Syd recommends A Heart for Any Fate: Westward to Oregon, 1845 by Linda Crew

This book follows 17-year-old Lovisa King as she and her family traverse the Oregon Trail in search of a better life. Twenty-two family members on five wagons set off on the one of the most dangerous and exciting voyages of all time. They experience disease, misfortune, love, loss, faith, and some of the most challenging terrain this country has to offer. Will they arrive whole in the fabled "West" of their dreams, or will they fall apart on the long, arduous journey? This book is historical fiction but based off the surviving stories and journals of the King family, so many of the trials and triumphs are real and offer great insight to what life was actually like on the Oregon Trail.
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