Across America on an Emigrant Train

by Jim Murphy

The author of The Boys' War presents an illustrated history of the building of the transcontinental railroad, including Robert Louis Stevenson's account of his twelve-day journey to California on six trains in 1879.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Trains, School, American History, Audiobook

168 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 1993

About the author

An American author of more than 35 nonfiction and fiction books for children, young adults, and general audiences, including more than 30 about American history. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2010 for his contribution in writing for teens. Jim lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, in a hundred-year-old house with his wife Alison Blank, a children’s TV producer and children’s book author and editor, his two talented musician sons, a regal mutt, an African water frog that will live forever, and a house vast collection of books..

Reviews

[Carol C · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5stars. Listed as geared towards grades 5-8. I can't imagine that anyone in that age group would find this entertaining. I love Robert Louis Stevenson's collection of poetry, _A Child's Garden of Verses_. So, I appreciated learning a little more about him.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The use of Robert Louis Stevenson as the primary source for this opens up the idea of what it was to be an emigrant here in America. I'm always seeking ways to open up young people's minds to the idea that immigrating didn't end at Ellis Island.=.

[Malicia Bragg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Across America on an Emigrant Train is a historical filled nonfiction book that takes the reader along the journey of Robert Louis Stevenson which started in Scotland and ended in San Francisco to be with his true love, Fanny. This journey takes pace during 1879, a time when many people were migrating into America due to the space and opportunity. He first traveled across the Atlantic Ocean and then once in the states with the use of the transcontinental railroad. During this journey on the railroad author, Jim Murphy, takes time to address important pieces of history that were taking place during this time. One of the bigger examples was the history of the Native Americans and how the continental railroad ran through their land, or another about the Chinese immigrants, or how the wildlife was effected by the migration of so many. This book is rich in history and a great read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning about the history of railroads and immigration in the United States.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An account of Robert Louis Stevenson's twelve day journey from New York to California in 1879, interwoven with a history of the building of the transcontinental railroad and the settling of the West.

[Alicia Singleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Across America on an Emigrant Train is a book about a man named Louis Stevenson and his trip from New York to California in 1879. Murphy explains that many emigrants chose to travel west in the United States because of “a combination of genuine opportunities and freedom, shrewd business, and good advertising,” but Louis had a different reason. He dropped everything and took every penny he had and set off to California when he finds out about the sickness of the girl he loves. Because he did not have a lot of money, he experienced many of the same hardships and unfortunate experiences that the poor Europeans on the emigrant train faced. Murphy includes diary-like excerpts and includes many photos and drawing to help show, what he is explaining through the text. Alongside the journey of Louis Stevenson, the book is also about the history of creating the transcontinental railroad. This is a good book to discuss in history about emigration in to the US in the 1800s as well as life on the transcontinental railroad.

Murphy, J. (1993). Across America on an emigrant train. New York: Clarion Books.

[Kayla Spohr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Across America on an Emigrant Train follows the journey of a young writer, Robert Stevenson. Author Jim Murphy depicts the life of Stevenson as he travels from Scotland to California by ship and then by the Continental Railroad. The reason for his expedition is to be with a girl he loves, who he has received word she is seriously ill. Stevenson was nothing if not passionate, and he reacted quickly to the news and he took what money he had and borrowed more from friends, and then set out for California on an emigrant ship. Because he had little money for the journey, he shared the experiences and hardships of the many poor Europeans on board who were immigrating to the United States in search of a better life. This book would be great for 4th grade and up grade levels. A social studies lesson about emigration to the US, and then further west in the US would coincide with this book really well.

[Sherry (sethurner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been working on family history, and discovered that my great grandmother's family traveled West from Iowa on the Union Pacific Railway in 1877. It was a emigrant train, something I had never heard of until I uncovered a letter detailing their travels. That's the reason I sought out this little YA book about emigrant trains. In 1879 Robert Lewis Stevenson came to San Francisco on a emigrant train to visit the woman he loved, and who he thought was dying. The book tells of his journey, and provides lots of information about the harsh conditions on the trains. I enjoyed the history, the drawing and the photos.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a small book written for older teenagers, but still very good. Murphy uses several diaries, especially, Robert Lewis Stevenson's diary when he left Scotland by boat to New York, then across America by train in 1879, 10 years after the transcontinental railroad was finished. Stevenson kept a journal of his trip. I had always wanted to know what train travel was like during those early years. Murphy adds reflections and journal entries from others who had made the same trip during that time period.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just read Stevenson's account of traveling from Scotland to San Francisco, it was enlightening and instructive to read this account of his journey, which includes dozens of period pictures and fleshes out the experience. The Chinese who built the California part of the trans-continental railroad performed amazing feats of skill and endurance.

[Aaron Shoemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book creates an accurate representation of what it was like to travel the country as the average 1800's immigrant to America. And the fact that it's about the author of such a classic like Treasure Island, reading about Stevenson's experience is a great one. Any person who likes railroads should give this book a try.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice nonfiction about the American Railroad system's heyday framed in the story of author Robert Louis Stevenson's trip across America on one such train. Well-written and interesting subject matter, though definitely not for everyone.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nonfiction about traveling across America during the early days of trains. It was interesting and has good photos.

[Nile · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book had a good point of view from Robert Stevenson's view. It was pretty good.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. I learned a lot about the building of the transcontinental railroad and also riding it.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book describing train travel in the 1800's and the passengers who emigrated west.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Targeted to middle grade readers and above (as an adult, I found it fascinating!), this historical view of the experience of immigrants crossing America by rail was a very thorough, interesting story.

