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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
This was one of the books required to read for class. I was initially drawn in by the cover. It wasn't until I was about to start reading that I noticed it said "voices from the Donner Party" on the cover. I was interested to see how the story went.
Despite this being historical fiction, I think this book would be a good kickstart to learning about the Donner party and the expansion out west. I know the Donner party was briefly mentioned in passing during this unit in school, which I get because of cannibalism, but Allan Wolf does a great job of rationalizing what happened. It was a terrible thing that happened, but the Donner party didn't just decide to be cannibalists. There were more factors at play and this book points that out quite well.
Warnings: drugs (mentions of drinking and whiskey, some smoking), R&R (death, prideful men, angry women, survival of the fittest mentality, cannibalism, withholding provisions, extreme weather), language (some swearing), violence (killing animals, leaving people behind, murder, banishment, hitting with a bullwhip, starvation, cannibalism) people in general???
Despite this being historical fiction, I think this book would be a good kickstart to learning about the Donner party and the expansion out west. I know the Donner party was briefly mentioned in passing during this unit in school, which I get because of cannibalism, but Allan Wolf does a great job of rationalizing what happened. It was a terrible thing that happened, but the Donner party didn't just decide to be cannibalists. There were more factors at play and this book points that out quite well.
Warnings: drugs (mentions of drinking and whiskey, some smoking), R&R (death, prideful men, angry women, survival of the fittest mentality, cannibalism, withholding provisions, extreme weather), language (some swearing), violence (killing animals, leaving people behind, murder, banishment, hitting with a bullwhip, starvation, cannibalism) people in general???
This novel in verse is the latest retelling of the Donner Party and their fate in the Sierra Nevadas during the winter of 1846-1847. Poet Allan Wolf gives voice to members of the ill-fated party in his book: James Reed and George Donner, leaders of the doomed caravan; Baptiste Trudeau, a 16-year-old orphan taken under George and Tamzene Donner's wing; Salvador and Luis, two Miwok Indian guides; Ludwig Keseberg, a haunted man; Patty and Virginia Reed, two of James Reed's children, and more are all here, telling their stories in haunted verse. Hunger narrates the story, giving readers familiar with Markus Zusak's The Book Thief a familiar touch. Hunger is dispassionate and yet evokes emotion in the narration. Beginning as the party begins experiencing misfortune, the voices grow more desperate and the verse, more haunting, as the snow falls; the party's desperation is palpable. Moments dedicated to the snowfall include names of the fallen sprinkled in with the repeated word, "snow". Comprehensive back matter includes an author's note, biographies, statistics, a timeline of events, and resources for more reading and research. It's an incredibly detailed work of historical fiction and nonfiction all at once.
The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep has starred reviews from Booklist and BookPage.
The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep has starred reviews from Booklist and BookPage.
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had no idea that there was so much to the Donner Party story. It was horrifying, sad, and frustrating. I enjoyed the format of the poetry and prose, and having a "hunger" perspective was a nice touch. Anyone who reads this will learn something, and I think teens will appreciate the suspenseful peril. Who will survive? Who will not? Will your favorite character become a victim to cold, gangrene, illness, or starvation?
It also had the most background information that I have ever seen at the end of a novel, answering any questions that I might have had and providing an excellent list of future resources.
It also had the most background information that I have ever seen at the end of a novel, answering any questions that I might have had and providing an excellent list of future resources.
I had never heard about this until I saw Tory mention it in a Tiktok. A story about the Donner party told by the members and Hunger written in verse?!? Yes please, sounds right up my alley. Then she sent it to me in a mystery box :) It is so intriguing and a good read.
4.5 stars rounded up. Beautiful, haunting, heart-destroying verse about the Donner party. I mean, you gotta know what you’re getting into with this, right? This is not a cute light book; this is a book that starts with manifest destiny and ends with cannibalism to survive. The author does a great job with a huge cast of characters (that, admittedly... dwindle...) and all in all if you go “man, I wanna be depressed AF today”, you could do a lot worse than this.
adventurous
dark
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep by Allan Wolf is a fascinating account of the Donner expedition as told in verse. Readers experience the story primarily through the eyes of members of the party - everyone from party leaders to their children - but also through other unique perspectives, such as a pair of oxen. The most notable narrator is Hunger, a personified representation of the constant and ever-increasing pressure of the party's gradual starvation and increased desperation. Although so many various narrators can be difficult to trace, Wolf helps this by giving each primary character a title, such as The Princess or The Scholar, which helps keep everyone as organized as possible.
In addition to the vast number of characters to remember, there are constant mentions of various locations and paths which can be challenging. As I read an ARC, many features of the finished copy aren't yet available. While the ARC indicated plans to add a map, I feel this work would benefit from several maps showing a progression throughout the journey. It's difficult enough tracking a mental picture of the trek across the country, much less when considering where various groups of people are in relation to others. There were many references to various campsites or one group pulling ahead away from the others. Perhaps it's just me, but visualizing the paths and the locations of each character was often challenging.
Experiencing this story as a novel in verse was a really unique experience. The format of the poems was very different than expected. I especially enjoyed the poems that included repeated chanting verses or characters speaking the same lines but relating to different circumstances. These always felt very effective as storytelling tools. The visual poetry in the snow poems was striking and always felt like a little gutpunch regardless of whether the page was full of snowflakes or featured a single lonely flake. Definitely a cool technique to connect readers emotionally.
Three Graves is obviously well-researched. Readers can tell this from the writing itself, but I also appreciate the thorough notes and citations provided by Wolf. He credits his sources, but also explains in detail the areas where he had to fill gaps of details lost to time or make an educated guess. He is very transparent about what aspects of the story were entirely fabricated, which I respect and of which there are very few. The end notes include additional features, such as select character bios describing what happened to them after the events of the story, stat sheets outlining various statistics from the journey, and much more.
I found this read incredibly fascinating. I tore through the pages, eager to find out what would happen next. I quickly found myself emotionally invested in certain characters and their plight. All of that said, I'll warn that this read isn't for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. Deaths and vividly described injuries abound and unsavory proteins are harvested and eaten in the name of survival. The entire book is a study in what true desperation does to the human mind and spirit. The horrifying reality of what these people lived through was borderline overwhelming at times. I'm grateful to have experienced this read and learned more about the Donner-Reed party, but I can't say the journey through this book was easy.
Overall verdict: Quick, approachable nonfiction on a fascinating topic. Solid pace. Intriguing characters. Emotionally stressful and often more-than-a-little gross, but never gratuitously so. Would recommend for mature(ish) readers who enjoy history, adventures, survival stories, and general wilderness lit.
Special thanks to Edelweiss+ and Candlewick Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In addition to the vast number of characters to remember, there are constant mentions of various locations and paths which can be challenging. As I read an ARC, many features of the finished copy aren't yet available. While the ARC indicated plans to add a map, I feel this work would benefit from several maps showing a progression throughout the journey. It's difficult enough tracking a mental picture of the trek across the country, much less when considering where various groups of people are in relation to others. There were many references to various campsites or one group pulling ahead away from the others. Perhaps it's just me, but visualizing the paths and the locations of each character was often challenging.
Experiencing this story as a novel in verse was a really unique experience. The format of the poems was very different than expected. I especially enjoyed the poems that included repeated chanting verses or characters speaking the same lines but relating to different circumstances. These always felt very effective as storytelling tools. The visual poetry in the snow poems was striking and always felt like a little gutpunch regardless of whether the page was full of snowflakes or featured a single lonely flake. Definitely a cool technique to connect readers emotionally.
Three Graves is obviously well-researched. Readers can tell this from the writing itself, but I also appreciate the thorough notes and citations provided by Wolf. He credits his sources, but also explains in detail the areas where he had to fill gaps of details lost to time or make an educated guess. He is very transparent about what aspects of the story were entirely fabricated, which I respect and of which there are very few. The end notes include additional features, such as select character bios describing what happened to them after the events of the story, stat sheets outlining various statistics from the journey, and much more.
I found this read incredibly fascinating. I tore through the pages, eager to find out what would happen next. I quickly found myself emotionally invested in certain characters and their plight. All of that said, I'll warn that this read isn't for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. Deaths and vividly described injuries abound and unsavory proteins are harvested and eaten in the name of survival. The entire book is a study in what true desperation does to the human mind and spirit. The horrifying reality of what these people lived through was borderline overwhelming at times. I'm grateful to have experienced this read and learned more about the Donner-Reed party, but I can't say the journey through this book was easy.
Overall verdict: Quick, approachable nonfiction on a fascinating topic. Solid pace. Intriguing characters. Emotionally stressful and often more-than-a-little gross, but never gratuitously so. Would recommend for mature(ish) readers who enjoy history, adventures, survival stories, and general wilderness lit.
Special thanks to Edelweiss+ and Candlewick Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.