What do you think?
Rate this book
Days of Hope, Miles of Misery
They knew the trip would be difficult, but they didn't bargain on hell.
For five months, and two thousand miles, the wagon train lumbers toward California on the Oregon Trail and into big trouble. The emigrants endure disease, dirt, and attacks from outlaws, and invaded Indians. Bitter strife erupts between ill-matched pioneers forced together by necessity.
The 1845 wagon train is part of a vast westward movement; a monument to Americana that fascinates readers 175 years later.
In one of the wagons is a heart-sick physician, Hannah Blanc, whose tribulations are Jobian: the suicide of a beloved husband, unfair denial of her medical career by graybeards of the profession, and a nightmarish new “marriage of necessity to a vile man named Ed Spencer.
Hannah tries to save a young boy from gangrene by amputating his leg. She has never done surgery by herself, let alone of that complexity.
The guide is a hard-to-figure mountain man, Nimrod Lee, who knows the trail, but is also looking a man he needs to kill. Guilt over the murder of his Crow wife beclouds his conscience. Betrayal of his word to her chief father threatens his life. The killer of his wife is still out there.
A love affair between Hannah and Nimrod is inevitable, but it’s complicated, because for both, painful histories and mixed-up emotions make tall walls. The heart of the story is the pool of misgivings that threatens to drown their tenuous affair.
The wagon train is a village of strangers locked together with no escape.
Cholera is the killer and diarrhea is the tormentor. Mosquitoes are a biblical plague. The sun, the heat, the cold, the snow—all are partners in misery.
The last part of the trek is the most miserably. The dreaded Forty Mile Desert is all sand, sun and no water for days. The Sierra Nevada surprises with an early winter that takes their suffering to a higher plane.
Beyond all they must endure, the pioneers keep fighting, and keep coming. Those who make it are survivors; survivors with a great story to tell.
For five months, and two thousand miles, the wagon train lumbers toward California on the Oregon Trail and into big trouble. The emigrants endure disease, dirt, and attacks from outlaws, and invaded Indians. Bitter strife erupts between ill-matched pioneers forced together by necessity.
The 1845 wagon train is part of a vast westward movement; a monument to Americana that fascinates readers 175 years later.
In one of the wagons is a heart-sick physician, Hannah Blanc, whose tribulations are Jobian: the suicide of a beloved husband, unfair denial of her medical career by graybeards of the profession, and a nightmarish new “marriage of necessity to a vile man named Ed Spencer.
Hannah tries to save a young boy from gangrene by amputating his leg. She has never done surgery by herself, let alone of that complexity.
The guide is a hard-to-figure mountain man, Nimrod Lee, who knows the trail, but is also looking a man he needs to kill. Guilt over the murder of his Crow wife beclouds his conscience. Betrayal of his word to her chief father threatens his life. The killer of his wife is still out there.
A love affair between Hannah and Nimrod is inevitable, but it’s complicated, because for both, painful histories and mixed-up emotions make tall walls. The heart of the story is the pool of misgivings that threatens to drown their tenuous affair.
The wagon train is a village of strangers locked together with no escape.
Cholera is the killer and diarrhea is the tormentor. Mosquitoes are a biblical plague. The sun, the heat, the cold, the snow—all are partners in misery.
The last part of the trek is the most miserably. The dreaded Forty Mile Desert is all sand, sun and no water for days. The Sierra Nevada surprises with an early winter that takes their suffering to a higher plane.
Beyond all they must endure, the pioneers keep fighting, and keep coming. Those who make it are survivors; survivors with a great story to tell.
500 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2020
90 people are currently reading
2911 people want to read
About the author
Fred Dickey
7 books99 followersFred Dickey is a popular published novelist. He is a repeat Pulitzer nominee with numerous national and state awards as a metro newspaper columnist and editor. One novel went into six languages (Burial In Moscow).
Fred Dickey's new novel, "Days of Hope, Miles of Misery - Love and Loss On The Oregon Trail," is about the Oregon Trail to California in 1844. The novel won first place in the Laramie Book Awards (Chanticleer International Book Awards), and he has also received three 5-Star Professional Reviews on Reader's Favorite, as well as a rave review from William E. Hill, a well-known history author and founding member of the Oregon-California Trails Assn.
Here's a review from K.C. Finn, author and professional reviewer:
Days of Hope, Miles of Misery - Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail is a work of fiction in the history, drama and realistic sub-genres, and was penned by author Fred Dickey. As the subtitle suggests, the work is set during the pioneering time of the mid-nineteenth century when brave folk set out to carve their destinies via the harrowing journey of the Oregon Trail. We follow many lives as they intertwine, but most notably that of doctor Hannah Blanc and mountain man Nimrod Lee. As the pair struggles with their own demons, their union brings about yet more complexity and strife.
Author Fred Dickey has crafted a really interesting novel with plenty of historical flavor, setting out the harsh realities of this time period, but also its many rewards and triumphs for true hard work. It was clear to see that the author engaged in heavy research for the piece, as every page is packed with intricate historical details. This treatment also extends into the dialogue and atmosphere of the story, which felt authentically voiced and never too modernized, and yet it was penned in a style very accessible for modern audiences to grasp. This is in part due to the trailblazing Hannah, who is ahead of her time and makes an excellent central focal point for the tale. Overall, I would highly recommend Days of Hope, Miles of Misery - Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail as an accomplished work of historical fiction.
Here is the review by William E. Hill, historian and author:
If ’n you’re hanker in’ for a historical novel that is full of adventure and that takes a hard look at the “elephant,” ie., the dangers and hazards, that so tried the emigrants going west, look no further, it is Fred Dickey’s Days of Hope, Miles of Misery. The story is set in the mid-1840s at the end of the fur trade and the beginning of Manifest Destiny on the then developing Oregon-California trail. It combines adventure and romance, personal conflict and hardships, celebrations and sorrows as a wagon train travels and encounters various dangerous situations on its almost 2,000 mile journey west to California.
Nimrod Lee was a grieving and former mountain man turned guide, and Hannah Blanc, a rebel for her time, and a recently remarried widower and mother, whom many modern women can identify with, are the featured characters.