Using the journal of Robert Louis Stevenson, who made this trek in 1879 as a young man, the author weaves a faithful impression of the hardships and rewards of the journey. Stevenson left Europe aboard a steamer, traveling alongside other emigrants making the arduous crossing. From New York, he boarded a series of trains that would convey him and thousands of others across the country to San Francisco, a journey of 3000 miles that took several weeks. Never strong, even as a child, Stevenson's health was broken by the hardships of the trip. Exposure to the elements, cramped in dirty cars with bad air, no rest, very little food (and that of poor quality that led to illness) - all these combined to nearly take his life before he arrived in California and was nursed back to a semblance of health by his fiancee's family. But along the way, he kept a faithful journal of the experience, and Jim Murphy used this as a source to tell readers what it was like to ride an emigrant train across America.

Murphy was a tireless researcher. Not only did he use Stevenson's journal, he visited libraries and historical societies and museums across the country to create and illustrate the book. "Murphy has interwoven Stevenson's words with a lively history of the building of the transcontinental railroad, which reveals both the power and romance associated with steam travel and the profound, sometimes tragic, impact it had on all those whose lives it touched."

Highly recommended as a history adjunct to both homeschoolers and school classrooms.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim Murphy presents Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson's experience as a young man traveling in 1879 from N. Y. to California on emigrant trains. Murphy weaves into the story descriptions of the building and operation of railroads in nineteenth century America. The author writes about the Central Pacific Railroad facing a labor shortage and hiring mostly Chinese emigrant workers. The company recruited some of them in China and paid their way to America. The hardworking men successfully built the railroad through challenging terrain from California to Utah. Illustrated with a map showing Stevenson's route and the major railroads in the U. S. plus 85 historic photos and images of drawings, engravings, paintings, and prints. The author's clear writing, excellent research and use of quotes brings to life not only the hardships faced by emigrants but also the spirit of cooperation that developed among travelers. The reader will come away with an understanding of what it was like to travel on an emigrant train. An Introduction and bibliography provide more information for middle-graders or anyone interested in the history of the American West.

[Allyssa Dotson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This nonfiction story is all about Westward expansion and going across America via train. The trains were stuffed full of families and single peoples. The story is given through the perspective of a man chasing after the women he loves. The book uses the artwork to enhance the story really well, the photographs were placed in strategic places. There are photographs of actual emigrants, train cars, and Native American tribes to describe what the man was seeing. I felt that this book was a little boring, I don't really enjoy nonfiction books but it told the great story of Americas pastime. If my students were doing a project on Westward expansion I would suggest this book to help them get an outside reference. A new perspective would help them get a better picture of what really happened during the time period. Writing a nonfiction paper with nonfiction books will help students create a really awesome paper!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this aloud to kids ages 3, 6, 8, 10. It is a fantastic nonfiction account of basically what the title says: traveling across America on an emigrant train. The framing device is Robert Louis Stevenson's (author of Treasure Island, and the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, among other works) real-life trip from Scotland to California to marry his fiancee. His story, with first-hand accounts from his journals, offers a paradigm of the immigrant experience. Interspersed is the history of the Transcontinental Railroad, including its impact on Native Americans, and its construction by Chinese immigrants (the Central Pacific line). I found it to be a fascinating, well-rounded history that honors and discusses perspectives that are often overlooked.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read 3 other books by Jim Murphy and really, really liked them. "The Great Fire", "Blizzard", and "Breakthrough" were all good Historical Fiction. This book was good, but didn't draw me in like the others. It was interesting to learn a bit more of Robert Louis Stevenson, whose books have become classics. This is a younger grade read, but I am not sure children readers would appreciate this story. I guess if children know nothing about the emigrant trains or even know who Robert Louis Stevenson is, and read this like a history book, they might enjoy it.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. I agree with another rater that this would not really appeal to the target audience of 5-8 graders, it's more for adult history buffs. Now, with that said, I was a strange child and I would have read this. I've always loved history. Interesting to see that even with the train, people were still moving west in covered wagons. My great grandma and her parents moved from Minnesota to California in a covered wagon around 1900.

[Elina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good it follows a man traveling from Ireland to America on a ship and then it’s all a train journey. He is meeting his lover but they were not able to get married due to family problems. This teaches facts while also giving writing and pictures about how hard the journey actually was. The food, diseases, money and how hard the journey was, was all showcased in a nice easy reading book. Although i don’t really like fiction this one was not too bad. 5/5

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A struggling writer from Scotland hears that his MILF lover in California, USA is ill he crosses the ocean then navigates his way across the United States. HIs story is culled from his journal and features B/W images though is occasionally whiney about social conditions. Insightful, he went on to become famous! RIP.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fabulous book. The author used a travel journal written by Robert Louis Stevenson as he traveled across America on an emigrant train to reach the woman he loved and hoped to marry who was sick in California. There is a huge amount of black-and-white photos and the historical context is given with Robert Louis Stevenson's comments as he traveled.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pre-read this for my son's homeschool reading. What a great book! It's a biography of sorts of Robert Louis Stevenson, and his journey from Scotland across the ocean to New York, then on the fairly new railway to California. I've read some of his books and poetry, but never knew this story about him.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

About Robert Louis Stevenson's travels across America on an emigrant train. Amazing art and photographs and an excellent look at what things were really like on the newly completed transcontinental railroad.

[Danni · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing.

[Suzy Sylvester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the history of the country interwoven with Stephenson’s person story. Loved listening to it as I drove across country. Not riveting but fascinating.

[Lisa Denford · Rating 1 out of 5]

Character blasphemes

[Elazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story of Robert Louis Stevenson’s travels.