the rescuers and their stories. It's the story of faith and perseverance. This book tells the story well and is a fast read with lots of pictures.
February 13, 2017
Lots of great artwork and a good summary of these two handcart companies and their trials and rescue. If you need the <2hr version of the story, this is a great way to get it. I learned several new aspects of the events from this book.
July 15, 2011
I read this in preparation for the Pioneer Trek we'll be taking soon and it was inspiring and uplifting. The faith of these Mormon pioneers in spite of unthinkable hardships and sorrow is unbelievable. (I'm sure I would have been one of the pioneers who finally just sat down, exhausted, by the side of the road and died). Their story is one of great courage, strength and unshakable faith. I loved hearing the different stories and finally being able to understand the sequence of events. The book is a bit awkward in size for comfortable reading and the sidebars got in the way of reading the main story. (I ended up just reading the story straight through and then going back to read the sidebars afterward). But it was a perfect set-up for our trip and I hope I'll remember those poor frozen but faithful souls when I'm dripping sweat in my long prairie skirt and bonnet and complaining about the heat!
September 25, 2013
This is a Rescue story everyone should read!
The great and wild western frontier holds an achingly beautiful story of 1200 people who ran out of food and supplies 700 miles before they reached their destination. Brief accounts from journals creates the true story of how these people survived - and were miraculously saved!
The authors did a great job on layout, I was continually touched by the beautiful art accompanying so many of the stories told inside. I loved how it was presented in a simple and easy outline without any white pages packed only with words :). This book is full color (the story and pages) I can not tell you enough - you must read it yourself!
The great and wild western frontier holds an achingly beautiful story of 1200 people who ran out of food and supplies 700 miles before they reached their destination. Brief accounts from journals creates the true story of how these people survived - and were miraculously saved!
The authors did a great job on layout, I was continually touched by the beautiful art accompanying so many of the stories told inside. I loved how it was presented in a simple and easy outline without any white pages packed only with words :). This book is full color (the story and pages) I can not tell you enough - you must read it yourself!
October 9, 2008
Finished this one tonight. Every member of the LDS church has heard the stories of the handcart pioneers out of the plains, but I really enjoyed this collection and history. The paintings added a lot. I liked that inside the fly leaf were the names of every single person in the Willie and the Martin companies, along with a star for those who died.
My only (small) complaints are that the reenactment pictures (there were only a few) were a little odd in with the rest of the stories, and that the format was a little hard to follow. But the content made up for it. So good and so moving.
My only (small) complaints are that the reenactment pictures (there were only a few) were a little odd in with the rest of the stories, and that the format was a little hard to follow. But the content made up for it. So good and so moving.
August 9, 2016
I am truly amazed at what these saints went through. Absolutely heartbreaking. I've a better idea of what happened overall now, but was hoping for more of the miraculous stories that they experienced, such as the ones they included in the movie "17 Miracles." I was surprised to learn of the two wagon companies that were there on the trail with the handcart companies- I didn't know about them. On a side note, it includes a quote from my great great great aunt about Captain Willie- so that was cool.
June 2, 2010
Strengthened my testimony of the early pioneers, as well as my love for my own ancestors, who were in this company. Very, very touching. Brought me to tears seeing their struggles and sacrifices! Also helped me learn more about my family heritage, and how strong and determined they were. So neat to see my relatives' names listed in the back!!
I am also so grateful for the rescuers. Had it not been for them, my own family would not have made it to the valley. Beautiful book and tribute!
I am also so grateful for the rescuers. Had it not been for them, my own family would not have made it to the valley. Beautiful book and tribute!
August 16, 2009
Really great and inspiring. It has page size inserts throughout the story that tell of people along the trail, that made it a little difficult to stay focused on one story line. I guess that is how most books would be when they are combining many different account of the same event. But I did love how they began their stories in England... and not just where the handcart trail begins in Iowa City.
February 25, 2011
Wow. What a sad, inspirational story. This is the story of a group of Mormon pioneers in the 19th century who pulled handcarts across the plains. They left too late, were caught in winter storms, and were rescued by parties sent out from Salt Lake.
Minus one star for the huge format. This book is filled with beautiful art, and it is beautifully designed. But the layout is too busy for continuous reading and the book is so huge that it was hard to find a comfortable place to read it in.
Minus one star for the huge format. This book is filled with beautiful art, and it is beautifully designed. But the layout is too busy for continuous reading and the book is so huge that it was hard to find a comfortable place to read it in.
May 4, 2009
Beautiful book! Stunning illustrations and a beautiful and tragic story. This one I read in one sitting, it's not a hard read. Captivating from the very beginning, tragic to the end. It really makes you think twice about the "hardships" we have in our lives. They definitely aren't as physically demanding as the ones in this book.
January 2, 2013
So glad I read this book. It's an important part of our heritage, and it makes you examine yourself...how much would I endure for my faith? 5 stars for the subject matter; 1 star deduction for the book's format, which includes full-page "sidebars," that interrupt the story every two or three pages.
June 29, 2013
Read this in preparation for our visit to Martin's Cove in Wyoming. It had beautiful, inspiring art work along with the story; it also included side bars about certain pioneers, going more in depth with their stories. I loved the little facts that I learned in addition to hearing the story of the Martin and Willie hand cart companies. Great read!
July 9, 2013
This book was a gift given to me in honor of my ancestral heritage in the Martin handcart company. I loved learning all the details of this tale, both tragic and miraculous, and was very moved by the faith, resiliency and determination of these good Saints. It inspires me to likewise do my part in building the kingdom of God.
January 26, 2015
Great book. I absolutely loved all the artwork! The story is touching and tender, and I cried over nearly every page. What amazing pioneers. This was good as an overview of the whole experience. Now I'd like to read more of what were some of their individual experiences
May 15, 2008
tells a lot more about what happened then you get at church or school and it has a listing of nearly everyone in the companies
August 10, 2008
I loved the artwork in this book as much as the true stories of the pioneers. Included in the book is a full list of the names of those in the handcart companies.
July 27, 2010
Read in preparation for Trek
January 28, 2011
I liked this historical acoount of the rescue of the Willie and Martin Handcart companies. I like reading the journal entries even when they take your breath away.
July 10, 2015
Loved the story but found it at times confusing as to which handcart company was being talked about. Wish it would have been more obvious.
October 11, 2017
I read this book after going on a Pioneer Trek with our stake to many of the locations in the book. I had seen many of the sites and heard many of the stories while on trek, that this book gave more detail to. It was nicely organized and the illustrations were beautiful.
March 11, 2019
A book full of stories of faith and endurance. I loved the beautiful pictures that captures the experiences of the handcart emigrants. This book is personal and priceless to me. I have ancestors who were in the James G. Willie company and the Edward Bunker company. It gave me an great insight of what they went through and I love and appreciate them all the more.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews