Oh How Can I Keep On Singing?: Voices of Pioneer Women

by Jana Harris

Now in a new trade paperback format and design. An authentic and moving picture of pioneer women in the Okanogan Valley of northern Washington

Genres: Poetry

112 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1993

Reviews

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a collection of poems about women in Washington State's Okanogan Valley during the 1880s and 1890s. There are also a lot of interesting old photos throughout the book.

This book is truly a labor of love on the part of this author. It probably won't be read by many people, and won't bring her fame or fortune, but it's so important to preserve the memories of our foremothers.
The author intended to write a novel on a different topic. In the course of her research, she ran across pioneer reminiscences collected from old newspaper articles. Few of these were from women, so the author meticulously researched Northwest archives to find bits and pieces about the women and their lives and deaths. These women suffered avalanches, Indian raids, floods, starvation, tuberculosis, and rattlesnakes. One woman killed 300 rattlers outside her tent the first summer after her arrival! Yikes!

I admire this woman and her dedication to preserving history in the form of very readable story poems.

[The Book Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good poems

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love poetry like this, based on real people and events. In this case Jana Harris has taken a series of newspaper articles, reminiscences of pioneer women in the Okanogan Valley in Washington, and transformed them into poems which describe the hardships and tragedies of their lives as women miners and wives of miners. Photos from the 1880s and 1890s, interspersed amongst the poems, add to the vivid accounts. I can't say which poem is my favorite--I liked them all. Students in Washington state should be interested in this, as well as anyone studying women's history. Highly recommended.

[Lenora Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small book with huge poems. Jana Harris did her research, and not only read diaries and letters, she found photos to go with most of the poems of the actual women. This is a delightful book for history buffs who want to know what life was like, for the women, in the late 1800s in Okanogan area of Washington State.

Living wasn't easy back then, but these pioneers persevered, and Lived. With a capital 'L.'

Ms. Harris captured the times and the lives, and with great beauty shares them with us. A book to be read several times over!

[Rada · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked hearing about this uniquely American experience from different voices than just the LDS pioneers.

It is amazing to me that so much story could be told in so few words. Glad I read this book.

[Arianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through research Janna Harris was able to give voice to the pioneer women of the Okanogan Valley through her poems... truly fascinating. These women were true heroes of their time.