Kristiana Gregory

A diary account of fourteen-year-old Susanna Fairchild's life in 1849, when her father succumbs to gold fever on the way to establish his medical practice in Oregon after losing his wife and money on their steamship journey from New York. Includes a historical note.

The Gold Rush Diary of Susanna Fairchild : [California Territory, 1849]

Seeds of Hope

Meredith Rose

It’s been a few weeks since I finished this book, but I still wanted to write a review about it because I feel it made a lasting impression on me. This is one of a few Dear America books I’ve read now, and I must say this one is worth your time! I really appreciated how the author of this book didn’t shy away from the reality of life in the Wild West. While Dear America is a children’s series, this author didn’t hesitate to include scenes about hangings, murder, disease, surgery, and more, in an appropriate manner for children of course. While not necessarily a graphic book, the author does give the reader a real sense of what it would have been like to travel to the lawless west and live in very rough conditions.

Another bonus for this book is that the author does a good job writing the journal entries without too much dialogue. I don’t mind all that much when Dear America books use dialogue, but it sure does make it feel like a more authentic diary when they don’t!

Jeni Enjaian

A review from my old blog...

I have never been disappointed with any of the books in the Dear America series. I love the idea of reading someone's journal and getting a glimpse into someone's life. Though these journals are not probably what would have been written... much more storytelling has to be done than is usually done in a journal.
Now I'll admit... sometimes on trips my journal entries will approach story telling but these books always make me want to pick up my journal and start writing similar things (though about my life) in there.
This book told the story of Susanna Fairchild as life takes a terrible turn when on their way to Oregon her mother is swept overboard and her father, a doctor, succumbs to a touch of the gold rush fever. Susanna, at age 15 and then 16 is a little older than some of the characters portrayed in other Dear America books so perhaps the idea of her falling in love is not so unusual.

Seeds of Hope The Gold Rush Diary of Susanna Fairchild : [California Territory, 1849]

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