Impatient With Desire

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A great adventure, a haunting tragedy, and an enduring love unfold in the spring of 1846 as Tamsen Donner, her husband George, their five daughters, and eighty other pioneers journey to California on the California-Oregon Trail. What begins as a hopeful quest quickly turns into a nightmare, leading to the infamous tale of the Donner Party. While many know the harrowing outcome, this narrative delves deeper into the four months they were trapped in the mountains, revealing the woman and love story behind the myth. Tamsen Eustis Donner, born in 1801, was a remarkable figure—an educator, poet, painter, and botanist fluent in French. At twenty-three, she defied societal norms by traveling alone from Massachusetts to North Carolina. After losing her first husband, she married George Donner and eagerly set out for California in 1846 with their children. However, once trapped by early snows, Tamsen faced the consequences of her adventurous spirit. Though her journal was never found, the author draws on extensive historical research to imagine Tamsen's lost writings, capturing her extraordinary journey from the cornfields of Illinois to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This passionate tale of courage, hope, and love amidst hardship is both intimate and epic, offering a hypnotic reading experience.