Sierra's great friend Megan recommended I read this book as we were preparing for a trip to Lake Powell. We didn't end up going, but I still read the book. Megan told me that some of her family's ancestors appear in the story. It's historical fiction, and has many of the real pioneers featured in the account of this amazing blaze through hard rock.
It's a wonderful account of a complex history as these Mormon pioneers built a route through impassable country. Their faith and courage are remarkable. They knew it was impossible, and they knew it had to be done. They did it!
I really enjoyed Lund's footnotes and detailed explanations of the geography and the hardships these hardy people encountered. He referenced several comprehensive histories that probably would have served me better than this story, but I like to get history in light story-form! What is consistent with Lund's fictional characters though, is that they don't have a lot of depth or reality to them. They are pretty predictable and have sweet senses of humor and only understandable, superficial flaws. It gets a little frustrating to have such flat characters. However, they are "good" and have real struggles and even though they feel contrived and shallow, they do move the story ahead.
Lund does a good job describing the struggles of the faithful and the struggles of the unbelieving. But again, they are not in depth or very authentic-feeling. Still, the stories are always uplifting and optimistic. The part that moved me the most was the part when they were near the end of their journey. The pioneers had to whip and force their animals up a steep incline that ended up maiming and killing some of their loyal animals who had brought them so far. This was heart-breaking, as Lund helped us witness the pain of the owners who felt they had no choice but to move onward this way. This part was, like many parts of the book, historically accurate. This part moved me to tears.
