A review by bookishkittennook
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party by Daniel James Brown

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4.0

I chose this particular audiobook at random after exhausting my usual podcasts, and it turned out to be incredibly interesting, albeit with heavy subject matter. The author’s main focus of his research is Sarah Graves, one of the lesser-known survivors of the event known as The Forlorn Hope. Despite not having many direct accounts from Sarah herself, Brown has done extensive research on her, her family, and other settlers who made the trek to California in 1846. He also includes a relevant background that creates a fuller picture of Westward expansion and what choices ultimately led to the deaths of so many on the expedition to California. Brown incorporates how the science of survival played a role in who would potentially live while others perished.

When it comes to historical events like the tragedy of the Donner Party, it is important to consider the factors that led to it. Brown highlights the aggressive push by the U.S for westward expansion, the war to claim California as a territory from Mexico, and the misguided greed and ambition of individuals. The settlers, particularly the men, are not entirely faultless for their predicament in the mountains, and Brown does not sugarcoat the facts. He provides detailed descriptions of what daily life and survival were like for these immigrants and how they made the best of their circumstances despite terrible and overwhelming odds.  Although at times graphic and haunting, it is a deeply humanizing account of the infamous tragedy that made a foothold in American History. 

 
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