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Answer Creek
From the award-winning author of Eliza Waite comes a gripping tale of adventure and survival based on the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party on their 2,200-mile trek on the Oregon–California Trail from 1846 to ’47.
Nineteen-year-old Ada Weeks confronts danger and calamity along the hazard-filled journey to California. After a fateful decision that delays the overlanders more than a month, she—along with eighty-one other members of the Donner Party—finds herself stranded at Truckee Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, stuck there for the entirety of a despairing, blizzard-filled winter. Forced to eat shoe leather and blankets to survive, will Ada be able to battle the elements—and her own demons—as she envisions a new life in California?
Researched with impeccable detail and filled with imagery as wide as the western prairie, Answer Creek blends history and hearsay in an unforgettable story of challenging the limits of human endurance and experiencing the triumphant power of love.
Nineteen-year-old Ada Weeks confronts danger and calamity along the hazard-filled journey to California. After a fateful decision that delays the overlanders more than a month, she—along with eighty-one other members of the Donner Party—finds herself stranded at Truckee Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, stuck there for the entirety of a despairing, blizzard-filled winter. Forced to eat shoe leather and blankets to survive, will Ada be able to battle the elements—and her own demons—as she envisions a new life in California?
Researched with impeccable detail and filled with imagery as wide as the western prairie, Answer Creek blends history and hearsay in an unforgettable story of challenging the limits of human endurance and experiencing the triumphant power of love.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2020
232 people are currently reading
4234 people want to read
About the author
Ashley E. Sweeney
9 books109 followersMulti award-winning author Ashley E. Sweeney’s fourth novel, The Irish Girl, released December 2024. Her previous novels, Eliza Waite, Answer Creek, and Hardland, have won a total of 17 awards, including the Nancy Pearl Book Award, Independent Press Award, WILLA Literary Award, and New Mexico-Arizona Book Award. Sweeney, a native New Yorker and graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, spends winters in Tucson and summers in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
May 24, 2020
The story of the Donner Party and anything related to the Oregon Trail have always intrigued me.
Ada Weeks is only nineteen-years old when she travels to California along the trail in 1846. She’s traveling with eighty-one others in the Donner Party. They are stranded at the lake in the dense and hazardous Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is winter, and they experience one blizzard after another. They begin eating their supplies. It’s all they can do when they run out of food.
Ada is a character I immediately wanted to read more about. She’s strong and inspiring. The story is quite adventurous; traveling the trail in those conditions would have to be.
Ashley Sweeney deftly captures the mix of emotions of her characters, and I felt like I was stranded along with them. Overall, Answer Creek is a well-told story with a strong main character trying to survive in an unspeakable time.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Ada Weeks is only nineteen-years old when she travels to California along the trail in 1846. She’s traveling with eighty-one others in the Donner Party. They are stranded at the lake in the dense and hazardous Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is winter, and they experience one blizzard after another. They begin eating their supplies. It’s all they can do when they run out of food.
Ada is a character I immediately wanted to read more about. She’s strong and inspiring. The story is quite adventurous; traveling the trail in those conditions would have to be.
Ashley Sweeney deftly captures the mix of emotions of her characters, and I felt like I was stranded along with them. Overall, Answer Creek is a well-told story with a strong main character trying to survive in an unspeakable time.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
July 19, 2020
In 1846, nineteen year old Ada Weeks sets off on a 2,200 mile trek to California with her adopted parents Augustus and Inger Vik. No amount of planning could prepare Ada for the hardships she will face traveling along the overland trail, she will be tested to the absolute limit of her endurance and mental toughness. She will have to walk the entire way, her boots will wear out, she will be hot, sweaty, sun burnt, bruised, bitten by insects, sick, hungry and face death and danger every single day.
Due to one fateful decision by the Donner and the Reed families to take the Hasting Cut off, Ada and her fellow travelers find themselves stranded at Truckee Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, stuck there for the entirety of the freezing and harsh winter. To survive Ada will to eat shoe leather and blankets and others might cross the line of human decency and we all have heard the rumors about the Donner party.
Answer Creek is well researched adventure story that includes true historical facts and some hearsay! As you read about Ada traveling on this long dangerous journey by wagon train, you will understand how she had to push herself beyond the limits of her physical endurance and on the brink of insanity to make it out of the frozen mountains. Ada shows incredible strength and fortitude and towards the end of her trip from hell she meets the tough mountain man Julian James Rogers and will she find love? Wow what a book, well done Ashley E. Sweeney, I enjoyed every page of Answer Creek and five stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
Due to one fateful decision by the Donner and the Reed families to take the Hasting Cut off, Ada and her fellow travelers find themselves stranded at Truckee Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, stuck there for the entirety of the freezing and harsh winter. To survive Ada will to eat shoe leather and blankets and others might cross the line of human decency and we all have heard the rumors about the Donner party.
Answer Creek is well researched adventure story that includes true historical facts and some hearsay! As you read about Ada traveling on this long dangerous journey by wagon train, you will understand how she had to push herself beyond the limits of her physical endurance and on the brink of insanity to make it out of the frozen mountains. Ada shows incredible strength and fortitude and towards the end of her trip from hell she meets the tough mountain man Julian James Rogers and will she find love? Wow what a book, well done Ashley E. Sweeney, I enjoyed every page of Answer Creek and five stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
July 31, 2020
I am in awe of the way author Ashley Sweeney weaved well-researched history and an extraordinary talent for language to create a story that takes you back to a time when people literally followed their dreams in hopes of a better life. I've long been intrigued by the story of the Donner Party; I live just a handful of hours south of the infamous Donner Pass in in Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. You should know that Answer Creek is not a gratuitous novel, dwelling on the gruesome details that tend to mark the story of these unfortunate travelers. This is a story of resilience. Of Determination. And, ultimately, of desperation. Sweeney not only opens a window to the treacherous journey west, she pulls us through it and soon we are walking with Ada, a fiercely independent young woman determined to make it to the "Land of Grapes" even after losing two sets of parents. Her protagonist feels so real and raw that I was flabbergasted to discover that Ada Weeks was the only truly fictional character in the story. I loved how the author inserted this young woman as a witness to the ambition, the tragedy, the hope, and the horror of a treacherous months-long pilgrimage from the Midwest toward the Pacific Coast. Well-earned five stars and the hours spent lost in the pages of this incredible book by Ashley E. Sweeney
July 27, 2021
I have not read a lot on the Donner Party. I have heard the basics of what it was, how horrific it was, and though terrible, people survived and lived on. I enjoyed this story of Ada Weeks and her travels West, walking those many miles, the strength she must have had to endure those hardships. But also the strength to survive and persevere and prove that she was strong.