The characters’ dialogue is realistic. An emigrant from the 1840-60s would feel at home in this novel. I would recommend this “good read” to my friends, - and you, are now one of them.
Fred Dickey's new novel, "Days of Hope, Miles of Misery - Love and Loss On The Oregon Trail," is about the Oregon Trail to California in 1844. The novel won first place in the Laramie Book Awards (Chanticleer International Book Awards), and he has also received three 5-Star Professional Reviews on Reader's Favorite, as well as a rave review from William E. Hill, a well-known history author and founding member of the Oregon-California Trails Assn.
Here's a review from K.C. Finn, author and professional reviewer:
Days of Hope, Miles of Misery - Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail is a work of fiction in the history, drama and realistic sub-genres, and was penned by author Fred Dickey. As the subtitle suggests, the work is set during the pioneering time of the mid-nineteenth century when brave folk set out to carve their destinies via the harrowing journey of the Oregon Trail. We follow many lives as they intertwine, but most notably that of doctor Hannah Blanc and mountain man Nimrod Lee. As the pair struggles with their own demons, their union brings about yet more complexity and strife.
Author Fred Dickey has crafted a really interesting novel with plenty of historical flavor, setting out the harsh realities of this time period, but also its many rewards and triumphs for true hard work. It was clear to see that the author engaged in heavy research for the piece, as every page is packed with intricate historical details. This treatment also extends into the dialogue and atmosphere of the story, which felt authentically voiced and never too modernized, and yet it was penned in a style very accessible for modern audiences to grasp. This is in part due to the trailblazing Hannah, who is ahead of her time and makes an excellent central focal point for the tale. Overall, I would highly recommend Days of Hope, Miles of Misery - Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail as an accomplished work of historical fiction.
Here is the review by William E. Hill, historian and author:
If ’n you’re hanker in’ for a historical novel that is full of adventure and that takes a hard look at the “elephant,” ie., the dangers and hazards, that so tried the emigrants going west, look no further, it is Fred Dickey’s Days of Hope, Miles of Misery. The story is set in the mid-1840s at the end of the fur trade and the beginning of Manifest Destiny on the then developing Oregon-California trail. It combines adventure and romance, personal conflict and hardships, celebrations and sorrows as a wagon train travels and encounters various dangerous situations on its almost 2,000 mile journey west to California.
Nimrod Lee was a grieving and former mountain man turned guide, and Hannah Blanc, a rebel for her time, and a recently remarried widower and mother, whom many modern women can identify with, are the featured characters.
The characters’ dialogue is realistic. An emigrant from the 1840-60s would feel at home in this novel. I would recommend this “good read” to my friends, - and you, are now one of them.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 9, 2021
Days of Hope, Miles of Misery: Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail
By Fred Dickey
"What a taunt, that hell should be so beautiful. "
And so begins one of the best historical fiction novels of 2020.
The year is 1845: a wagon train filled with emigrants begins a five month, two thousand mile journey westward to California-- the land of milk and honey, dreams, and new beginnings. A new beginning for Hannah Blanc Spencer, a physician denied a medical career for simply being a woman; who after the suicide of her beloved husband, found herself forced into a marriage of necessity to a viscous, abusive man by the name of Ed Spencer. And for Nimrod Lee, a mountain man turned trail guide; looking for redemption, riddled with guilt after the brutal murder of his Crow wife. Her murderer still roamed free, somewhere along the trail.
As they make their way over treacherous terrain, unseen killers plague the horse drawn village; Cholera and Diphtheria run unfettered, while mosquitoes armed with the malaria, or ague parasite, drive them to near madness. As Hannah and Nimrod battle disease, diarrhea, miscarriages, and births, they find themselves struggling against another unseen assailant, love. Not the pristine, rhinestone studded love we see in modern westerns these days or read about in pioneer romance novels. But one forged from pain and hardship, loss and grief. A love that does not ebb and flow like the ocean, but one that trickles slowly, winding its way through grit and dust, evolving from the mutual respect they find in the strength they see in each other.
But Days of Hope, Miles of Misery is not just about Hannah and Nimrod. Dickey fills the pages with memorable secondary characters such as Shadrach Penny, who served and fought under General George Washington; Chief Truckee, medicine chief of the Northern Paiute who in the summer of 1805 intercepted the Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery and led them to the Columbia River; John Sutter, a Swiss-American pioneer of California known for his association with the California Gold Rush, and for establishing Sutter's Fort in the area that would eventually become Sacramento, the state's capitol; and other names readers will be familiar with like Kit Carson, Jim Beckwourth, and Lansford Hastings.
If you are a fan of historical fiction, as I am, then you will find yourself obnubilated in this meticulously researched novel. I felt as if I were there in the 1800's, sharing joy, when the first child was born, and driving the wagon whose wheel tracks were used to conceal the first grave. But you don't have to be a fan of historical novels to love this book. Dickey's dust and grit covered gem of a book appeals to all readers. Fans of Garibaldi romances or Kelton and Grey westerns will find themselves lost in Days of Hope. Those of you who enjoy rough and rugged pioneer novels from Andrews or Butler will be hard pressed to put down Dickey's book and those of you who just love a superbly written novel will be far from disappointed. No matter what your book preference "Days of Hope, Miles of Misery: Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail" is a book you will never forget.
By Fred Dickey
"What a taunt, that hell should be so beautiful. "
And so begins one of the best historical fiction novels of 2020.
The year is 1845: a wagon train filled with emigrants begins a five month, two thousand mile journey westward to California-- the land of milk and honey, dreams, and new beginnings. A new beginning for Hannah Blanc Spencer, a physician denied a medical career for simply being a woman; who after the suicide of her beloved husband, found herself forced into a marriage of necessity to a viscous, abusive man by the name of Ed Spencer. And for Nimrod Lee, a mountain man turned trail guide; looking for redemption, riddled with guilt after the brutal murder of his Crow wife. Her murderer still roamed free, somewhere along the trail.
