Oregon! (Wagons West Series , No 4)

Rating:
Summary: Reaching Oregon And Beyond - Superb Historical Fiction!
Review: "Oregon" is Book 4 of Dana Fuller Ross' magnificent "Wagons West" series and every bit as exciting and well written as the first three books. If you are a fan of historical fiction and/or the frontier days in the American West, then you will thoroughly enjoy this series of 24 books. (This is a review for the Unabridged version of "Oregon").

The first wagon train to cross the American continent and forge the Oregon Trail was now on its last leg of the journey west. Having wintered in the Rocky Mountains, the pioneers, numbering over 500, set out for the Oregon Territory. They had survived natural catastrophes, vicious Indian attacks, internal feuds, illness, as well as sabotage by agents employed by Great Britain and Russia who were determined to see the venture fail. Every member of the traveling community had much at stake. Many had lost everything they owned in the Panic of 1837. Oregon Territory was a vast land where there were almost limitless forests and fish and game were abundant. The rich earth was perfect for farming. The journey was financed by the US government and financiers like John Jacob Astor. The new settlers had each been promised a tract of 600 acres to begin life anew in the West.

Michael "Whip" Holt, and his blood brother, Cherokee warrior Stalking Horse led the train. They had been joined in Independence, Missouri by Lieutenant Colonel Lee Blake, the US Army's leading counterintelligence expert. He had been sent by President Martin Van Buren to help protect the wagon train from the British and Russian saboteurs. Russia and Great Britain were vying with the US for possession of the Oregon Territory. Both Holt and Blake, as well as many others, had married pioneer women they met during the trip.

On a lush green plain, at the juncture of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, the wagon train came to its final halt. To the west and south lay vast expanses of forest, to the east were the hills that rose to form the Cascade Range, to the north, directly across the Columbia, was Fort Vancouver with the Union Jack fluttering in the breeze. Many weeks would pass before sites for homes, farms, ranches, offices, boatyards and lumber mills would be selected, the land cleared and buildings erected - but the settlers had arrived at last.

The author, writing with intelligence and depth, vividly brings history to life in "Oregon," as in the other books in the series. And the politics behind the settling of the West are fascinating. The plot becomes even more intriguing as the pioneers settle-in. New relationships are forged, the strife continues between England, Russia and the US, and a group of Russian immigrants joins the community. As one would expect, the novel is chock-full of adventure, hardship, courage, love, loss, tragedy and triumph. Many details have been taken from actual diaries and journals of early pioneers. These "Wagons West" novels are among the best historical fiction I have read. Very highly recommended!

JANA