Based on the dramatic events of a real family's overland crossing
Mary Rockwood Powers reluctantly left her comfortable life as a doctor's wife in Wisconsin in 1856, one of the many women whose destiny as a settler of the West was determined by her husband's wishes. Trading in her home for canvas roof and wheels, Mary, her husband, and their three children set out on the arduous trek westward to California.
When Dr. Powers' increasingly unstable mental state threatens the family's safety, Mary is forced to leave her ideals of femininity behind. She takes fate into her own hands-stepping in as head of the household to help her family outlast the trail.
In Outlasting the Trail author Mary Barmeyer O'Brien uses Mary Rockwood Powers' letters as a starting point to further illuminate this remarkable woman's story. It is a story full of dangers, misfortunes, and an appreciation for the smallest of blessings. By constructing a rich inner life for her characters, O'Brien seeks greater truths about what it meant to be a woman, a girl, or a husband facing the obstacles and trials of the trail to California. Based on the heartrending struggle of a real family, this novel brings to life a fascinating slice of American history.