Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West

The Donner Party: A Desperate Hope is a gripping and heart-wrenching narrative that sheds light on one of America's most harrowing encounters between the dream of a better life and the harsh realities of westward expansion.

Drawing on fresh archaeological evidence, recent research, and heartbreaking letters and diaries made public by descendants, Ethan Rarick offers an intimate portrait of the Donner party and their unimaginable ordeal.

This book is not a sensationalized account of gruesome events but rather a realistic and typically human mixture of generosity and selfishness, born of necessity.

The author resists attempts to turn the survivors into archetypal pioneer heroes, instead offering a nuanced portrayal of the emigrants' difficult decisions and actions.

A must-read for anyone interested in American history, this book will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the resilience and determination of the human spirit.