The Land is Bright

by Archie Binns
Category: "Fiction - Historical"
Pages:345
Year of Publication:1939
Date Added:02/18/2021
Date Read:07/20/2023
Notes:Armed Services Edition

The story of a wagon train of people on the Oregon Trail—their hopes, fears, adventures, deaths, relationships. The main character is a teen girl named Nancy Ann. She expected to marry Gideon Stone, but he was appointed leader because he'd been on the trail before, and had no time for romance. A 50-year-old teacher, Mr. McBride, hitched a ride, but when Gideon saw he was making advances to Nancy Ann, he kicked him out of the train. Case, a young man separated from his family, joins the train and falls in love with Nancy Ann. At first, she isn't interested, but before long she is. But she's afraid that if Gideon finds out, Case will be kicked out of the train too. But months and miles after he was kicked out, McBride catches up with Gideon and kills him. Case, as one of the few healthy males left, takes a bigger role. When the train reaches the Snake River, a slimy trader convinces some to sell him their cattle cheap and float down the river in their wagons. Case goes along with a couple who do this, but the river is treacherous and no boats make it through. Nancy Ann waits with her family and is about to give up when she sees Case. He walked cross country through the desert to be with her. They get married as they travel the final distance to their new homeland.
My Rating: 6

Reviews for The Land is Bright

Review - Land is Bright, The

Kinda a weird book. The basic story was interesting, but there was, for example, a single chapter written from the perspective of Nancy Ann's eight-year-old brother, and a lot of other places where characters pontificated on life. The author was obviously angry with God, and he made most of his characters reject God by the end of the journey.

Reviewed by Roger on 2023-07-20 19:18:13

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