BOOK REVIEW: True Sisters

Stories about the Westward movement have been a fascinating part of the history of our country. Sandra Dallas captures the lives of four women who made a particularly difficult journey in her novel TRUE SISTERS.

In order to move hundreds of Mormon converts from Europe to Salt Lake City, Brigham Young “organized” companies to travel from Iowa City to the place he called Zion, The Promised Land. These people were to walk the 1,300 mile journey pushing two-wheel carts that held all of their worldly possessions.

The trip was a disaster. They faced the heat of the Plains and later the bitter cold of the mountains. Of the 625 who started the trip in Iowa City, defections on the first part of the journey brought the figure down to 575. Of these 575, at least 170 perished from cold, hunger, exhaustion, or probably a combination of all three.

Based on this historic event, the novel TRUE SISTERS follows four women who start the journey as strangers and learn to depend on the friendships that adversity forges. Nannie had been abandoned on her wedding day and was travelling with her pregnant sister and brother-in-law. Adding to the physical hardships of the trip, Nannie finds her intended and his new wife part of the company.

Jessie is travelling with her two brothers and dreams of the farm that they will share in this Promised Land. Having worked side by side with her brothers back home, Jessie can work as hard as many of the men, but she is not prepared for some of the losses that she has to face.  Jessie married the missionary who was responsible for the conversion of many in the group. The perfect wife, she believes that her husband speaks for God.

Anne has no choice but to follow her husband. He has sold everything back home, given the church elders their money, and threatened to take their children, whether she goes or not. She is the only non-convert.

There are many sad scenes in this book; many people do not make it to The Promised Land. What makes it so inspiring is the fact that the human spirit makes it. It is amazing what we can go through and survive.

Sandra Dallas writes historic fiction and in the process shows us that women have always had the same problems and strengths. One of her enduring themes is how important friendships are to women. Maybe that friendship is one of the sources of our strength.

If you have noticed, this not the first time this author has been part of P.O.V. If you have not found her yet, I suggest that you start with Alice’s Tulips and follow with The Chili Queen; they are connected. This is another author who should be on every woman’s reading list.