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The Good Journey
After a brief courtship, Mary Bullitt finds herself married to General Henry Atkinson, a virtual stranger, and on her way from Louisville to the frontier outpost at St. Louis, where her husband has his headquarters and where Mary finds harsh living conditions, the constant threat of Indian attack, and a growing awareness that she knows nothing about the man she married. 35,000 first printing.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published June 26, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 12, 2011
What a fantastically written book! Based on letters written by the real-life heroine, The Good Journey follows the marriage of Mary Bullitt to General Henry Atkinson, one of the men charged with making the frontier "safe" for white settlers. I really enjoyed that Mary was not your typical early 19th century woman, full of vapors and hysteria. She was intelligent, witty, possessed of her own mind, and set on remaining unmarried so as not to become some man's chattel. All of her intentions disappeared, however, when she realized she had met her match in General Atkinson, and quickly agreed to become his wife and move to the western frontier with him to make her life on an Army post.
The chemistry between Mary and the General was so well written, and the General was an amazingly complex character whom the reader wanted to root for, even considering his substantial flaws. Mary herself was feisty and witty, and I admit I have a thing for feisty, witty heroines, though they've never had an easy life throughout history. I loved the way Mahaffey and Russell, two of the General's soldiers, bickered and teased one another in various passages, though they were extremely well-spoken to be average soldiers, so that grated a bit. I also wonder if Mary and her family would really have had black servants, or whether they were slaves that the modern author called "servants" to spare our sensitivity to that sort of thing.
All in all, this is a fabulous book. I have had it on my shelf for at least four years, and I admit I am angry at myself for waiting so very long to read it. Highly recommend.
The chemistry between Mary and the General was so well written, and the General was an amazingly complex character whom the reader wanted to root for, even considering his substantial flaws. Mary herself was feisty and witty, and I admit I have a thing for feisty, witty heroines, though they've never had an easy life throughout history. I loved the way Mahaffey and Russell, two of the General's soldiers, bickered and teased one another in various passages, though they were extremely well-spoken to be average soldiers, so that grated a bit. I also wonder if Mary and her family would really have had black servants, or whether they were slaves that the modern author called "servants" to spare our sensitivity to that sort of thing.
All in all, this is a fabulous book. I have had it on my shelf for at least four years, and I admit I am angry at myself for waiting so very long to read it. Highly recommend.
December 14, 2008
I picked this up on a whim and loved it! It is one of those books I was sad to finish. Towards the very end of the book, I discovered that this book is based on and taken from actual diaries and historical papers.
Here is the story of Mary Bullit who marries a significantly older man who is a general at the "edge of civilization" on the Indian frontier near St. Louis in the 1820's and 30's. This story of her life and the Black Hawk wars tells a sad but fascinating story of the western frontier.
This was the author's first book. I hope she writes more.
Here is the story of Mary Bullit who marries a significantly older man who is a general at the "edge of civilization" on the Indian frontier near St. Louis in the 1820's and 30's. This story of her life and the Black Hawk wars tells a sad but fascinating story of the western frontier.
This was the author's first book. I hope she writes more.
March 22, 2010
Absolutely loved this book. If any of you have read it let me know what you thought. It was descriptive and had well-developed characters. I felt very involved in the story. I'm terrible at writing so can't give full credit to what I thought of this book. :) I did see she wrote one other book (which I am trying to locate - it's not at the PPL) but hasn't since which is a shame to me as she is an excellent writer.
May 15, 2014
I picked this book up over and over trying with difficulty to finish reading it. The style of writing was extremely uneven. I had to work very hard at times reading sentences over several times to figure out who the author was speaking about. There were chapters that were clearer than others; the short glimpse into the early months of the couple's marriage was sweet and a bit clearer than other chapters but most of the book was very unclear to me. I live in Saint Louis and I am extremely familiar with the history of this area. I live near Jefferson Barracks so you think that would help but it didn't. I hate to rate this book so low because I applaud authors writing historical fiction and I'm certain Gilchrist worked very hard and I hope she keeps writing but I also hope that she works at her craft. I can't imagine a person unfamiliar with this area figuring out where in the heck the characters were half of the time throughout this book. I grew very weary as this book dragged on and on and on.
February 6, 2013
I never quite know what to think of historical fiction. In the back of my mind, the "but is it true?" question always looms. In this case, their relationship is a major portion of the book. I think it's difficult to ever know another couple's relationship, but looking back through the lens of time and culture makes in even more difficult. So I just had a hard time believing. And it felt like she was making it a bit more spicy to appeal to modern readers...
July 10, 2014
I am always hesitant to read books involving the military because I know that there will be bad language and that was true for this book. I wanted to stop half way through because I was just bored with the story, but I kept thinking it had to get better...but it didn't. And, even though I don't expect a happy ending in every book I read, I was hoping that this would end better than it did. I wish I could get back the hours that I spent reading this book.
July 18, 2018
rating: 2 for first 80+ pages; 3 for the rest of the book
This is a tough review to write. I liked the idea that it was based on actual letters, and I wanted to learn something about Gen'l Atkinson, and I know very little about the tribes and the injustices of that time and place, so I saw this as my introduction to both.
The Author's Note was promising:
p 6: Every Sunday evening in the library of her home in Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, Mary Bullitt Atkinson wrote to her brother-in-law, Lieutenant Thomas Alexander. ... [Her] letters -- vibrant, witty, mournful, expressive missives described the violence, sensuality and exhilaration of 19th century life in St. Louis at a time of incredible social and political upheaval.
Why didn't Gilchrist share at least one paragraph from the letters? I really wanted to hear MBA's own voice, because I have this uncomfortable feeling that Gilchrist and I wouldn't agree on this woman's personality. (I really disliked the first 80+ pages.) Probably, I would have preferred reading the original letters. I wonder if they'll ever be published.
In her note, the author goes on to say,
p 7: With few exceptions, all of the characters in this novel are historical persons and their actions are based on their correspondence.
So, why then didn't Gilchrist tell us which characters she invented! I suspect that her cousin, Phillip, is one of her inventions, since she needed a voice to tell about her husband's time on the frontier.
As for my objections to the first 80 pages, they just don't "ring true." I have a hard time believing the personalities she tries to create for Bullitt and Atkinson. Bullitt is way too rude for a Southern belle of that area, and Atkinson is too crude, especially for a man of his standing (and his descriptions later in the book don't fit with these early chapters). Nor do the conversations ring true -- the spoken vocabulary and sentence structure is overdone.
Some examples:
p 30, her mother tells the Gen'l: ordinarily Mary is the embodiment of piety, purity, submissiveness and --. (Does that sound like anything a Mother would spout to a man she's just met?)
And her sister's response to Mother's comment: Eloise hawed like an old mule suffering the lung rot, and Mama triggered a wallop upside the back of her head that left her tingly for weeks.
Does that sound like the behavior you'd encounter in an admired Southern household?
Once the author found a believable voice, the story wasn't bad (but, as usual, I was left feeling depressed by the cruelties and injustices meted to the Natives).
This is a tough review to write. I liked the idea that it was based on actual letters, and I wanted to learn something about Gen'l Atkinson, and I know very little about the tribes and the injustices of that time and place, so I saw this as my introduction to both.
The Author's Note was promising:
p 6: Every Sunday evening in the library of her home in Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, Mary Bullitt Atkinson wrote to her brother-in-law, Lieutenant Thomas Alexander. ... [Her] letters -- vibrant, witty, mournful, expressive missives described the violence, sensuality and exhilaration of 19th century life in St. Louis at a time of incredible social and political upheaval.
Why didn't Gilchrist share at least one paragraph from the letters? I really wanted to hear MBA's own voice, because I have this uncomfortable feeling that Gilchrist and I wouldn't agree on this woman's personality. (I really disliked the first 80+ pages.) Probably, I would have preferred reading the original letters. I wonder if they'll ever be published.
In her note, the author goes on to say,
p 7: With few exceptions, all of the characters in this novel are historical persons and their actions are based on their correspondence.
So, why then didn't Gilchrist tell us which characters she invented! I suspect that her cousin, Phillip, is one of her inventions, since she needed a voice to tell about her husband's time on the frontier.
