"True Sisters" by Sandra Dallas

I love books.

Seriously. I should get a bumper sticker.

Recently, I finished a book that is worth mentioning: True Sisters by Sandra Dallas. It is historical fiction, which is probably my favorite genre. True Sisters takes place in the mid-1800's and is about early Latter-Day Saint converts that traveled with the Martin Handcart Company that crossed the plains from Iowa to "Zion" or the Salt Lake Valley (something like 1300 miles). If you're like me, you've heard many accounts of these early pioneers and settlers, but this one brought it all together for me and made it so much more real. The trials and experiences all of these people went through are unimaginable. 

Selling/giving away most of you possessions. 

Packing your family up and into a handcart within a certain weight limit of items you could bring. 

Fatigue. 

Sickness. 

Death from sickness.

Food rations. 

Leaving more behind to lighten the load. 

Starvation. 

Death from starvation.

Freezing/well below freezing temperatures.  

Freezing to death.

Frozen limbs. 

Amputations. 

Delivering a baby along the way, and then continuing to walk. 

Not being able to feed your new infant due to lack of nutrition.

Children/infants dying. 

Some losing hope/some exercising greater faith.

Can you even begin to understand what that would have been like to not only make the journey, but also suffer so much physically, spiritually  emotionally, and mentally as well? To see your children/infants/husband/wife/siblings/parents die? 

The sacrifice of these pioneers, the early Saints of the church that I belong too, is immense. I am so grateful for their sacrifice, yet I am so glad that I was not an early pioneer. I don't know that I could have done it. I still think there are many who make similar sacrifices for their faith--those who are shunned by friends, co-workers, and even family because of their beliefs. Many people are modern day pioneers who still sacrifice much to have the gospel in their lives. I know some personally. The author is not LDS, though she did work closely with several members including a Church historian to get details correct. Many of the stories in the book are from accounts that she read. In fact, in General Conference a week and a half ago, one of the speakers told a story of a pioneer woman that had nothing to feed her family except to rock hard biscuits. She placed them in a pot with some water. When she returned and opened the lid, the pot was full--a miracle. This story was in Ms. Dallas's book, albeit very brief. Some things were seemed hard to believe/imagine, but again, you have to realize that this was in the 1850's, and things were very different back then.

To read more about the book go to Sandra Dallas's website. To read her book, here is a link to True Sisters or find one at your library. 

If you want to know more about the LDS faith, please visit www.mormon.org or www.lds.org. 

If you want some more good book suggestions, visit my Pinterest page on books.

There are also MANY more historical, fiction, and historical fiction books about the early pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

© Wendy 2012