Other than a few mispronunciations of towns in Wisconsin and Iowa, and placement of the Iowa River in Wisconsin, the narrator was good and I enjoyed listening to the book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this audio. I will give this book 3.5 stars.
Other than a few mispronunciations of towns in Wisconsin and Iowa, and placement of the Iowa River in Wisconsin, the narrator was good and I enjoyed listening to the book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this audio. I will give this book 3.5 stars.
April 9, 2020
Ashley E. Sweeney recreates a cross-continental journey that makes social distancing and being in lock-down at home feel luxurious. Answer Creek is about endurance and survival.
Set in 1846-7 on the California-Oregon trail, the novel tells the story of Ada who travels across the continent with the Donner-Reed party.
Yes, the infamous, ill-fated, starving cannibals of history.
After the tragic death of Ada's parents, she was taken in by a Norwegian family who decide to move to California. Early in their journey, they impulsively drive their wagon into high water and are lost. Ada is next taken in by the Breen family.
Dyin's gonna get us all in the end, one way or t'other, she thinks. But dyin's not the hardest part. Livin's a lot harder than dyin' any day. ~from Answer Creek by Ashley E. Sweeney
Ada, one of the few fictional characters in the novel, has endured a lifetime of troubles over her brief nineteen years. As hardened as she is, she also has a tender heart, caring for children and women and giving medical care to the men.
The tale can rival any story of hardship I have read, from Polar explorers to concentration camps.
Staying home for two months? Running out of toilet paper, milk, and eggs?
This is nothing compared to living 124 days in an overcrowded cabin, buried in snow, starving, without heat or blankets or decent clothing.
Ada experiences the elements' extremes and the daily pain of sore feet, bug bites, sunburn, chapped skin, frozen extremities, hunger, and painful loss.
Ada survives, but what kind of life can she have, linked as she is to the cannibalism of the Donner party? Luckily, a man named Riddle takes her to Answer Creek where she can heal and find a new life.
Sometimes, it's all we can do to hold it together, she thinks. And over and through it all, we've got to forgive ourselves, and others, over and over and over again. ~from Answer Creek by Ashley E. Sweeney
I was swept into the novel by the beautiful, descriptive writing. Ada is a strong, appealing character who is easy to relate to. The novel gains momentum, from the early beauty of the plains and the impressive natural formations of the West to the privations and life-threatening brutality of mountain winter. It was a joy to read.
I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Set in 1846-7 on the California-Oregon trail, the novel tells the story of Ada who travels across the continent with the Donner-Reed party.
Yes, the infamous, ill-fated, starving cannibals of history.
After the tragic death of Ada's parents, she was taken in by a Norwegian family who decide to move to California. Early in their journey, they impulsively drive their wagon into high water and are lost. Ada is next taken in by the Breen family.
Dyin's gonna get us all in the end, one way or t'other, she thinks. But dyin's not the hardest part. Livin's a lot harder than dyin' any day. ~from Answer Creek by Ashley E. Sweeney
Ada, one of the few fictional characters in the novel, has endured a lifetime of troubles over her brief nineteen years. As hardened as she is, she also has a tender heart, caring for children and women and giving medical care to the men.
The tale can rival any story of hardship I have read, from Polar explorers to concentration camps.
Staying home for two months? Running out of toilet paper, milk, and eggs?
This is nothing compared to living 124 days in an overcrowded cabin, buried in snow, starving, without heat or blankets or decent clothing.
Ada experiences the elements' extremes and the daily pain of sore feet, bug bites, sunburn, chapped skin, frozen extremities, hunger, and painful loss.
Ada survives, but what kind of life can she have, linked as she is to the cannibalism of the Donner party? Luckily, a man named Riddle takes her to Answer Creek where she can heal and find a new life.
Sometimes, it's all we can do to hold it together, she thinks. And over and through it all, we've got to forgive ourselves, and others, over and over and over again. ~from Answer Creek by Ashley E. Sweeney
I was swept into the novel by the beautiful, descriptive writing. Ada is a strong, appealing character who is easy to relate to. The novel gains momentum, from the early beauty of the plains and the impressive natural formations of the West to the privations and life-threatening brutality of mountain winter. It was a joy to read.
I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
July 19, 2021
Oregon trail
Continental Divide
Long days longer nights
Answer Creek is a novel about immigrants coming to recently claimed America. Their hardships, death, survival, and living.
What a wonderful book!
Continental Divide
Long days longer nights
Answer Creek is a novel about immigrants coming to recently claimed America. Their hardships, death, survival, and living.
What a wonderful book!
July 8, 2021
Answer Creek by Ashley E. Sweeney, is a masterfully woven piece of sensory brilliance! It’s heart moving, gut wrenching, tender, and tough, being capable of hitting the full range of mental emotions. Vivid descriptions, character depth, the enduring human spirit and a teenage young woman’s will to survive, while taking care of others.
Long after the end of the story, I’m still thinking about it. Yep that’s when you know it’s made an indelible depression of your heart. High praise also is deserved for Laci Morgan for her outstanding narration.
This is a story a highly recommend to those who enjoy a strong and balanced female protagonist. HUGE 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My thanks to NetGalley, OrangeSky Audio, and Ashley Sweeney for the privilege to have an advanced Digital Audio Copy, in exchange for an honest review..All opinions are my own. #AnswerCreek, #AshleySweeney
Long after the end of the story, I’m still thinking about it. Yep that’s when you know it’s made an indelible depression of your heart. High praise also is deserved for Laci Morgan for her outstanding narration.