As for my objections to the first 80 pages, they just don't "ring true." I have a hard time believing the personalities she tries to create for Bullitt and Atkinson. Bullitt is way too rude for a Southern belle of that area, and Atkinson is too crude, especially for a man of his standing (and his descriptions later in the book don't fit with these early chapters). Nor do the conversations ring true -- the spoken vocabulary and sentence structure is overdone.
Some examples:
p 30, her mother tells the Gen'l: ordinarily Mary is the embodiment of piety, purity, submissiveness and --. (Does that sound like anything a Mother would spout to a man she's just met?)
And her sister's response to Mother's comment: Eloise hawed like an old mule suffering the lung rot, and Mama triggered a wallop upside the back of her head that left her tingly for weeks.
Does that sound like the behavior you'd encounter in an admired Southern household?
Once the author found a believable voice, the story wasn't bad (but, as usual, I was left feeling depressed by the cruelties and injustices meted to the Natives).
July 8, 2019
This was the fascinating story of Mary Bullit from a very well to do family in Louisville, KY who marries a general named Henry Atkinson. The general is much older (she adores him). He lives in Missouri on an army post, so they move to the frontier and more austere life. His job in this pre-Civil War period is to keep the peace between the Indians and settlers. Atkinson has a great deal of respect for the Native tribes, although he has been to war with them. He has a particular conflict with Black Hawk (and the book goes on to explain the "why" behind this). Eventually, his views put him at odds with the Andrew Jackson administration. This story is both beautiful and fascinating. The relationship between Marry Bullitt and the "General" is truly fascinating. This was a history that I was unfamiliar with. It was well researched and well written. I highly recommend it.
April 8, 2018
This book was very impressive in the amount of research that Gilchrist completed in writing this book, both primary and secondary. The true story of the General and Mary Bullitt is amazing, and I applaud the author for "getting it right." However, it reads more a like a university press book that focuses on historical details in depth rather than a book with characters a reader can relate to. I had a hard time empathizing with any of the characters until the last 1/4 of the book. To me, it was a good lesson in knowing how much historical fact to include and how much to leave out. As a researcher and biographer, I know how enamoured one be be over newly discovered facts, but as a wise editor once told me, "What the author needs to know is not necessarily what the reader needs to know."
May 8, 2017
I loved the characters. Excellent narrative of life in the 1800s.
June 6, 2018
3.5 stars
May 11, 2021
My poor heart 💔.
Mary deserved happiness and Henry too.
Big age gap ( H 44 & h 22 ). He has a grown daughter.
Mary deserved happiness and Henry too.
Big age gap ( H 44 & h 22 ). He has a grown daughter.
March 6, 2017
I really enjoyed this work of historical fiction. It was a small window into the shameful history of how Native Americans have been and continue to be treated in this country through the lens of people who were a part of that mistreatment and displacement. It was fascinating to see that they appear to have known what they were doing was wrong on some level, but participated in it all anyway. Good read.
January 15, 2015
Over all I thought this book was wonderful. I liked the parallels it had between the fight against the Native Americans in nineteenth century America and the societal believes of the nineteenth century Southern society. In addition to the interesting stories of contacts with the Native Americans, this story encompasses a very unique love story which is sure to keep any reader on the edge of their seat. Although there were a few holes in the plot, the Good Journey by Michaela Gilchrist kept me interested throughout the entirety of the novel.
April 25, 2008
After a courtship of three days, Mary Bullitt marries General Henry Atkinson and moves to a Missouri army base with him, soon learning that he is infatuated with a young Native American translator.
Lyrically written first novel. Based on the archival letters of Mary Bullitt and military studies of General Atkinson. Fascinating, in-depth characterizations and riveting historical details make for an exceptional read. Highly recommend
Lyrically written first novel. Based on the archival letters of Mary Bullitt and military studies of General Atkinson. Fascinating, in-depth characterizations and riveting historical details make for an exceptional read. Highly recommend
August 14, 2016
The Good Journey by Micaela Gilchrist was a first novel of the first order. Historical fiction centering around the settling of the Midwest through the Indian wars, arranged marriages and larger-than-life characters, the book promises much and delivers more. The author seamlessly takes the reader from present to past and from story to story, all the while creating the tapestry of the European settling of the new world. Great first novel!