As they make their way over treacherous terrain, unseen killers plague the horse drawn village; Cholera and Diphtheria run unfettered, while mosquitoes armed with the malaria, or ague parasite, drive them to near madness. As Hannah and Nimrod battle disease, diarrhea, miscarriages, and births, they find themselves struggling against another unseen assailant, love. Not the pristine, rhinestone studded love we see in modern westerns these days or read about in pioneer romance novels. But one forged from pain and hardship, loss and grief. A love that does not ebb and flow like the ocean, but one that trickles slowly, winding its way through grit and dust, evolving from the mutual respect they find in the strength they see in each other.
But Days of Hope, Miles of Misery is not just about Hannah and Nimrod. Dickey fills the pages with memorable secondary characters such as Shadrach Penny, who served and fought under General George Washington; Chief Truckee, medicine chief of the Northern Paiute who in the summer of 1805 intercepted the Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery and led them to the Columbia River; John Sutter, a Swiss-American pioneer of California known for his association with the California Gold Rush, and for establishing Sutter's Fort in the area that would eventually become Sacramento, the state's capitol; and other names readers will be familiar with like Kit Carson, Jim Beckwourth, and Lansford Hastings.
If you are a fan of historical fiction, as I am, then you will find yourself obnubilated in this meticulously researched novel. I felt as if I were there in the 1800's, sharing joy, when the first child was born, and driving the wagon whose wheel tracks were used to conceal the first grave. But you don't have to be a fan of historical novels to love this book. Dickey's dust and grit covered gem of a book appeals to all readers. Fans of Garibaldi romances or Kelton and Grey westerns will find themselves lost in Days of Hope. Those of you who enjoy rough and rugged pioneer novels from Andrews or Butler will be hard pressed to put down Dickey's book and those of you who just love a superbly written novel will be far from disappointed. No matter what your book preference "Days of Hope, Miles of Misery: Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail" is a book you will never forget.
November 1, 2020
Well, since I wrote it, here are some reviews by professional authors about this book.
Here's a review from K.C. Finn, author and professional reviewer:
Days of Hope, Miles of Misery - Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail is a work of fiction in the history, drama and realistic sub-genres, and was penned by author Fred Dickey. As the subtitle suggests, the work is set during the pioneering time of the mid-nineteenth century when brave folk set out to carve their destinies via the harrowing journey of the Oregon Trail. We follow many lives as they intertwine, but most notably that of doctor Hannah Blanc and mountain man Nimrod Lee. As the pair struggles with their own demons, their union brings about yet more complexity and strife.
Author Fred Dickey has crafted a really interesting novel with plenty of historical flavor, setting out the harsh realities of this time period, but also its many rewards and triumphs for true hard work. It was clear to see that the author engaged in heavy research for the piece, as every page is packed with intricate historical details. This treatment also extends into the dialogue and atmosphere of the story, which felt authentically voiced and never too modernized, and yet it was penned in a style very accessible for modern audiences to grasp. This is in part due to the trailblazing Hannah, who is ahead of her time and makes an excellent central focal point for the tale. Overall, I would highly recommend Days of Hope, Miles of Misery - Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail as an accomplished work of historical fiction.
Here is the review by William E. Hill, historian and author:
If ’n you’re hanker in’ for a historical novel that is full of adventure and that takes a hard look at the “elephant,” ie., the dangers and hazards, that so tried the emigrants going west, look no further, it is Fred Dickey’s Days of Hope, Miles of Misery. The story is set in the mid-1840s at the end of the fur trade and the beginning of Manifest Destiny on the then developing Oregon-California trail. It combines adventure and romance, personal conflict and hardships, celebrations and sorrows as a wagon train travels and encounters various dangerous situations on its almost 2,000 mile journey west to California.
Nimrod Lee was a grieving and former mountain man turned guide, and Hannah Blanc, a rebel for her time, and a recently remarried widower and mother, whom many modern women can identify with, are the featured characters.
The characters’ dialogue is realistic. An emigrant from the 1840-60s would feel at home in this novel. I would recommend this “good read” to my friends, - and you, are now one of them.
Here's a review from K.C. Finn, author and professional reviewer:
Days of Hope, Miles of Misery - Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail is a work of fiction in the history, drama and realistic sub-genres, and was penned by author Fred Dickey. As the subtitle suggests, the work is set during the pioneering time of the mid-nineteenth century when brave folk set out to carve their destinies via the harrowing journey of the Oregon Trail. We follow many lives as they intertwine, but most notably that of doctor Hannah Blanc and mountain man Nimrod Lee. As the pair struggles with their own demons, their union brings about yet more complexity and strife.
Author Fred Dickey has crafted a really interesting novel with plenty of historical flavor, setting out the harsh realities of this time period, but also its many rewards and triumphs for true hard work. It was clear to see that the author engaged in heavy research for the piece, as every page is packed with intricate historical details. This treatment also extends into the dialogue and atmosphere of the story, which felt authentically voiced and never too modernized, and yet it was penned in a style very accessible for modern audiences to grasp. This is in part due to the trailblazing Hannah, who is ahead of her time and makes an excellent central focal point for the tale. Overall, I would highly recommend Days of Hope, Miles of Misery - Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail as an accomplished work of historical fiction.
Here is the review by William E. Hill, historian and author:
If ’n you’re hanker in’ for a historical novel that is full of adventure and that takes a hard look at the “elephant,” ie., the dangers and hazards, that so tried the emigrants going west, look no further, it is Fred Dickey’s Days of Hope, Miles of Misery. The story is set in the mid-1840s at the end of the fur trade and the beginning of Manifest Destiny on the then developing Oregon-California trail. It combines adventure and romance, personal conflict and hardships, celebrations and sorrows as a wagon train travels and encounters various dangerous situations on its almost 2,000 mile journey west to California.
Nimrod Lee was a grieving and former mountain man turned guide, and Hannah Blanc, a rebel for her time, and a recently remarried widower and mother, whom many modern women can identify with, are the featured characters.
The characters’ dialogue is realistic. An emigrant from the 1840-60s would feel at home in this novel. I would recommend this “good read” to my friends, - and you, are now one of them.
December 28, 2020
I received a free electronic copy of this excellent western historical novel from Goodreads, Fred Dickey, and Lost River Books, Publisher. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. This work follows true to time and place, this author tells a fine tale. I will add Fred Dickey to my must-read authors.
This is a story that grabs you at the get-go and doesn't turn loose. We follow Nimrod and his saddle mule Bub through years of life and miles of country. A story told from several aspects, and a few time jumps but easily followed, this is a story hard to put aside. The protagonists are personable, the problems relatable, and the need to continue to read will only increase through time. Dickey manages to put into perspective the history of the 'forts' and general meeting places and stores set up by the trapping companies in the western half of the US and even makes plain the shifting governments of European ownership of the west. As a lifetime fifth-generation westerner, I knew the history of much of it, but it falls into place much easier in my mind after reading this book. More than simply a story, Days of Hope, Miles of Misery is a tract through history that is easily followed and should be shared.
Free Kindle copy from Goodreads Giveaway
Pub date November 5, 2020
received December 16, 2020
Lost River Books, publisher
Reviewed on December 26, 2020, on Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on Kobo or GooglePlay. Copy of review to Fred Dickey via Goodreads mailbox.
This is a story that grabs you at the get-go and doesn't turn loose. We follow Nimrod and his saddle mule Bub through years of life and miles of country. A story told from several aspects, and a few time jumps but easily followed, this is a story hard to put aside. The protagonists are personable, the problems relatable, and the need to continue to read will only increase through time. Dickey manages to put into perspective the history of the 'forts' and general meeting places and stores set up by the trapping companies in the western half of the US and even makes plain the shifting governments of European ownership of the west. As a lifetime fifth-generation westerner, I knew the history of much of it, but it falls into place much easier in my mind after reading this book. More than simply a story, Days of Hope, Miles of Misery is a tract through history that is easily followed and should be shared.
Free Kindle copy from Goodreads Giveaway
Pub date November 5, 2020
received December 16, 2020
Lost River Books, publisher
Reviewed on December 26, 2020, on Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on Kobo or GooglePlay. Copy of review to Fred Dickey via Goodreads mailbox.
December 11, 2020
Nimrod and Hannah
This is a one of the best I’ve read in awhile and it is written by Fred Dickey. He has done an exceptional job with the plot and the characters. Nimrod is a mountain man born In Kentucky and he and his Indian wife, Magpie, are beaver trappers. They go to a Rondayvoo, a place to sell pelts. Thing get out of hand and Magpie is brutally murdered by Rake face, a brutal trapper. Nimrod sweared vengeance for his murdered wife. He take a job while searching for Rake Face with a wagon trail going to California. They under take this trip they find excitement, adventure, great happiness, much death and sorry. You will have a hard time putting the story down until you can turn that next page. You will enjoy discovering how Nimrod and if Nimrod and Hannah find their happily ever after.
This is a one of the best I’ve read in awhile and it is written by Fred Dickey. He has done an exceptional job with the plot and the characters. Nimrod is a mountain man born In Kentucky and he and his Indian wife, Magpie, are beaver trappers. They go to a Rondayvoo, a place to sell pelts. Thing get out of hand and Magpie is brutally murdered by Rake face, a brutal trapper. Nimrod sweared vengeance for his murdered wife. He take a job while searching for Rake Face with a wagon trail going to California. They under take this trip they find excitement, adventure, great happiness, much death and sorry. You will have a hard time putting the story down until you can turn that next page. You will enjoy discovering how Nimrod and if Nimrod and Hannah find their happily ever after.
February 5, 2021
The guts and glory of Americans who left everything in their quest of a new life. There is no more American story than the story Fred Dickey crafted in his novel, Days of Hope, Miles of Misery. A detailed, vivid account of the hopes and dreams of people who came west, including historical people like Kit Carson, John Sutter, Chief Truckee, Jim Bridger, Jim Beckworth and more. Each character's story is brave and individual, together they weave the fiber of western pioneers. The guts and glory of Americans who left everything in their quest of a new life. A must read for western enthusiasts.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Great world building
Realistic
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Great world building
Realistic
November 28, 2020
Filled with the struggles and hazards of traveling the rugged, hostile Oregon Trail, Dickey’s epic story of limitless hopes, searing losses, and courageous pioneers features a love story between an unlikely pair of protagonists as they try to navigate a hostile terrain while struggling with their inner demons.
When Nimrod Lee, a mountain man, is hired as the guide for a wagon converge in Missouri and meet Hannah Blanc, a doctor and mother of two, he has no idea his life was going to change forever. As the convoy begins its five months long journey of two thousand miles, staying alive becomes a priority.
Dickey knows his history. His meticulous research and his understanding of the contradictory impulses of human nature not only enables him to envision the era with detailed precision but also bring his various interesting characters to life. He draws them with precision, revealing their deep emotional scars and personal trauma.
, dedicated and complex, a man with many problems, Nimrod remains an intriguing hero, whose sense of rough justice and affinity for violence makes him a worthy hero. Hannah impresses as the remarkable doctor, a willful and resourceful woman way ahead of her time. The secondary characters are equally unexpected, and are rooted in reality and perception.
Fluidly written, expertly researched, and brilliantly conceived, this inspiring tale of love, determination, and the pioneer spirit makes for a must-read for lovers of historical fiction.
When Nimrod Lee, a mountain man, is hired as the guide for a wagon converge in Missouri and meet Hannah Blanc, a doctor and mother of two, he has no idea his life was going to change forever. As the convoy begins its five months long journey of two thousand miles, staying alive becomes a priority.
Dickey knows his history. His meticulous research and his understanding of the contradictory impulses of human nature not only enables him to envision the era with detailed precision but also bring his various interesting characters to life. He draws them with precision, revealing their deep emotional scars and personal trauma.
, dedicated and complex, a man with many problems, Nimrod remains an intriguing hero, whose sense of rough justice and affinity for violence makes him a worthy hero. Hannah impresses as the remarkable doctor, a willful and resourceful woman way ahead of her time. The secondary characters are equally unexpected, and are rooted in reality and perception.
Fluidly written, expertly researched, and brilliantly conceived, this inspiring tale of love, determination, and the pioneer spirit makes for a must-read for lovers of historical fiction.
January 12, 2022
Fantastic
This book is truly amazing. It takes you on the trip with the pioneers on the Oregon trail. You live their joy and their sorrows, trials and tribulations. This book had me captive from page one.
This book is truly amazing. It takes you on the trip with the pioneers on the Oregon trail. You live their joy and their sorrows, trials and tribulations. This book had me captive from page one.