This is a story a highly recommend to those who enjoy a strong and balanced female protagonist. HUGE 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My thanks to NetGalley, OrangeSky Audio, and Ashley Sweeney for the privilege to have an advanced Digital Audio Copy, in exchange for an honest review..All opinions are my own. #AnswerCreek, #AshleySweeney
April 19, 2020
""Wagons, HO!" is the rallying cry at dawn, and again after nooning. "Gee, haw, walk on, steady now," these, too, are trail words." Oh, the hopes and dreams the pioneers who embarked on the Oregon-California trail had. The visions of the "promised land" that swirled in their minds as they packed their lives and treasured possessions into covered wagons. Along with all the possible foods and supplies they should need to make the 2,200 mile trek. They are aware of the dangers and hazards but there's a future ahead and sheer determination will drive them through. Nothing could possibly deter them from their destination....then reality hits and the journey becomes one of sheer will to reach the California paradise. Not all who embark are fortunate enough to see the final journey's end. This is the story of Ada Weeks and her grueling pilgrimage across the western frontier. The story of a fictional character placed in the middle of the true, ill-fated, Donner Party expedition. I remember learning about this infamous story in school and how horrible it sounded for people to have had to endure what they did. Ashley Sweeney took me back through time and brought me into the midst of the wagon train traveling west. She so descriptively writes the reality of how it was. I was struggling and suffering right along with Ada. Nothing in my prior imagination came close to how much endurance and strength this would have taken. She strips away the "romanticism" of pioneering and traveling across the plains and mountains of the unsettled western territory and brings the reality of it front and center. "Ada's boots flap, slap, feet oozing with open sores. It's one foot, then the other: six, twelve, eighteen miles per day through clouds of black gnats and dust." "Walking, Walking, Walking".
Ada is an amazing character. I really felt what she was going through. The trials of trail life with all it's devastation, loss, death, and hopelessness. The feelings she went through being stranded in the Sierras...desperation, everyone for themselves kind of survival. The hunkering in a snowbound cabin with nothing to eat but scraps of shoe leather and blankets. The horror of what the Donner Party and the pioneers went through is so vividly described by Ms. Sweeney in the pages. My mind struggled to grasp just how desperate it was. Ada's conscience and caring for the people touched my heart. Her desire to want to take care of the others was filled with compassion. The delirium of being so cold that she couldn't even think made me feel like I wanted to lay down in the snow and just go to sleep. Ada brought so much to the true story and what it was like. Her character revealed more truth to what really happened than what the sensationalized news accounts were about. I learned so much about this event.
I truly had an experience reading this novel. One that I will keep in my heart for what the early pioneers went through to make their hopes and dreams happen. It also gave me an appreciation for how much detail and research Ms. Sweeney put into this novel. It's one that is so well written. This book is a great reason why I love historical fiction. I was taken back into the setting and into a historical event as though I were living it myself. It's an intense, extraordinary and riveting account of the events that took place on the Donner Party wagon train to California.
I want to thank Netgalley and Ms. Sweeney for the great opportunity and honor of reading this novel. It most certainly is a five star plus read for me. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my heartfelt own.
Ada is an amazing character. I really felt what she was going through. The trials of trail life with all it's devastation, loss, death, and hopelessness. The feelings she went through being stranded in the Sierras...desperation, everyone for themselves kind of survival. The hunkering in a snowbound cabin with nothing to eat but scraps of shoe leather and blankets. The horror of what the Donner Party and the pioneers went through is so vividly described by Ms. Sweeney in the pages. My mind struggled to grasp just how desperate it was. Ada's conscience and caring for the people touched my heart. Her desire to want to take care of the others was filled with compassion. The delirium of being so cold that she couldn't even think made me feel like I wanted to lay down in the snow and just go to sleep. Ada brought so much to the true story and what it was like. Her character revealed more truth to what really happened than what the sensationalized news accounts were about. I learned so much about this event.
I truly had an experience reading this novel. One that I will keep in my heart for what the early pioneers went through to make their hopes and dreams happen. It also gave me an appreciation for how much detail and research Ms. Sweeney put into this novel. It's one that is so well written. This book is a great reason why I love historical fiction. I was taken back into the setting and into a historical event as though I were living it myself. It's an intense, extraordinary and riveting account of the events that took place on the Donner Party wagon train to California.
I want to thank Netgalley and Ms. Sweeney for the great opportunity and honor of reading this novel. It most certainly is a five star plus read for me. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my heartfelt own.
November 29, 2021
This story of the Donner party’s harrowing experience in the mid-1800’s was well conceived and executed. It was told through the eyes of Ada Weeks, a strong willed 19 year old woman, who is accompanying the party whose objective is to get to California. Midway through their journey, they make the d3cision to take a short cut through the mountains, which ends with disastrous results. Ada’s observations and emotions were accurately portrayed and I loved her grit and strength. The story itself was atmospheric and adventurous. I felt trapped along with the characters.
I recently read another book (a nonfiction that detailed a factual account) about the Donner party so was already familiar with what happened. I thought this story complimented my previous knowledge gained as it was exciting to witness the tragedy in real time from a character’s perspective.
The audiobook performance was engaging. It felt like I was watching a movie. I found myself absorbed in the story, often forgetting it was audio, as I had such a clear visual in my mind of what was going on. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventurous historical fiction or is interested in learning more about the Donner party.
Thank you to OrangeSky Audio and Netgalley for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
I recently read another book (a nonfiction that detailed a factual account) about the Donner party so was already familiar with what happened. I thought this story complimented my previous knowledge gained as it was exciting to witness the tragedy in real time from a character’s perspective.
The audiobook performance was engaging. It felt like I was watching a movie. I found myself absorbed in the story, often forgetting it was audio, as I had such a clear visual in my mind of what was going on. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventurous historical fiction or is interested in learning more about the Donner party.
Thank you to OrangeSky Audio and Netgalley for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2020
This was a solid four stars until that last chapter. The book would have been better if Sweeney had simply left it off. The penultimate chapter provided sufficient resolution to make the story complete.
April 29, 2022
** This was my historical fiction book club's bonus pick for April 2022 **
In historical fiction author's Ashley E. Sweeney's Answer Creek, we're transported back to 1846/1847 where we follow Ada Weeks & her travels with the historical Donner Party as they trekked over 2,000 miles to California and to a better life hopefully.
This novel was meticulously researched and very well written. I could absolutely place myself alongside Ada and her traveling companions and be immersed into the surroundings. I quite liked how the author broke this novel up into three parts (Plains, Mountains and Creek) but not only this, but also presented this novel as a diary/journal prose.
Very highly recommended work of historical fiction - and will have to check out her previous work Eliza Waite, and also her upcoming work Hardland coming mid-September 2022.
On the bonus side as well, a member of my historical fiction book club was able to arrange for her to come join us at our book club meeting lately, and it was such a treat to hear from her about her writing style and how she went about creating this work.
In historical fiction author's Ashley E. Sweeney's Answer Creek, we're transported back to 1846/1847 where we follow Ada Weeks & her travels with the historical Donner Party as they trekked over 2,000 miles to California and to a better life hopefully.
This novel was meticulously researched and very well written. I could absolutely place myself alongside Ada and her traveling companions and be immersed into the surroundings. I quite liked how the author broke this novel up into three parts (Plains, Mountains and Creek) but not only this, but also presented this novel as a diary/journal prose.
Very highly recommended work of historical fiction - and will have to check out her previous work Eliza Waite, and also her upcoming work Hardland coming mid-September 2022.
On the bonus side as well, a member of my historical fiction book club was able to arrange for her to come join us at our book club meeting lately, and it was such a treat to hear from her about her writing style and how she went about creating this work.
August 5, 2021
This book had so many things that I loved. It's based on a true story and it's clearly been researched very well. There are some actual excerpts from Ada's journal, which was very interesting. I was so invested in Ada's journey, but this isn't a happy story. The group started out with over 80 people, and just over 40 make it to California, so it's a sad story of something that really happened to people.
I, of course, had to do some of my own research because this sparked so many questions for me! I think this is going to be a great story for readers that enjoy historical fiction about the early US. This was a solid 4 stars for me. I thought the story was great!.
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
I, of course, had to do some of my own research because this sparked so many questions for me! I think this is going to be a great story for readers that enjoy historical fiction about the early US. This was a solid 4 stars for me. I thought the story was great!.
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
April 16, 2020
Answer Creek is a compelling story of one woman’s journey from Indiana to California as a member of the fated Donner party. Ada Weeks’
story is filled with danger, adventure, tragedy, and deprivation—but it is also a story of courage, strength, and hope. The author did an amazing job of putting the reader in the middle of this trek, feeling the desperation of the travelers, tasting the dirt and sand, shivering along with them as they become entrenched in the cold and the snow. Ada is an inspirational character, surviving the most difficult conditions imaginable.
story is filled with danger, adventure, tragedy, and deprivation—but it is also a story of courage, strength, and hope. The author did an amazing job of putting the reader in the middle of this trek, feeling the desperation of the travelers, tasting the dirt and sand, shivering along with them as they become entrenched in the cold and the snow. Ada is an inspirational character, surviving the most difficult conditions imaginable.
May 31, 2021
4.5 ⭐️! I wished for a bit more closure at the end, but otherwise this was a great, albeit heartbreaking book!
February 24, 2021
This is such an incredible book! Ashley Sweeney brings the Donner Party's arduous journey along the Oregon-California Trail to life through the eyes of nineteen-year-old Ada Weeks. Unlike so many stories of westward expansion that are told through the eyes of men, this gripping novel pays tribute to the contributions and sacrifices women made during these migrations.
Ada and her female companions are tasked with cooking, dishwashing, childrearing, and laundry—all while walking 2,000 miles across deserts and over mountains with the threat of extreme weather and Indian attacks constantly looming. Many birth babies only to lose them to starvation or extreme cold. Others lose their small children to the wheels of a wagon or the hooves of an ox. The journey is often heartbreaking and made all the more unbearable by the fact that many of these women are forced to take it by a domineering husband or father. When Ada objects to the plans of George Donner and James Reed to take an untested short-cut through the Great Salt Desert, her protests are ignored. Sadly, the arrogance of these men is largely to blame for the month-long delay that leaves the group stranded at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at the start of winter.
I knew of the tragic fate of the Donner Party before I picked up this book, but I was not aware of the horrific details of the months they spent camped near Truckee Lake. Sweeney's account of their ordeal is both shocking and moving and left me wondering whether I could survive such a nightmare. This is a compelling book that left me in awe of the indomitable power of the human spirit.
Ada and her female companions are tasked with cooking, dishwashing, childrearing, and laundry—all while walking 2,000 miles across deserts and over mountains with the threat of extreme weather and Indian attacks constantly looming. Many birth babies only to lose them to starvation or extreme cold. Others lose their small children to the wheels of a wagon or the hooves of an ox. The journey is often heartbreaking and made all the more unbearable by the fact that many of these women are forced to take it by a domineering husband or father. When Ada objects to the plans of George Donner and James Reed to take an untested short-cut through the Great Salt Desert, her protests are ignored. Sadly, the arrogance of these men is largely to blame for the month-long delay that leaves the group stranded at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at the start of winter.
I knew of the tragic fate of the Donner Party before I picked up this book, but I was not aware of the horrific details of the months they spent camped near Truckee Lake. Sweeney's account of their ordeal is both shocking and moving and left me wondering whether I could survive such a nightmare. This is a compelling book that left me in awe of the indomitable power of the human spirit.
February 25, 2020
My feet are sore. My lips are cracked. My stomach yearns. My bones rattle. My eyes freeze. My body aches. My skin burns. My heart weakens. I have walked over two thousand miles from Missouri to California. I have walked in Ada Weeks’ worn boots, with their soles flapping against dust-filled, wagon-rutted paths. I have walked in the boots Ada removed from a dead man to trudge through snow drifts up to her chest.
Ashley Sweeney’s talent to dig deep and pull forth the physical and emotional aspects of a character shines in her second novel, Answer Creek. Ada Weeks, a fictional character inserted into the overland California Trail of the ill-fated Donner Party in 1846, is the heroine of Answer Creek. She earns her title, and then some, through her sheer will and fortitude to survive against the odds and reach the promised land of California where she can start a new life, with or without a man by her side.
Other characters complement Ada on the journey west, but it’s the vivid details and descriptions of the terrain and weather which cast them as antagonistic characters in the story that help them stand on their own.
In a time when women of today still search for the women of history to learn from and lean upon, Ada Weeks is a pioneering character who embodies our pasts and drives our futures. We all need more Ada Weeks in our lives.
Ashley Sweeney’s talent to dig deep and pull forth the physical and emotional aspects of a character shines in her second novel, Answer Creek. Ada Weeks, a fictional character inserted into the overland California Trail of the ill-fated Donner Party in 1846, is the heroine of Answer Creek. She earns her title, and then some, through her sheer will and fortitude to survive against the odds and reach the promised land of California where she can start a new life, with or without a man by her side.
Other characters complement Ada on the journey west, but it’s the vivid details and descriptions of the terrain and weather which cast them as antagonistic characters in the story that help them stand on their own.
In a time when women of today still search for the women of history to learn from and lean upon, Ada Weeks is a pioneering character who embodies our pasts and drives our futures. We all need more Ada Weeks in our lives.
September 5, 2021
When a book says it's about the Donner Party's voyage, I'm pretty much in. This was a fascinating story. About Ada and her voyage. She is not one of the Donner's but is an outsider that is traveling with another party but with the Donners for part of it. Her stories of hardship and their day to day activities sounded grueling and tough.
I enjoyed this as an audio and every day I tried to find a reason to listen. I was drawn to Ada and wanted to hear more. I kept wondering what on earth could happen next and how would they ever get out of this. This story adds a layer of compassion and understanding to the group that traveled and I appreciated that it didn't stop on that snowy pass but took us farther in Ada's travels, all the way to Answer Creek. I loved the last few chapters as it wrapped it all up for us. What a great story, I loved it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
I enjoyed this as an audio and every day I tried to find a reason to listen. I was drawn to Ada and wanted to hear more. I kept wondering what on earth could happen next and how would they ever get out of this. This story adds a layer of compassion and understanding to the group that traveled and I appreciated that it didn't stop on that snowy pass but took us farther in Ada's travels, all the way to Answer Creek. I loved the last few chapters as it wrapped it all up for us. What a great story, I loved it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
July 6, 2021
This audiobook narrated by Laci Morgan was poignant retelling of the Donner party. This was not a LDS retelling. Contrary to what some believe, they were not all Mormons. The narrator did a great job with Ada’s character and age. It truly was a miracle that any of them made it. The carnage was kept light and it was handled gently.
I enjoyed the story and was glad it was told from Ada’s POV. I recommend it if you want to learn more about the Donner party in the winter of 1846.
Thanks OrangeSky Audio via Netgalley.
I enjoyed the story and was glad it was told from Ada’s POV. I recommend it if you want to learn more about the Donner party in the winter of 1846.
Thanks OrangeSky Audio via Netgalley.
August 3, 2021
I listened to the audiobook and it was hard to get through it. The narration was the problem for me as well as most of the book being very slow. The narrator sounded to young and optimistic for my liking. The book is about the hardships on life on the road and I didn't get that feeling while listening to the book.
March 15, 2020
Ada Weeks has already had a rough start at life, and now it is being uprooted again. But this time, it is to head west to the land or promise and opportunities. California. She has nothing to leave behind and nothing to lose, so off they head. Everything packed in a wagon, and the clothing on their backs.
Although it takes time to get used to the walking and making of camp each night, the wagon train all gets into a rhythm. There are leads who are deciding the best route, women who are mostly in charge of the meals, kids and set up and clean up of camp. Ada becomes part of this routine with the other women and things don't seem so bad.
The amount of miles they have to travel, seems unfathomable and as if they will never make it. Each day, they are closer to their destination. But this does not come with hardships. Families and groups start to break off, or head back, or are left behind. Others decide to take a different route, or have had enough and will start over else where.
But Ada and her family prevails until an accident puts her out, once again. She gets taken in with another family within their group. One that is kind, and soon she falls into a rhythm with Mrs. Breen and helping with meals, kids and the animals.
Walking is all they seem to do, and Ada feels as if she will never do anything ever again in her life. Maybe she should have stayed behind and tried to make a life for herself, she is of marrying age after all. Although some of the males catch her eye, but she is not out to pursue anything serious during this trek. Besides, none of them seem interested in her anyways, they are all off with the other girls.
They've made it 2,000 miles, with many hardships, but they are now about to deal with one they never thought would happen. They are stranded with more 80 other immigrants heading to the promised land, on the wrong side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, as winter starts to settle in. They should have made it to California by now, but various events set them back days and months.
The novel is based on the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party, that were stranded on these mountains. They have become know to do one of the most horrific things a human could do, but they did it to survive. What would you do in that situation?
This was a very well written novel, and I greatly enjoyed the scenery and research that the author did to tell this story through the eyes of Ada. I cannot even begin to imagine walking 2,000 miles to a supposed land of opportunity, with all of my belongings.
Thank you to the author, Ashley E. Sweeney for sending me an arc. I devoured this novel, just like I did her other novel, Eliza White. If you have not read her novels, you are missing out. I also want to thank the publisher, She Writes Press. If it were not for the publisher, these stories would never be placed in my hands.
Although it takes time to get used to the walking and making of camp each night, the wagon train all gets into a rhythm. There are leads who are deciding the best route, women who are mostly in charge of the meals, kids and set up and clean up of camp. Ada becomes part of this routine with the other women and things don't seem so bad.
The amount of miles they have to travel, seems unfathomable and as if they will never make it. Each day, they are closer to their destination. But this does not come with hardships. Families and groups start to break off, or head back, or are left behind. Others decide to take a different route, or have had enough and will start over else where.
But Ada and her family prevails until an accident puts her out, once again. She gets taken in with another family within their group. One that is kind, and soon she falls into a rhythm with Mrs. Breen and helping with meals, kids and the animals.
Walking is all they seem to do, and Ada feels as if she will never do anything ever again in her life. Maybe she should have stayed behind and tried to make a life for herself, she is of marrying age after all. Although some of the males catch her eye, but she is not out to pursue anything serious during this trek. Besides, none of them seem interested in her anyways, they are all off with the other girls.
They've made it 2,000 miles, with many hardships, but they are now about to deal with one they never thought would happen. They are stranded with more 80 other immigrants heading to the promised land, on the wrong side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, as winter starts to settle in. They should have made it to California by now, but various events set them back days and months.
The novel is based on the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party, that were stranded on these mountains. They have become know to do one of the most horrific things a human could do, but they did it to survive. What would you do in that situation?
This was a very well written novel, and I greatly enjoyed the scenery and research that the author did to tell this story through the eyes of Ada. I cannot even begin to imagine walking 2,000 miles to a supposed land of opportunity, with all of my belongings.
Thank you to the author, Ashley E. Sweeney for sending me an arc. I devoured this novel, just like I did her other novel, Eliza White. If you have not read her novels, you are missing out. I also want to thank the publisher, She Writes Press. If it were not for the publisher, these stories would never be placed in my hands.
February 6, 2020
Answer Creek tells the story of Ada Weeks, a fictional 19-year-old adopted daughter of an undertaker and his wife, who treks across the United States with the fated (and real) Donner Party.
If you know anything about the Donner Party, you have a good overview of what happens in this book, although it goes on to also include what happens after the survivors arrive in California. (And if you're not familiar with it, a quick skim on Wikipedia will come in handy.) Based on my own reading about the Donner Party, this author seemed to follow closely to what people believe is the actual story of what happened, outside of inventing Ada to center the story around.
This book reminded me of some of Sandra Dallas's books -- which I really like -- although it went into a bit more detail. I really liked the character of Ada and how she grew and developed as we got further along in the story. And I think the author did a good job weaving together fact and fiction and bringing the characters to life in a way that history books just don't.
It was also a good thing that the author created Ada's character. Since so much has been published about the Donner Party, you know going in who survives and who doesn't, so not knowing what was going to happen to Ada pulled me in and kept me reading to the end.
My biggest complaint was the last chapter of the book. Without giving anything away, I would have preferred some sort of epilogue instead of jumping ahead in time to neatly wrap up the characters. It didn't feel like a good fit with the tone and rhythm of the rest of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. It did not influence my review.
If you know anything about the Donner Party, you have a good overview of what happens in this book, although it goes on to also include what happens after the survivors arrive in California. (And if you're not familiar with it, a quick skim on Wikipedia will come in handy.) Based on my own reading about the Donner Party, this author seemed to follow closely to what people believe is the actual story of what happened, outside of inventing Ada to center the story around.
This book reminded me of some of Sandra Dallas's books -- which I really like -- although it went into a bit more detail. I really liked the character of Ada and how she grew and developed as we got further along in the story. And I think the author did a good job weaving together fact and fiction and bringing the characters to life in a way that history books just don't.
It was also a good thing that the author created Ada's character. Since so much has been published about the Donner Party, you know going in who survives and who doesn't, so not knowing what was going to happen to Ada pulled me in and kept me reading to the end.
My biggest complaint was the last chapter of the book. Without giving anything away, I would have preferred some sort of epilogue instead of jumping ahead in time to neatly wrap up the characters. It didn't feel like a good fit with the tone and rhythm of the rest of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. It did not influence my review.
October 20, 2020
Answer Creek follows the journey of Ava Weeks, a 19-year old women who is part of the Donner Party as they trek across the western plains from Indiana to California in 1846. Most people are familiar with the true story and how they got trapped in the mountains by early hard winter conditions, facing starvation and freezing living conditions for months. Many did not survive. Although the author uses the real names of the people involved and follows the facts of the journey, Ava is a fictional character who is part of the Party and who is faced with the decision to walk out of the mountains or remain at their camp and die. And if she does survive, how will she survive in California as a single woman?
Answer Creek isn’t for the faint-hearted. The hardships described in the story make for a difficult read at times, but because it’s based on the factual events of the ill-fated Donner Party I felt like I had to go on. After all, the men, women and children of 1846 endured them, so surely I owe it to them to read about what they endured. (For anyone familiar with the Donner Party’s horrific winter in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, rest assured that the author did NOT graphically describe the cannibalism that occurred. In fact, it’s only briefly mentioned.)
This is a great historical fiction for anyone interested in the experiences of those brave women who ventured through the West in the mid-19th century, or who simply want to read more about the Donner Party. The incredible strength (both mental and physical) shown by the women on these westward-bound journeys never fails to amaze me. I have no doubt that I wouldn’t even make it half-way.
Answer Creek isn’t for the faint-hearted. The hardships described in the story make for a difficult read at times, but because it’s based on the factual events of the ill-fated Donner Party I felt like I had to go on. After all, the men, women and children of 1846 endured them, so surely I owe it to them to read about what they endured. (For anyone familiar with the Donner Party’s horrific winter in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, rest assured that the author did NOT graphically describe the cannibalism that occurred. In fact, it’s only briefly mentioned.)
This is a great historical fiction for anyone interested in the experiences of those brave women who ventured through the West in the mid-19th century, or who simply want to read more about the Donner Party. The incredible strength (both mental and physical) shown by the women on these westward-bound journeys never fails to amaze me. I have no doubt that I wouldn’t even make it half-way.
June 22, 2021
In her impeccably researched historical novel, Answer Creek, author Ashley E. Sweeny has written a breathtaking account of the Donner Party’s ill-fated journey from Missouri to California. Told through the eyes of the fictional Ada Weeks, the story is populated by real-life members of the group who made the grueling months-long trek across the Oregon Trail, and never shrinks from depicting the physical and moral challenges they face. Harrowing and heartbreaking, Answer Creek is more than a re-telling of the infamous Donner Party’s actions; it is the story of one young woman’s discovery of her courage and inner strength in the face of daunting odds.
July 2, 2021
A riveting read, and beautifully written!
This book will stay with me forever and that is testement to the way the author brought this historical pioneering adventure, with all its hardships and horrors, to life. It's real history, I've read snippets of here and there, and I've visited Death Valley where that salt desert is, and I was walking alongside Ada, the central character, every step of the way, thanks to the superb writing. A love of nature and masses of research also stand out to make it so visceral, so tangible to the imagination, but always the story prevails, as does Ada.
This book will stay with me forever and that is testement to the way the author brought this historical pioneering adventure, with all its hardships and horrors, to life. It's real history, I've read snippets of here and there, and I've visited Death Valley where that salt desert is, and I was walking alongside Ada, the central character, every step of the way, thanks to the superb writing. A love of nature and masses of research also stand out to make it so visceral, so tangible to the imagination, but always the story prevails, as does Ada.
July 11, 2020
A well written and well researched historical novel that was gripping through to the end. A heartbreaking story inspired by fact, that is awe-inspiring but shocking for what these families endured in their epic journey as they trekked on the Oregon trail through unimaginable hardships towards a new life in California. Sadly many perrished along the way. Lovely descriptions and interesting characters in addition to the captivating story made this an excellent read.
October 13, 2020
I don’t read much historical fiction, but when I do, I really enjoy it!
So this is a work of fiction based on true events. The cast of characters is huge, and it took me sometime to get to grips with everyone. Even then, I was confused at the end when they talked about the survivors as I thought one/some of them had died.
A slow burner but a truly harrowing tale. Highly recommend! I’m gonna miss you Ada.
Ps. I’d love a sequel and insight into what happened next given the find at the end of the book.
So this is a work of fiction based on true events. The cast of characters is huge, and it took me sometime to get to grips with everyone. Even then, I was confused at the end when they talked about the survivors as I thought one/some of them had died.
A slow burner but a truly harrowing tale. Highly recommend! I’m gonna miss you Ada.
Ps. I’d love a sequel and insight into what happened next given the find at the end of the book.
April 8, 2022
What a terrific book about the Donner party.
April 8, 2024
2024 review: bumped up to three stars. 2021 review largely stands. In 2024, though, I returned to this book after watching a Tasting History video examining common meals of the Oregon Trail. No reference to the Donner Party was made. Instead, I thought of it my own self, particularly this book and how rich in detail it was. I feel like there was research done even if there were liberties taken. The author's afterward suggests that to be true. I went in remembering what I thought of it originally, and prepared myself to still feel that way.
Wrong. I was able to read this "better," knowing what to expect, and wound up liking it a lot more. I was ready for the repetition, and this time was able to appreciate how it fit into the narrative the author was writing. I'd feel comfortable reading it again in a few years. I watched Ask A Mortician's video on the Donner Party again after I finished this. I didn't remember much of it, but I prepared myself to watch it in two sittings. Queasy as it made me, I did watch it in one sitting.
2021 review: I was delighted for the first fifty pages because -this- was the historical fiction Oregon Trail book for adults I'd been hoping for. I was entranced by all the historical details and the way they were folded in. The book kept going, and I felt the misery and drudgery right with the characters, and the author was so skilled at making the audience realize how -long- the trails must have been. Yes, a lot of trains got to their destinations in six months to a year, but what I hadn't realized was they'd reached those destinations after traveling twelve hours or more a day. I learned a lot from this book and was glad of it. Every time I read the name Donner, I flinched, wondering when the topic would be raised. Don't panic: it's not raised until nearly a hundred pages from the end of the book, and it's from the POV of one of the survivors who's ashamed. She describes it as briefly as possible and starts crying. Caitlin Doughty did a video on Youtube of the Donner Party, from her channel Ask A Mortician. I was so squeamish that I had to watch the video in parts on different days. So, I appreciated this book describing it so briefly.
The rest of the book is from the POV of Ada, a nineteen-year-old who travels with the Donner party. She splits off with another group before the actual incident, but regroups with a few of the survivors later. The reasons for this and how it's done are believable, which I appreciated. The book could have neatly wrapped things up after Ada talks with the survivor, but it drags on for nearly a hundred more ebook pages. This book needed to be half as short as it was. Just restructure it and cut out some of the repetitive stuff. The details are all needed, I do think. Part of my low rating is the book dragged so much in certain sections. I still highly recommend this to people who want to read a novel about the Oregon Trail.
Wrong. I was able to read this "better," knowing what to expect, and wound up liking it a lot more. I was ready for the repetition, and this time was able to appreciate how it fit into the narrative the author was writing. I'd feel comfortable reading it again in a few years. I watched Ask A Mortician's video on the Donner Party again after I finished this. I didn't remember much of it, but I prepared myself to watch it in two sittings. Queasy as it made me, I did watch it in one sitting.
2021 review: I was delighted for the first fifty pages because -this- was the historical fiction Oregon Trail book for adults I'd been hoping for. I was entranced by all the historical details and the way they were folded in. The book kept going, and I felt the misery and drudgery right with the characters, and the author was so skilled at making the audience realize how -long- the trails must have been. Yes, a lot of trains got to their destinations in six months to a year, but what I hadn't realized was they'd reached those destinations after traveling twelve hours or more a day. I learned a lot from this book and was glad of it. Every time I read the name Donner, I flinched, wondering when the topic would be raised. Don't panic: it's not raised until nearly a hundred pages from the end of the book, and it's from the POV of one of the survivors who's ashamed. She describes it as briefly as possible and starts crying. Caitlin Doughty did a video on Youtube of the Donner Party, from her channel Ask A Mortician. I was so squeamish that I had to watch the video in parts on different days. So, I appreciated this book describing it so briefly.
The rest of the book is from the POV of Ada, a nineteen-year-old who travels with the Donner party. She splits off with another group before the actual incident, but regroups with a few of the survivors later. The reasons for this and how it's done are believable, which I appreciated. The book could have neatly wrapped things up after Ada talks with the survivor, but it drags on for nearly a hundred more ebook pages. This book needed to be half as short as it was. Just restructure it and cut out some of the repetitive stuff. The details are all needed, I do think. Part of my low rating is the book dragged so much in certain sections. I still highly recommend this to people who want to read a novel about the Oregon Trail.
July 26, 2020
My mom is related to Virginia Reed through her "Grandma Keyes" and I grew up in the San Jose bay area where many of the Donner Party survivors settled so I am always drawn to stories that include the Donner Party. This one is told in three parts through the eyes of the fictional character Ada Weeks. The first part was extremely slow and plodding, very similar to the immigrants actual journey over the prairies. Members of the Donner party float in and out of Ada's daily life with a focus on The Breen family since that is who Ada travels with. I almost gave up on this book several times because the first part just wasn't very interesting to me and found myself skimming a lot. I've never been a fan of books or movies that focus on the little details of daily life. I want plot and movement in a story.
It picks up once they get to the Mountains and by this point, I'm really feeling the immigrants struggle both physically and mentally. The author sets a perfect stage of short tempers, hardship and despair as immigrants are loosing precious livestock to Indians and having to discard valuable, sometimes sentimental, personal items that are too heavy to take over the mountains.
However, my favorite part was Ada finding herself in the last part of the book. This is when the story is at it's best and Ada really comes into her own. But just as she hits her stride, the book ends with an odd epilogue that is extremely out of place and seems to jolt the reader out of Ada's world and into the future where two of Ada's unlikable great, great grandchildren are bickering over their mother's estate that left me with a feeling of dissatisfaction. I didn't want to learn what happened to Ada in this jarring way and leaves Salida and Rufous with zero resolution.
I'm also a big Civil War buff and having one of the characters from CA go off and fight in the battle of Manassas (Bull Run) in the Eastern theater in 1861 was a historical red flag for me. The first regiment of Californians to fight in the East were called the California 100, a group of Californians originally from the East, who formed their regiment specifically to fight in the Eastern theater but that wasn't until the summer of 1862. Of course, being fiction, the author can do what she wants with her story but I would have rather this character enter the war with an actual regiment from CA
filled with Easterners. For me, it would have made much more sense and a better fit for the historical narrative. This is nit-picky and I'm sure the majority of readers won't even notice if they aren't from CA or into the Civil War as I am.
It picks up once they get to the Mountains and by this point, I'm really feeling the immigrants struggle both physically and mentally. The author sets a perfect stage of short tempers, hardship and despair as immigrants are loosing precious livestock to Indians and having to discard valuable, sometimes sentimental, personal items that are too heavy to take over the mountains.
However, my favorite part was Ada finding herself in the last part of the book. This is when the story is at it's best and Ada really comes into her own. But just as she hits her stride, the book ends with an odd epilogue that is extremely out of place and seems to jolt the reader out of Ada's world and into the future where two of Ada's unlikable great, great grandchildren are bickering over their mother's estate that left me with a feeling of dissatisfaction. I didn't want to learn what happened to Ada in this jarring way and leaves Salida and Rufous with zero resolution.
I'm also a big Civil War buff and having one of the characters from CA go off and fight in the battle of Manassas (Bull Run) in the Eastern theater in 1861 was a historical red flag for me. The first regiment of Californians to fight in the East were called the California 100, a group of Californians originally from the East, who formed their regiment specifically to fight in the Eastern theater but that wasn't until the summer of 1862. Of course, being fiction, the author can do what she wants with her story but I would have rather this character enter the war with an actual regiment from CA
filled with Easterners. For me, it would have made much more sense and a better fit for the historical narrative. This is nit-picky and I'm sure the majority of readers won't even notice if they aren't from CA or into the Civil War as I am.
February 10, 2020
Cannibalism…
It is the first thing that nearly everyone thinks about when they hear about the ill-fated Donner Party who got trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the winter of 1846-1847 while traveling overland on the Oregon-California Trail. Had the Donner Party just stuck to the established route, they probably would have reached California without mishap—aside from the usual misfortunes that plagued wagon trains traveling west. Instead, the Donner Party opted to take the Hastings Cutoff. They believed that the shortcut would cut miles and time off the journey. Instead, the shortcut did the opposite—and the eighty or so people found themselves trapped on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains as winter quickly set in. Without food or supplies, the Donner party faced starvation and many perished. Allegedly, some of the party resorted to cannibalism to stay alive while they waited for rescue.
Ashley E. Sweeney takes the true story of the Donner Party—or as true of a record as has been able to be established—and bases the fictional story of Ada Weeks around it. Ada and her adopted parents decided to travel to California along with the Donner Party. After her parents die during a river crossing, Ada joins the Breen family for the rest of the journey. The first section of the novel follows Ada and the rest of the Donner Party as they travel west. The second part of the novel covers the time that the party is trapped in the mountains as well as Ada’s rescue. And the third section of the novel covers a period of time where Ada lives along Answer Creek and begins to establish a home and a life for herself in California.
ANSWER CREEK is a gritty and bleak novel. While there are scenes of happiness, the novel mostly centers around courage, overcoming hardships, and survival. Ada is a bit rough around the edges, but it is her roughness that helps her survive. ANSWER CREEK was very well written and thoroughly researched. I enjoyed the novel, but there were times when I found that the plot was moving a little too slowly. Also, the final chapter threw me for a loop. Since the entire novel is from Ada’s perspective, I was not expecting a chapter from her ancestor’s present day perspective. While it helped wrap up Ada’s story, it just didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
It is the first thing that nearly everyone thinks about when they hear about the ill-fated Donner Party who got trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the winter of 1846-1847 while traveling overland on the Oregon-California Trail. Had the Donner Party just stuck to the established route, they probably would have reached California without mishap—aside from the usual misfortunes that plagued wagon trains traveling west. Instead, the Donner Party opted to take the Hastings Cutoff. They believed that the shortcut would cut miles and time off the journey. Instead, the shortcut did the opposite—and the eighty or so people found themselves trapped on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains as winter quickly set in. Without food or supplies, the Donner party faced starvation and many perished. Allegedly, some of the party resorted to cannibalism to stay alive while they waited for rescue.
Ashley E. Sweeney takes the true story of the Donner Party—or as true of a record as has been able to be established—and bases the fictional story of Ada Weeks around it. Ada and her adopted parents decided to travel to California along with the Donner Party. After her parents die during a river crossing, Ada joins the Breen family for the rest of the journey. The first section of the novel follows Ada and the rest of the Donner Party as they travel west. The second part of the novel covers the time that the party is trapped in the mountains as well as Ada’s rescue. And the third section of the novel covers a period of time where Ada lives along Answer Creek and begins to establish a home and a life for herself in California.
ANSWER CREEK is a gritty and bleak novel. While there are scenes of happiness, the novel mostly centers around courage, overcoming hardships, and survival. Ada is a bit rough around the edges, but it is her roughness that helps her survive. ANSWER CREEK was very well written and thoroughly researched. I enjoyed the novel, but there were times when I found that the plot was moving a little too slowly. Also, the final chapter threw me for a loop. Since the entire novel is from Ada’s perspective, I was not expecting a chapter from her ancestor’s present day perspective. While it helped wrap up Ada’s story, it just didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
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