January 27, 2017
From the glowing description on the back, this looked very promising - "inspired by actual letters" and "chronicle of twenty years in the... marriage of two American pioneers" . But 30 pages into the book…..and it seemed "the tradition of Willa Cather" here, was inching towards the tradition of Rosemary Rogers. That's just not my idea of a good journey. Maybe I should give it another 30 pages but I'm a firm believer in first impressions. And so many more books on the shelf, waiting
March 2, 2009
Part history, mystery and romance.
I loved this book. The characters came alive to me. When I put the book down, my desire to get back to Henry, Mary and Bright Sun over-ruled. I found myself reading until the early morning hours. I could not put it down.
Historical fiction based on the 20-year marriage of General Akinson and his wife Mary during the 1820's-40's.
I loved this book. The characters came alive to me. When I put the book down, my desire to get back to Henry, Mary and Bright Sun over-ruled. I found myself reading until the early morning hours. I could not put it down.
Historical fiction based on the 20-year marriage of General Akinson and his wife Mary during the 1820's-40's.
August 2, 2010
Fantastic! I enjoyed this book and hated to put it down.... even to feed the kids. It pulls you in from the beginning to end. I found the historical information fascinating. It felt real and honest. A great find! A book I know I will re-read in the future. It is filled history, love, confusion, humor and wit. Just read it and you won’t be sorry!
June 25, 2011
The Good Journey is a beautifully written historical fiction novel set during the Black Hawk War between the white men and the Native Americans. I enjoyed Mary, the main character because she is not your typical pre-Civil War damsel in distress. She is sassy and confident. There were many laugh-out-loud moments in this book which were quite refreshing. A very nice story.
February 12, 2012
The three different narrators and not chronological time skips made the book a little confusing. The book was a interesting durring the Black Hawk war and the parts where Mary is trying to solve the mystery of her husbands deep connection with the indians, but the rest of the book was slow and nothing much happend.
June 25, 2015
I really enjoyed this. Similar to These is my Words in that it's the story of a woman trying to survive the frontier. She is also trying to work out an imperfect marriage to a general husband that frequently leaves to try to bring peace to relations between Indians and the settlers. He is tight lipped about his past life before her and such is much of the drama of the book. Very good.
December 14, 2015
A marvelous tale that convincingly portrays the struggle between Indians and whites in the Black Hawk War without sentimentality, but still conveys the emotions of the struggle along with the inner conflicts of the well-drawn characters. One of the best books I have read. I loved the conclusion of the novel. Micaela Gilchrist excels.
February 26, 2016
It took me awhile to read this book. Lots of detail and descriptions about life in early 1800's on the frontier as the settlers moved into Indian territory. Based on the life of General Henry Atkinson , his strong willed wife Mary Bullit Atkinson and the Indian Warrior Black Hawk. A surprise ending which being historical fiction I was not sure if it was true.
April 19, 2008
I loved this historical novel based on the lives on an army General and his wife set in the 1820s-30s. A very poignant look into a struggling marriage and family. A revealing look at the continual evacuation and extermination of the American Indians.
March 11, 2009
This fictional book is based on letters written by Mary Bullit Atkinson, general's wife in the Missouri frontier during the Indian wars. The historical and character elements of the story make the book readable and intriguing. Definitely a good read!
January 16, 2009
Such an intriguing story set in our nation's early frontier times. Following the story of a heroine who has much to learn about her husband it is a lovely story that really explores her journey from riches to the frontier and her relationship with her husband.
August 7, 2009
A historical novel narrated by the young wife of Gen. Henry Atkinson in the years surrounding the Black Hawk War. I'm not sure what to think about it. There's some beautiful writing, but it seems uneven. And it's always interesting but sometimes seems melodramatic & also at times anachronistic.
August 31, 2010
I used to never give up on books, but lately I do because I have a growing stack of others to read. I guess I would sum it up as I didn't like the authors writing style. However, I only got 30 pages in.
November 5, 2010
More like 3.5 stars. Definitely worth reading, but not as much of a historical novel as I'd hoped. Although set in the past, it has more of a modern sensibility, especially the emphasis on the relationship between the narrator and her husband.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews