Independence!

I gave this book as a gift to my father years ago when I was hoping to get him to do something other than watch T.V. westerns all day. He got so into it that by the next time I visited he had borrowed like a dozen books in the series from the library. He said he stopped reading them when he realized it was a romance. I wanted to see what he got all fusted about.

How you couldn't figure out it was a romance within the first few chapters, I have no idea. But not like trashy romance novel with a bare-chested man on the cover and steamy sex scenes more the widow who doesn't need no man, and the mountain man who don't need no woman who think they hate each-other end up needing to rely on each other.

Story starts with Andrew Jackson trying to show more organize a nation wide wagon train to settle the Oregon Territory in hops of strengthening the American claim to the property. But spies from Britain and Russia join the wagon train as pioneers with an intention to sabotage. They will do anything to stop the wagon train so that they can claim the territory.

I'm not that familiar with this history beyond playing Oregon Trail on the Apple II, but it seems believable. Explanation of why women who don't want to leave the comfy east coast seem pretty likely related to the inability for them to own property on their own.

The train grows while they make their way across the U.S. from Long Island to Pennsylvania, to Ohio, Illinois and finally to Missouri. Our heroines have to learn a full new way of life, whether its one learning to shoot, another learning to care for others, and the tomboy learning to admit to herself she is still a lady.

The wagon train is a new adventure, but also a way to start over, whether from a failed business venture, a life as a call girl, or a conviction of murder. Everyone has to learn to pull their weight, and new families are built. All while having to avoid deadly snakes, stampeding buffalo, and men of all colors and sizes that don't end up quite like you expect.

A light quick read that covers serious topics without taking itself too seriously. I'm putting the next NEBRASKA! in my queue.

Phil Gigante is a great reader his characters are top notch, but it still felt a little weird, primarily because I've listened to him read many books in the Stainless Steel Rat series that it felt weird to have him in the American frontier. show less

My parents read - most - of this series when they were being published regularly, and I read a ton of them back in the day, too. I'm rereading the series, as far as I feel the urge to anyway.

It's cornily written, extremely sexist - but of course, the west was sexist! the plot on the light side, but I can't help but read it all the same. Looking forward to reading more.

I never caught this series years ago, but ran across this in a used book store. Great, fast, fun read. Looking forward to the next one, Nebraska.

Couldn't have been that good because it sent me to sleep, which was a welcome outcome :)

My grandmother read every single one of these books and passed them on to me. At the time, I enjoyed them, so all of my ratings are based on my initial readings.

One of a batch of books in this series I bought cheap and have not read yet.

Rated at 3.8 ***