True Sisters by Sandra Dallas

"In a novel based on true events, New York Times bestselling author Sandra Dallas delivers the story of four women---seeking the promise of salvation and prosperity in a new land---who come together on a harrowing journey.In 1856, Mormon converts, encouraged by Brigham Young himself, and outfitted with two-wheeled handcarts, set out on foot from Iowa City to Salt Lake City, the promised land. The Martin Handcart Company, a zealous group of emigrants headed for Zion, is the last to leave on this 1,300-mile journey. Earlier companies arrive successfully in Salt Lake City, but for the Martin Company the trip proves disastrous. True Sisters tells the story of four women whose lives will become inextricably linked as they endure unimaginable hardships, each one testing the boundaries of her faith and learning the true meaning of survival and friendship along the way: Nannie, who is traveling with her sister and brother-in-law after being abandoned on her wedding day; Louisa, who’s married to an overbearing church leader who she believes speaks for God; Jessie, who’s traveling with her brothers, each one of them dreaming of the farm they will have in Zion; and Anne, who hasn't converted to Mormonism but who has no choice but to follow her husband since he has sold everything to make the trek to Utah.Sandra Dallas has once again written a moving portrait of women surviving the unimaginable through the ties of female friendship." from amazon.com

This book kept my attention! I read it in one day. Very well written as is the norm for Sandra Dallas. 

I got angry while reading and was excited that Dallas produced a book that will make you angry - I laughed a couple of times and was close to tears but was too angry to cry. THIS is what makes a good book.

You may not learn to "love" the characters in this book but they will fascinate you. They are each at a different place in their faith - much like we see daily within our churches. I was glad Dallas was able to portray this rather than lump them all together in the same level of faith.

While I believe much differently than Mormons they are a big part of our history such as the "handcart" era. This book caused me to head to my computer and do some of my own research on the handcart trips and this trip particularly. Many more Mormon's died in the trip Dallas based her book on than in the Donner party.

I read a few reviews of this book on Goodreads which were interesting because several highly criticized it and then added that they were, in fact, Mormons. However, while reading the book myself, I did not feel like Dallas was highly critical of the Mormons, I believe she took that page in history and added the personalities to it.

I usually try to add a quote but as I looked at my flagged pages, I realized taken out of context, I'm not sure they would be as interesting as they were to me as I read them. Such as:

"She wondered if Brigham Young were calling the people to the valley to build up his own kingdom, not God's."

"You will marry of course. Your salvation depends on it. There are no spinsters in Utah."

And said to the non-mormon in the group while giving childbirth:

"Converting won't help you. The Lord makes childbirth as hard for Mormons as Gentiles - or apostates, for that matter."

I have been a Sandra Dallas fan since I read "The Persian Pickle Club" in 1996. She makes history through fiction very interesting to me.

"New York Times best-selling author SANDRA DALLAS, the author of ten novels as well as ten nonfiction books, was dubbed “a quintessential American voice” by Jane Smiley, in Vogue Magazine. Sandra’s novels with their themes of loyalty, friendship, and human dignity have been translated into a dozen foreign languages and have been optioned for films." from the author's web site which you can find H.E.R.E. 

I do recommend this book.