Lighten the Load
Ghosts along the Oregon Trail, Book #2
by David Fitz-Gerald
After a devastating tragedy, Dorcas Moon faces brutal choices in the unforgiving wilderness.
An unsolved hometown murder casts a foreboding shadow over the journey. Mounting responsibilities weigh heavy on Dorcas' shoulders while navigating the trail along the Platte River. Family, friends, and neighbors can't seem to get along without her help.
The gruesome trail exacts a heavy toll. A sweeping grass fire blazes across the prairie. A doomed wagon careens down a treacherous hill. A fellow traveler is gored to death while hunting buffalo. Each disaster pushes the pioneers to the brink. Amidst the chaos, Dorcas grapples with the realization that she must dump her precious cook stove and her husband's massive safe. The oxen can no longer haul the heavy weight of unnecessary cargo.
When her daughter mysteriously disappears while the wagons are at Fort Laramie, Dorcas Despairs. She is desperate to help her daughter when the troubled youth is found in the arms of a Brulé man in Spotted Tail's village.
Secure your copy of Lighten the Load and delve into an unforgettable saga of empowerment, sacrifice, and the haunting echoes of the American frontier. Rejoin Dorcas Moon on the adventure of a lifetime as she confronts the challenges that shape her destiny.
“I close my eyes to steady my nerves as Stillman pounds the cross that will stand watch over Larkin’s final resting place.
When I open my eyes, I’m surprised to see the words Stillman has carved. Rose reads them out loud. "Larkin Moon. My bones rest here. My spirit follows my family."”
When setting out on the road, Dorcas knew the trip could be perilous. But the excitement overshadowed any doubts she and her family might have had. However, the further they travel, the more deadly situations the caravan of wagons find themselves facing. People around Dorcas’ wagon keep finding themselves struck by disaster, and she does what she can to help them get through when the times get tough.
She never could have imagined the bad fortune would strike her family. Or that it would cause quite so much devastation. The whole reason for going to Oregon was for Dorcas’ husband, Larkin, to become a banker, a dream come true. Dorcas wasn’t prepared to be making the journey by herself.
Lighten the Load by David Fitz-Gerald, is the second book in the “Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail” series, following Dorcas and her family on their journey to Oregon. Having lost their true purpose for making the journey, the questions play on Dorcas’ mind – should they turn back? If they keep going, what will their future look like once they reach Oregon?
Although Dorcas had never truly found the love she so desired in Larkin, she can’t deny the grief she feels from his loss. They had been married for years, had four children, and had chosen to make the trip to Oregon together. They had never considered the possibility that they might not both make it to the end of the road.
Thrown into the deep end, Dorcas knows she has few options. She simply does not have the time to properly grieve, to mourn the loss of her husband. The trail waits for no one, and in the instance of a loss, grieving must be done on the move. Winter waits for no man or woman, and to stop the whole journey to grieve the lives lost along the way is time wasted that can’t be risked. Dorcas is portrayed with a strong strength, which only seems to grow throughout this novel. Her character is as steadfast as the oxen pulling the wagons, determined to keep going no matter what.
As in the first novel of this series, Dorcas is most certainly a character to be admired for her pure tenacity. She is incredibly realistic in the telling and comes alive within the pages. To pen such a loveable, truly determined, woman with such a likeness to reality is certainly an accomplishment.
The road may be one of opportunities, but sacrifices must be made along the way. Unfortunately for some, those sacrifices come in the form of their family members, or fellow travellers. The further into the trail they travel, the more dangerous situations there are to encounter. It’s not only fast river crossings that require caution, but also steep slopes, fires, and disease. It cannot be helped that danger comes with losses, and in this leg of the journey, the travellers certainly face more than their fair share of casualties. It brings to mind the number of graves beside the track, and suggests that they are not all from different trips – a lot of them are likely to be from the same trip, with multiple casualties along the way. While primarily focused on Dorcas’ journey across the Oregon Trail, the author accurately depicts the high mortality rate on the trail. The amount of time spent on researching this journey and the potential obstacles that travellers may have confronted is evident. The trail descriptions in this book are flawless, and the level of research put into understanding what life was like on the trail is remarkable. This novel is wrought with devastation, both emotional and physical, and certainly has more than its fair share of tear-jerking scenes. However, the beauty of the trail cannot be overlooked, no matter how dangerous it is. The scenery is described with such detail that you can almost picture it.
Despite the loss of her father, Dorcas’ daughter, Rose, still retreats into her own world, disappearing when no one is watching and seeking out things that only she can comprehend. Dorcas has enough on her plate with trying to keep her family together after losing Larkin, as well as doing her best to help those around her, but Rose is an enigma that no one seems able to crack. No matter who Dorcas assigns to watch over Rose, she still manages to slip away unnoticed, and her incessant obsession with the graves along the trail is more than cause for concern. There is definitely a supernatural aspect to this series, and the more you read, the more noticeable certain things are.
Rose seems to spend most of her time in a trance, talking to people who have long since passed away, and Dorcas’ son, Andrew, has premonitions of things that have not yet happened. The rest of the travellers might look upon the family and see that they are unusual, but just how far that word stretches is not determined until you start watching out for the clues. The supernatural elements of this novel are a wonderful addition, for they bring a small amount of comfort amongst the tragedy. While lives may be lost, Rose has a remarkable talent for comforting grieving families and alleviating their concerns about their loved ones. By adding this extra layer to the novel, Mr Fitz-Gerald has rounded out the novel to be a seamless story of cohesion between what is and what might be, bringing everything together into an incredibly enthralling novel.
With a desperation to stay afloat while under the enormous weight of pressure and expectation, Dorcas’ return in Lighten the Load: A Pioneer Western Adventure (Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail Book 2) by David Fitz-Gerald brings with it another thrilling read. With its deep and authentic depiction of life and death on the Oregon Trail, this novel and series is truly remarkable. You won’t be able to put it down. This is a series that, once started, is impossible not to finish.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Ellie Yarde
The Coffee Pot Book Club
The title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Series Trailer:
David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society.
Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level.
Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses.
Connect with Dave:
Another lovely review!
ReplyDeleteI agree. It's a fabulous review for a gripping story.
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