Into a New Country: Eight Remarkable Women of the West

by Liza Ketchum

Collects the stories of eight women who influenced the development of the American west including slave-turned-wealthy woman Biddy Mason, Native American rights speaker Susette LaFlesche Tibbles, and Gold Rush pioneer "Klondike Kate" Ryan.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Also writes under the name Liza Ketchum Murrow.

Virginia Jefferson Cup Honor Book, Virginia Library Association, 1988, for West against the Wind; Children's Choice selection, 1989, for Good-bye, Sammy; best young-adult novel designation, American Library Association, 1990, and Mark Twain Award listee, 1991-92, both for Fire in the Heart; Mark Twain Award listee, and Sequoyah Award listee, both 1993-94, both for The Ghost of Lost Island; Lambda Literary Award, 1998, for Blue Coyote.

Reviews

[Carmen Redding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about 8 amazing women and how they had to persevere and overcome challenges as they sought to find their place during the period of westward expansion. These women were not only pioneers because of their geographical location. Some of them had to face prejudice because of their race, gender and occupational ambitions. In valiantly meeting the challenges before them, they helped themselves and others, and in the process, they changed history. This is a good book for young girls and women to read because it is encouraging and inspirational.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such amazing women and amazing stories❤️ 5 stars. definitely recommend

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I was going to read this book for my women's history month book, but then my mom got me the Bright Eyes book, and so I read that instead.
This book is about 8 different women who lived in the West. The two that I liked best, and whose stories I read over and over again, were the two Omaha sisters Susan and Susette La Flesche.
Susan was the first American Indian women to go to medical school (perhaps first American Indian I can't remember), and Susette was an activist for American Indian rights.
The others include:
SUSAN SHELBY MAGOFFIN who acompaneyed her husband on a covered wagon journey to Mexico and back.
LOTTA CRABTREE a child actress who rose from playing in taverens for miners to becoming a well loved actress
BRIDGET 'BIDDY' MASON one of Los Angeles' richest citizens- after escaping slavery
BETHINA OWENS-ADAIR one of the first women doctors of the West
MARY McGLADARY TAPE a chinese imigrant who came from China as a child with Scottish missionaries, and became an activist for Chinese rights
KATHERINE RYAN or otherwise known as 'Klondike Kate' a brave woman who went into Yukon Territory by herself to hunt for gold and later became a Mounty

[Amber Young]

Ketchum, L. (2000). Into a new country: Eight remarkable women of the West. Boston: Little, Brown.

Citation By: Amber Young Collins

Call Number: 978 Ket

Type: Biographical Reference

Content/Scope: This is a biographical reference book about the lives of eight women who played a role in western expansion of the United States.

Arrangement/Presentation: The presentation makes it easy to read even though it is not the most interesting topic.

Accuracy/Authority/Bias: This is presented with complete accuracy and without bias. The biographies show the true backgrounds of the women.