The Journey to Oregon - 1934

By Jean Braden

The Journey to Oregon in 1934 is a true story of eight family members who travel from the drought and dust storms of Nebraska to the promise of Oregon in search of a better life. John and Helen have... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0025UKGMK
• ISBN13: 9781430304463
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Length: 108 Pages
• Weight: 0.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A Family on a Collective Hero Journey

This family history chronicles the journey of a Nebraska extended family (seven adults, one child) as they trek from dust-embraced mid-western farms to the rich Willamette valley. With three cars, there is always some automotive difficulty to be faced, and these hardy souls camp out by the roadside (it's summer) and cook up meals from the home-canned victuals they've brought with them. The child, Gesina, is pictured frowning on the first page and continues to whine about the fact that she will not be able to go to fifth grade with her friends. Each character contributes texture as the story unrolls, but the blended voices of the adults are what sticks with the reader. Moving is never easy, but when you have nowhere to go back to and must move on, with very limited funds at hand (less than $[...] in the pockets of each family). Along the way, the women learnto drive the cantankerous cars down treacherous mountain inclines. Near the end of the tale, ever-grumpy Gesina, takes ill and spends feverish days in the car, building suspense and engaging the reader. The "good old days" were full of not-so-good days, but a lot of pluck and courage.

A trip back in time

This book was a wonderful read that had me so engrossed I expected to look out my window and see the dust blowing in hurricane patterns on the scorched pavement. A great story of a family's tough decision to head west and the perils they faced on the journey there. Braden expertly captures the emotions of the difficult journey.