December 19, 2020
This is the first book that I read about the pioneers of our country heading out west to California in covered wagons. The journey takes them between stifling sun and heat, and freezing snow. The other dangers include snakes and bears and Indians. The only man who is keeping them safe is a mountain man named Nimrod. He is familiar with the terrain and has a certain rapport with a few different Indian tribes. If you like a book with adventure and danger, this book is for you. If you like a book that deals with the human spirit and what it takes to live outside your comfort zone, this book is all that. I highly recommend it.
February 13, 2021
Days of Hope, Miles of Misery
By Fred Dickey
This monumental story plunged me into the gritty and heroic 1845 world of pioneers who met shattering challenges to get from St. Louis to Sutter’s Fort, California.
Fred Dickey has created a fascinating cast of characters who face loss and love, failure and triumph fighting angry rivers to cross, livestock to care for, outbreaks of disease, frayed nerves and perilous Indian encounters.
Nimrod Lee – the wagon train guide – is a wise and fair-minded former fur trapper who has ingenious solutions to a myriad of problems. And Hannah is a powerful female trained as a doctor, but scorned by her male counterparts, who becomes a leader of the group.
The dialogue between characters is so rich and revealing that we truly share their challenging journey.
The novel is deeply moving and unforgettable.
By Fred Dickey
This monumental story plunged me into the gritty and heroic 1845 world of pioneers who met shattering challenges to get from St. Louis to Sutter’s Fort, California.
Fred Dickey has created a fascinating cast of characters who face loss and love, failure and triumph fighting angry rivers to cross, livestock to care for, outbreaks of disease, frayed nerves and perilous Indian encounters.
Nimrod Lee – the wagon train guide – is a wise and fair-minded former fur trapper who has ingenious solutions to a myriad of problems. And Hannah is a powerful female trained as a doctor, but scorned by her male counterparts, who becomes a leader of the group.
The dialogue between characters is so rich and revealing that we truly share their challenging journey.
The novel is deeply moving and unforgettable.
December 10, 2020
I can’t recommend Fred Dickey’s new novel highly enough! I loved every minute of this captivating adventure about the Oregon Trail, despite being a dedicated reader of contemporary, NOT historic fiction. The book is informative and well-researched, but what drives it is Dickey’s remarkable gift for storytelling. Beyond being well-imagined and developed, the characters are as good as alive, and the dialog suits them perfectly. There are real heroes (including remarkably strong women) and real villains, yet the story does not seem contrived or predictable… just satisfying. The horrific trials of the journey are balanced by the inevitable emotional connections between the reader and the characters. Read it!
December 24, 2020
I got this book on a Goodreads Giveaway. It was a great read of the nitty-gritty life of the early pioneers trek to California. It was especially meaningful to me as I had a great-great aunt and Great Grandmother who started out in covered wagons with their husbands for California. One made it and one turned back! This was an old -fashiobed book that didn't florify the people but told their stories. Very compelling. Recommended read.
July 29, 2021
A Must Read - Re: Oregon Trail
I’ve read many books about the Oregon Trail, and feel this is the best! It feels true to life, and the people who lived it. The landmarks are described as the pioneers saw them, and also as we would see them today; thus providing reference points. The people are of different faiths, different backgrounds, and different ages. A mix of “good and bad”, and each of them, when tested become stronger or weaker. A cross section of “new Americans”. I’ve driven through that western country, and can’t imagine the hardships they endured. The author has captured the strength and toughness of the pioneers.
I’ve read many books about the Oregon Trail, and feel this is the best! It feels true to life, and the people who lived it. The landmarks are described as the pioneers saw them, and also as we would see them today; thus providing reference points. The people are of different faiths, different backgrounds, and different ages. A mix of “good and bad”, and each of them, when tested become stronger or weaker. A cross section of “new Americans”. I’ve driven through that western country, and can’t imagine the hardships they endured. The author has captured the strength and toughness of the pioneers.
February 8, 2023
I was fortunate enough to receive a digital copy of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.
From Missouri to California, I loved every mile of this book!
From Missouri to California, I loved every mile of this book!
July 5, 2021
Pioneers
This was a good.story about pioneers and all they had to face on the way to California. Great story and characters.
This was a good.story about pioneers and all they had to face on the way to California. Great story and characters.
December 13, 2021
California trip
California Trip I enjoyed every page of this book
It held my interest through ou There are many characters and very entertaining
California Trip I enjoyed every page of this book
It held my interest through ou There are many characters and very entertaining
September 30, 2020
This book in on pre-order and will be available before the end of October.
Since Fred is my husband, I am somewhat prejudiced, but I Love, Love this book!
It is my favorite of all the books and articles he has ever written.
It is deeply researched, and so humanly touching. You will strongly identify with the characters as they face a perilous journey of almost 2000 miles, most of that on foot.
The complicated romance between Hannah and Nimrod will touch your soul.
We were both so pleased to have important pre-release reviews by historian and founder of the Oregon-California Trail Association, William E. Hill and author K.C. Finn, along with others.
I hope this is just the first in the Days of Hope series, a true Western Saga.
Since Fred is my husband, I am somewhat prejudiced, but I Love, Love this book!
It is my favorite of all the books and articles he has ever written.
It is deeply researched, and so humanly touching. You will strongly identify with the characters as they face a perilous journey of almost 2000 miles, most of that on foot.
The complicated romance between Hannah and Nimrod will touch your soul.
We were both so pleased to have important pre-release reviews by historian and founder of the Oregon-California Trail Association, William E. Hill and author K.C. Finn, along with others.
I hope this is just the first in the Days of Hope series, a true Western Saga.
May 6, 2021
I’ve read many Oregon Trail stories but there hasn’t been one that captured the pilgrimage like this one. The author really brung the hellish journey to life. I felt like I was there with the wagon train rolling out of Independence and walking through the bitter Sierra Nevada mountains to get to the salvation of California. Trying my damnest to get across the 2000 miles and 5 month journey to get there. So many characters loved and lost- the heartbreak of losing a spouse, child or in some cases a baby. The realization that you can’t save everyone no matter how much you want too. This wagon train that started out with 28 wagons(families) and close to 70-80 people was left with 2 wagons between 18 people at the beginning of their journey through the Mountains months later. They had to set out on foot through an unrelenting nightmare to get to the greener pastures they weren’t sure would ever come. To the deliverance of salvation they had to piece their lives back together after such a monumental journey.
If you are like me and are descendants of people that chose to do the extraordinary and spend half a year in a wagon struggling to survive with hope diminishing every step of the way; be proud of the sacrifices they made and hardships they endured to come out victorious when finally reaching the end.
This book will stick with me forever and a definite must read if you’re a lover of the Oregon Trail.
If you are like me and are descendants of people that chose to do the extraordinary and spend half a year in a wagon struggling to survive with hope diminishing every step of the way; be proud of the sacrifices they made and hardships they endured to come out victorious when finally reaching the end.
This book will stick with me forever and a definite must read if you’re a lover of the Oregon Trail.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2020
Epic journeys feed the imagination. Every generation is captivated by the call of far reaching adventure and perhaps more so, an escape from the predictable.
A very real and uniquely American journey was set upon by hundreds of thousands of hopefuls in the mid-1800’s, indeed, to this day there are wagon wheel ruts visible along parts of the Oregon Trail. These travelers were not hardened soldiers or skilled mountaineers trekking to the Pacific Ocean; some were hopeful entrepreneurs, others were village outcasts or miscreants on the lam, but mostly they were families; husbands dreaming of opportunities for more, and their wives holding children in their arms and trepidation in their bellies. This author, Fred Dickey, has captured their courage and their vulnerabilities, their acts of selflessness and their errors…errors that were never without ripples of consequence.
The disparate, mostly ragtag occupants of twenty-eight covered wagons converge in Missouri and begin learning to work with one another as they collect, store, and plan strategically for the five months to come. Shadrach Penney, though a natural leader, knows they need an expertise he and the other men of the governing committee just don’t have. Nimrod Lee, honed from years of living in the wilderness has the knowledge they will need to survive. Hiring Nimrod as their guide is the first critical decision the committee makes. Recognizing the medical competence and grit of Hannah Spencer is the second. Prejudices serve no one in this raw setting; roles meld and boundaries blur as men and women shed their social status and rise to the demands they cannot circumvent with condescension or posturing. This chance community soon hitches up their oxen and catapults into a rolling, roiling microcosm of humanity. We are swept up with them, navigating a five month, two thousand mile walk by man and beast that tests every emotion and scrapes each character down to the proverbial bone. Egos clash, fear cripples, and Mother Nature strikes without compassion. Survival may be the goal that keeps them on their feet but each man, woman and child that sees the promised land as they crest the last hill will be shouldering scant remaining belongings and carrying more than a few ghosts that will accompany them into their future. As readers, we must reluctantly bid farewell to them but their energy and some of their ghosts remain with us and we find ourselves desiring a sequel to unfold.
A very real and uniquely American journey was set upon by hundreds of thousands of hopefuls in the mid-1800’s, indeed, to this day there are wagon wheel ruts visible along parts of the Oregon Trail. These travelers were not hardened soldiers or skilled mountaineers trekking to the Pacific Ocean; some were hopeful entrepreneurs, others were village outcasts or miscreants on the lam, but mostly they were families; husbands dreaming of opportunities for more, and their wives holding children in their arms and trepidation in their bellies. This author, Fred Dickey, has captured their courage and their vulnerabilities, their acts of selflessness and their errors…errors that were never without ripples of consequence.
The disparate, mostly ragtag occupants of twenty-eight covered wagons converge in Missouri and begin learning to work with one another as they collect, store, and plan strategically for the five months to come. Shadrach Penney, though a natural leader, knows they need an expertise he and the other men of the governing committee just don’t have. Nimrod Lee, honed from years of living in the wilderness has the knowledge they will need to survive. Hiring Nimrod as their guide is the first critical decision the committee makes. Recognizing the medical competence and grit of Hannah Spencer is the second. Prejudices serve no one in this raw setting; roles meld and boundaries blur as men and women shed their social status and rise to the demands they cannot circumvent with condescension or posturing. This chance community soon hitches up their oxen and catapults into a rolling, roiling microcosm of humanity. We are swept up with them, navigating a five month, two thousand mile walk by man and beast that tests every emotion and scrapes each character down to the proverbial bone. Egos clash, fear cripples, and Mother Nature strikes without compassion. Survival may be the goal that keeps them on their feet but each man, woman and child that sees the promised land as they crest the last hill will be shouldering scant remaining belongings and carrying more than a few ghosts that will accompany them into their future. As readers, we must reluctantly bid farewell to them but their energy and some of their ghosts remain with us and we find ourselves desiring a sequel to unfold.
December 15, 2020
The book opens with Hannah, the female lead, with her group of pioneers, bedded down to fight off the cold and snowy weather in the Sierra Nevada mountains. She is questioning the decision in embarking upon this trek westward. Next, Dickey goes back a few years to tell the back stories of Hannah, a woman born and living in St Louis and of Nimrod Lee, a mountain man and trapper from Kentucky, surviving in the old West. Their stories continue and meet up when Lee is hired to guide a wagon train, including Hannah, to California in the mid-1840s.
It is evident Dickey has put in much research into the subject of people setting out upon the Oregon Trail. In the book, he presents the simple people who had decided, and those whom had the decision made for them, to take on this treacherous trip. There are more ‘trials and tribulations’ than you can shake a stick at for this group. You’ll get to know these folk and what the harsh wilderness throws at to them. It makes you wonder how they handled all the hardships they encountered. More than a few lamented about ever deciding on this path. I could not imagine myself doing this.
After receiving the book, I was hesitant to start reading. At over 400+ pages, it seemed a bit daunting. With the trek west taking over five months and weeks of preparation, you might think you’d feel the drudgery along as those pioneers did. However, the pacing was better without the plodding they most certainly experienced. Many of the characters were developed, especially of Hannah and Nimrod, that I was emotionally invested with what beset them.
I recommend this work of historical fiction that presents the many dangers of nature and of man that befell the early pioneers in seeking to take on the unforgiving wilderness in hopes of a better life at trek’s end.
It is evident Dickey has put in much research into the subject of people setting out upon the Oregon Trail. In the book, he presents the simple people who had decided, and those whom had the decision made for them, to take on this treacherous trip. There are more ‘trials and tribulations’ than you can shake a stick at for this group. You’ll get to know these folk and what the harsh wilderness throws at to them. It makes you wonder how they handled all the hardships they encountered. More than a few lamented about ever deciding on this path. I could not imagine myself doing this.
After receiving the book, I was hesitant to start reading. At over 400+ pages, it seemed a bit daunting. With the trek west taking over five months and weeks of preparation, you might think you’d feel the drudgery along as those pioneers did. However, the pacing was better without the plodding they most certainly experienced. Many of the characters were developed, especially of Hannah and Nimrod, that I was emotionally invested with what beset them.
I recommend this work of historical fiction that presents the many dangers of nature and of man that befell the early pioneers in seeking to take on the unforgiving wilderness in hopes of a better life at trek’s end.
April 25, 2021
The author has penned one of the best stories I have ever read about the trials, tribulations, tragedy, joy, hope and day to day living of traveling on the Oregon Trail. It is one of those stories that draws you in and makes you feel like you are actually making the journey. This is the first book I have read by this author but I am sure it won't be my last. If you like real down to earth books contacting realistic stories you are going to really enjoy this one as much as I did.
July 4, 2023
This book was so good that I'm having my partner also read! *****5 stars indeed*****
November 5, 2021
Very well written keeps your interest a real good page Turner the characters came alive and I traveled the western trail with them
February 16, 2022
As a history lover, I found this book so informative and realistic. Covering over 2000 miles with their families as they trekked through the Oregon trail to California was beauty, misery, hope and death as they made their way to a land they dreamed would bring them more then what they had. These pilgrims, or as they preferred pioneers, were ordinary folks that lived the American dream and faced the brutal seasons that affected their bodies and soul. Within all this the characters weaves through the story came to life and there were the hero’s and villains. Much as there is in today’s life. This book will have you cheering on the strong spirited Hannah and hoping for justice for her ruthless 2nd husband. Many characters in this story, each with a different set of circumstances that the author brings to life and makes you laugh, cry, cheer or cringe with each of their individual stories. This story was a great mixture of fiction and non fiction mixed together to make you feel as if you took the journey with them by the time you finished the book.
Now i’m ready for the continuation of this story in a new book with those pioneers that made it to their destination and the new trials and happiness they endured once there ☺️
I received this book as part of a give a way with Goodreads and this is my honest and own assessment of this book.
Now i’m ready for the continuation of this story in a new book with those pioneers that made it to their destination and the new trials and happiness they endured once there ☺️
I received this book as part of a give a way with Goodreads and this is my honest and own assessment of this book.
June 9, 2021
There’s Always Been a California... Always Will Be.
Days of Hope, Miles of Misery is a fantastic book. Its unique, appealing cover is a work of art and beckons a reader within, just as the promise of a “land of milk and honey” calls pioneer spirits from thousands of miles away.
My favorite part of the book is the cast of characters, the families that set out together from Independence, Missouri, in May of 1845. The expedition is led by a committee that includes a man in his mid-sixties named Shadrach Penney. The most important decision the committee makes is hiring a guide. Their choice is Nimrod Lee, described as a whipcord lean, enigmatic mountain-man guide in his early thirties. “He was a mix of ornery and sentimental: the first when it was needed, the second when the situation allowed.” During Nimrod’s interview, Penney declared, “You could be a hard dog to keep on the porch.” At another point in the book, Nimrod admits, “A mountain man don’t never know where a fresh trail will take him.” It’s that sense of wanderlust that makes the tragic Oregon Trail so compelling.
College-educated Hannah Vogel married Abel Blanc in 1831 and worked with him in his medical practice with dreams of becoming a doctor herself. Despite her experience, qualifications, and ability to answer their questions, the men who served on the board of examiners refused to grant her a license to practice. In the early years of their marriage, Hannah and Abel had a daughter, Rachel, and a son, Billy. When Abel died in 1843, Hannah begrudgingly accepted Ed Spencer’s marriage proposal and quickly came to regret it. Like most of the families depicted, the Spencer family features an adventure-seeking husband who expects to make an easy fortune. The rest of the family is dragged along, forced from their safe, comfortable homes. As a villain, Ed goes well beyond despicable. As a hero and protagonist, Hannah soars.
Many start and few finish. Twenty-six wagons began the journey. If it weren’t for Hannah and Nimrod, nobody would have survived the perilous, ill-fated, cross-country road trip. The children suffered mightily. “Their whimpering was sandpaper on her heart.” The odds were always against them. “If you start too late, you won’t make it over the mountains before the snows hit. Start too soon and mud or high water can trap or drown you. Start unprepared, you can die out there.”
I know it is challenging to write about the past based on the way things were then. But, as a reader, I want to stay within the setting, in this case, 1845. In this book, the narrator frequently appears to explain things. Here’s an example: “What Hannah had learned from observation, but couldn’t frame scientifically, is that willow bark contains salicylate which in its active form becomes salicylic acid, and is closely related to aspirin of a later day.” Locations are also frequently explained in terms of what they would become in the future. I think this excellent book would have been even better if it kept us in 1845.
At the end of the journey, I’m left wondering. If I were alive in 1845, would I have sold everything I owned and risked it all for a chance to live in the promised land? Yet, even having finished the book and knowing how perilous a journey it was, I’m left with a wondrous feeling of adventure and discovery. Probably, very few survivors would speak of their migration in such terms. The author’s character, Mr. Penney puts it this way: “Since the Garden of Eden first opened for business, there’s always been a California of a hundred different names to dream about and gamble on. Always will be.”
Days after finishing it, this phenomenal book is still on my mind. I highly recommend it.
Days of Hope, Miles of Misery is a fantastic book. Its unique, appealing cover is a work of art and beckons a reader within, just as the promise of a “land of milk and honey” calls pioneer spirits from thousands of miles away.
My favorite part of the book is the cast of characters, the families that set out together from Independence, Missouri, in May of 1845. The expedition is led by a committee that includes a man in his mid-sixties named Shadrach Penney. The most important decision the committee makes is hiring a guide. Their choice is Nimrod Lee, described as a whipcord lean, enigmatic mountain-man guide in his early thirties. “He was a mix of ornery and sentimental: the first when it was needed, the second when the situation allowed.” During Nimrod’s interview, Penney declared, “You could be a hard dog to keep on the porch.” At another point in the book, Nimrod admits, “A mountain man don’t never know where a fresh trail will take him.” It’s that sense of wanderlust that makes the tragic Oregon Trail so compelling.
College-educated Hannah Vogel married Abel Blanc in 1831 and worked with him in his medical practice with dreams of becoming a doctor herself. Despite her experience, qualifications, and ability to answer their questions, the men who served on the board of examiners refused to grant her a license to practice. In the early years of their marriage, Hannah and Abel had a daughter, Rachel, and a son, Billy. When Abel died in 1843, Hannah begrudgingly accepted Ed Spencer’s marriage proposal and quickly came to regret it. Like most of the families depicted, the Spencer family features an adventure-seeking husband who expects to make an easy fortune. The rest of the family is dragged along, forced from their safe, comfortable homes. As a villain, Ed goes well beyond despicable. As a hero and protagonist, Hannah soars.
Many start and few finish. Twenty-six wagons began the journey. If it weren’t for Hannah and Nimrod, nobody would have survived the perilous, ill-fated, cross-country road trip. The children suffered mightily. “Their whimpering was sandpaper on her heart.” The odds were always against them. “If you start too late, you won’t make it over the mountains before the snows hit. Start too soon and mud or high water can trap or drown you. Start unprepared, you can die out there.”
I know it is challenging to write about the past based on the way things were then. But, as a reader, I want to stay within the setting, in this case, 1845. In this book, the narrator frequently appears to explain things. Here’s an example: “What Hannah had learned from observation, but couldn’t frame scientifically, is that willow bark contains salicylate which in its active form becomes salicylic acid, and is closely related to aspirin of a later day.” Locations are also frequently explained in terms of what they would become in the future. I think this excellent book would have been even better if it kept us in 1845.
At the end of the journey, I’m left wondering. If I were alive in 1845, would I have sold everything I owned and risked it all for a chance to live in the promised land? Yet, even having finished the book and knowing how perilous a journey it was, I’m left with a wondrous feeling of adventure and discovery. Probably, very few survivors would speak of their migration in such terms. The author’s character, Mr. Penney puts it this way: “Since the Garden of Eden first opened for business, there’s always been a California of a hundred different names to dream about and gamble on. Always will be.”
Days after finishing it, this phenomenal book is still on my mind. I highly recommend it.
January 10, 2021
I heard about this book here on Goodreads and purchased a digital copy. This is the first book I've read by Mr Dickey and I recommend it highly.
It's a gritty , violent story and I seriously wondered at times if anyone would be alive at the end of the story (there's a very high attrition rate on the way to California!) but the story telling is well done and the characters are strong.
It's perhaps a little longer than it could be , but there's very few rough spots in this tale....and it's a rough ride for sure!
Well done!
It's a gritty , violent story and I seriously wondered at times if anyone would be alive at the end of the story (there's a very high attrition rate on the way to California!) but the story telling is well done and the characters are strong.
It's perhaps a little longer than it could be , but there's very few rough spots in this tale....and it's a rough ride for sure!
Well done!
February 10, 2022
Enjoyed even more than expected
I was born in Oregon, several generations after my forebears took the Oregon Trail from the Indiana in the mid-1800s. If I remember correctly, there were at least 2 brothers of the Quaker faith, who had a wandering spirit and curiosity for the west. All of the family history has created a curiosity in me for as much reality as possible in stories of those who crossed the unknown land. The author did not shy away from the heartache, brutality and desperation of the journey and for that I thank him.
I was born in Oregon, several generations after my forebears took the Oregon Trail from the Indiana in the mid-1800s. If I remember correctly, there were at least 2 brothers of the Quaker faith, who had a wandering spirit and curiosity for the west. All of the family history has created a curiosity in me for as much reality as possible in stories of those who crossed the unknown land. The author did not shy away from the heartache, brutality and desperation of the journey and for that I thank him.
October 21, 2022
Traveling west on a wagon train was very dangerous, and the tension of simply continuing on the journey and trying to stay alive often caused individuals to forget the needs of others and look out only for themselves. My favorite character was Hannah. She wasn’t perfect, but often helped and cared about others. Although interesting, this book was tough to read at times because of some of the tragedies along the way. There are some triumphs, but, overall, life was tough, even with a good trail guide.
August 11, 2021
Fantastic slice of the past
This was an exciting read for anyone who enjoys wilderness adventure. It is a simple plot; a group of pioneers set out for California. It follows their colorful, oftentimes dangerous travels across the American west under the direction of Nimrod Lee, a mountain man, with Hannah the “doctor” among many other characters looking forward to their future over the mountains, deserts and prairies in the far horizon.
This was an exciting read for anyone who enjoys wilderness adventure. It is a simple plot; a group of pioneers set out for California. It follows their colorful, oftentimes dangerous travels across the American west under the direction of Nimrod Lee, a mountain man, with Hannah the “doctor” among many other characters looking forward to their future over the mountains, deserts and prairies in the far horizon.
January 12, 2022
I won this book in a giveaway.
This book was clearly very well-researched, and it has a lot to offer for the history buff who wants to learn more information along with their fiction. It's well-written and well-edited (which you can't always say). There are a lot of characters in the book, so there's definitely something for everyone (though I wouldn't always count on everyone sticking around), and the book looks at a lot of types of people who are often left out of western novels.
This book was clearly very well-researched, and it has a lot to offer for the history buff who wants to learn more information along with their fiction. It's well-written and well-edited (which you can't always say). There are a lot of characters in the book, so there's definitely something for everyone (though I wouldn't always count on everyone sticking around), and the book looks at a lot of types of people who are often left out of western novels.
January 4, 2021
What a fantastic book! My favorite things are the flash forwards to explain illnesses that we know today, or parts of the trail that would later cause the deaths of other travelers. Well written and well researched, I highly recommend it!
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads giveaways.
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads giveaways.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews