The document provides a summary of a book about the Donner Party written by Marian Calabro. It discusses the author's background, the thesis of the book being to recount the hazardous journey of the Donner Party. The summary also discusses that the author maintains an unbiased and wide scope in detailing key events without omitting important details, and that the book is well-organized and readable. It concludes with two positive professional reviews praising the book's gripping narrative and careful research.

1. American History Honors Emilio Skinner
2nd Block December 1, 2009
Calabro, Marian. Perilous journey of the Donner Party. New York: Clarion
Books, 1999. Print.
Biographical Sketch of the Author
Marian Calabro is a published author of children to young adult
books. Her works include The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party, Zap!:
A Brief History of Television, and Operation Grizzly Bear . She is the
founder and president of CorporateHistory.net, a site that serves corporate
and organizational clients with a full range of book writing, speechwriting,
editing, and publishing services. She lives in northern New Jersey (near
New York City).
Thesis and Purpose of the Book
The thesis of this book is to recount the events of the hazardous
journey of the Donner Party from the beginning in Illinois to the ending in
California. The purpose is to elaborate upon the significance of the Donner
Party and why it remains popular today.
Scope and Bias of the Book
The author maintains a wide scope throughout the book and does not
leave any important event out, especially probably what is the most
important event of all - the cannibalism that took place among the Forlorn
Hope and the effects it had on the survivors. Because of this, it shows the
author is unbiased telling the full account of what happened during the
journey.
Author’s Explanation of Key Events
James Reed’s banishment: The author does not settle on one variation of
the event, but rather leaves a few options for the reader to decide for
himself how it exactly happened. She shows that each observer had a
different opinion of the occurrence, but all observers agreed upon a
punishment for Reed’s “murder” of Snyder, which ultimately became
banishment from the Party.
First account of cannibalism (Forlorn Hope): The author explains that the
members of the Forlorn Hope, the group who left Truckee Lake in mid-

2. December to seek help were the first to seek cannibalism to satisfy
desperate hunger. At first, the group was skeptical of acting upon it when
their hero Stanton died, but after eight ounces of bear meat, the group of
fourteen grew increasingly desperate. They talked it out and decided to
wait until someone naturally died. When Dolan dies, they remorsefully eat
him. The author lightly details it, simply explaining a fire was lit and that
they cut the flesh from his dead limbs.
Reed Union: The union between James, Margaret, and Virginia Reed was
short and sweet. Two of them, Pattie and Tommie, were still in the
mountains. They had to move on quickly. The author switches back and
forth between narrating the events and personal accounts of James Reed.
Analysis of Sources and Bibliography
A wide variety of sources went into the making of this book ranging
from interviews of descendants, librarians, teachers, trail hounds, museum
docents, and historians to manuscripts and letters to research books. The
author had taken a few research trips to California and Nevada as well.
Organization and Readability of the Book
The book itself is fairly easy to read due to the clear organization of
the book. The recounting of the events is told in a story format that
includes a beginning, middle, and end.
Historical Contribution of the Author
The author has a considerable historical contribution. She includes
two rosters in the book. One of the rosters lists all the members of the
Donner Party. The other roster lists all of the members that died during the
journey. The author also includes a map of the trail that the Donner Party
traveled upon and a chronology of the significant events that took place
during the journey.
My Evaluation of the Book
The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party is an enjoyable and
exciting tale of the Donner Party that chills you and then warms you back
up with a heartwarming reunion thanks to the story format and clever

3. writing skills of the author, Marian Calabro. Because of this, it is likely to be
one of those books that gets nonreaders reading from start to finish,
including myself. It is a unique and distinguishable book about American
History that shocks the reader with its twists and turns, the desperation that
the Donner Party went through, and the impacts the desperation had upon
them.
Professional Critic Reviews (2)
"From the haunting cover with its lonely campfire to the recounting of
a survivor's reunion, this is a page-turner." BOOKLIST, starred review
Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
A vivid yet even-handed account of the ill-fated Donner Partythe California-
bound wagon train that was forced by impassable snow to camp for the
winter of 184647 on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, resorting to
cannibalism when there was literally nothing else to eat. Calabro neither
shrinks from nor sensationalizes this aspect of the story. Instead she
places it in a carefully constructed context beginning with the start of the
journey in Springfield, Illinois, on April 15, and chronicling each unfortunate
decision along the way that ultimately led to the company's entrapment.
Making good use of primary sources, especially the letters and memoirs of
Virginia Reed, who turned 13 on the journey, the author tells of Virginia's
excitement at having her own pony to ride west. However, she doesn't limit
the story to Virginia's perspective, but skillfully profiles many members of
the party, including Virginia's dynamic father, James, who strongly favored
taking an unproven shortcut, and the intelligent and perceptive Tamsen
Donner, who was firmly against it. The result is a combination of well-
researched factual detail, a gripping narrative, strong characterizations, and
a thoughtful analysis of the historical record. (b&w photos, chronology,
further reading, bibliography, index) Kirkus Reviews