Frontier Grit by Marianne Monson brings the adventure, ingenuity and extraordinary fearlessness of American pioneer women to life. As a huge fan of the pioneer spirit, I enjoyed learning about the women who shaped our country from this book.
I’m normally a fiction reader, but the lack of enough authentic frontier fiction to keep me entertained led me to this book. The cover caught my eye right away. I couldn’t wait to find out who these women were and how they overcame obstacles. Frontier Grit was more than I expected. The volume of research completed in order to compile these stories is amazing. I especially appreciated the footnotes and further reading suggestions.
In addition to the facts and storytelling, there is a commentary by the author for each story where she adds her thoughts. This keeps the history from becoming monotonous and makes each chapter thought-provoking. The last chapter and final paragraphs are a good challenge. I wonder who will be our next pioneer women and what they’ll discover?
I started out taking notes after each story to talk about my favorites in my review. Halfway through, I realized each woman became a favorite as I read about her. What these women overcame is inconceivable to me. So many of them failed, or were faced with heartrending circumstances, and yet, they continued to strive toward their goals. One woman started so many businesses that were destroyed by some calamity that I couldn’t believe she’d just start all over again. There wasn’t much that stopped these women and I think that’s what I liked best about this book. It inspires.
If you need ambition or inspiration for your own life, it doesn’t hurt to read about women who surmounted more odds than I think any of us will experience in our lifetime. It’s hard to imagine living without the conveniences we have today, as well as embarking on a journey into the unknown with nothing but our inner strength to guide us.
Every family with daughters or granddaughters should have a print copy of Frontier Grit to pass on. We need to know who laid the path before us in order to appreciate all the opportunities we have today. Our own unique frontier grit is deep inside each of us if we dream big and believe we can do it.
Reviewed by Dorine, courtesy of The Zest Quest. Digital advanced reader copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.
Frontier Grit by Marianne Monson
Category: Biography, Women in History
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing (September 6, 2016)
Rated 4 out of 5
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