Stay with the Wagons
Ghosts along the Oregon Trail, Book #3
by David Fitz-Gerald
Venture deep into the uncharted wilderness and crest the continental divide.
Stay with the Wagons is the enthralling third chapter in the Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail series. Dorcas Moon has discarded her mourning dress and yearns for freedom and independence amidst the vast frontier. But a perilous world and a commanding wagon master keep her tethered. Ultimately, it's a brutal bout of fever and ague that confine her to camp.
Relentless disasters and beguiling challenges unfold in this installment. A young man is crushed beneath a wagon wheel. Dorcas' son breaks an arm, a grizzly bear attacks the wagon train, and the looming threat of attacking outlaws whips the emigrants into a worried frenzy. How many must perish before they reach the end of the trail?
As chaos reigns, her troubled daughter, Rose, disappears once again, leading Dorcas on a perilous quest. Tracking Rose to a sacred site, they encounter a blind seer and a legendary leader, Chief Washakie. Rose's enchantment with Native American adornments sparks Dorcas' concern about an unexpected suitor and raises worries about Rose's age.
Stay with the Wagons is bursting with action, adventure, and survival. It is a story of resilience and empowerment on the Oregon Trail.
Claim your copy now and re-immerse yourself in a tale of high-stakes survival, unexpected alliances, and the indomitable spirit of Dorcas Moon.
I scream at the path. “You should be ashamed of yourself. How much is enough? You are the Devil’s highway. Why do you do this to people? How many lives must you ruin? Are you out to get us? What next? Must we all die? Leave us alone and let us go in peace. I don’t know how much more we can take.”
Dorcas Moon left for Oregon with a clear vision of what her life would be like when her family reached their destination. Her husband, Larkin, would become a banker, fulfilling a lifelong dream, and her children would grow up in a land of possibilities.
It has been a few weeks since Larkin Moon’s death, and Dorcas is still trying to figure out what the future now looks like for herself and her children. That is, if they make it to Oregon. The road is thwart with danger, and a new tragedy seems to strike the journeying caravan at every turn. How much is too much?
And can the travellers reach their destination before death takes them all?
Stay with the Wagons is the third instalment of David Fitz-Gerald’s enthralling series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail. This book picks up where the last instalment left off, following Dorcas Moon and her family on a perilous journey. Amidst mounting tensions and inevitable sorrow, the lines begin to blur between what can be classed as an inevitable accident, and what seems to be the road pushing back, enveloping the caravan in a foreboding aura.
The path to Oregon seems never-ending, and yet, Dorcas can’t bring herself to turn her family around. Their journey has taken them far, and they have invested enough time and sacrificed too much. They can’t just head back to what they once called home. It seems like they have no other choice but to persevere and continue their journey, even though they don’t seem to know what they are travelling for anymore. Losing Larkin was enough of a life-changing event and brought enough grief by itself. But slowly, death comes to visit more and more people. Dorcas has never been one to bow to speculation, nor one with any semblance of belief in the supernatural, but the further they travel, the more it seems that their journey is cursed. The intense layer of uncertainty in this story immerses the reader in Dorcas’s journey. Dorcas often finds herself unnerved throughout this novel, and the reader alongside her can’t help but feel the same.
As this series progresses, Dorcas remains an incredibly well-crafted character and one that the reader can admire for her tenacity, but as she faces one thing after another, Dorcas’s resolve begins to crack. Mr Fitz-Gerald has masterfully created an underlying sense of danger within his story, putting the reader on edge as Dorcas, who has been such a strong and determined character thus far in the series, begins to doubt herself, and question things she had previously been absolutely certain about.
Dorcas’s daughter, Rose, takes on a greater role and becomes more central to the narrative in this book. Since the start of the journey, Rose has been a major source of concern for Dorcas. She became fixated on the graves along the road, and though her behaviour of having one-sided conversations, as if she were communicating with the dead, was initially dismissed as a vivid imagination, her peculiar actions have now become a significant worry. Rose is often found in a trance, as though she were living in a different realm and could neither see nor hear those around her. More worrying, though, is her tendency to wander away from the wagons without telling anyone where she is going, or leaving any trace of what might have caught her attention. Rose seems to simply vanish, and until she is found, her existence becomes an unsolvable conundrum. Life on the trail is dangerous enough. To step off the path, and away from the protection offered by the wagons, is a risk certainly not worth taking. At times, it can be difficult not to grow frustrated with Dorcas over how she approaches the situation with Rose. When he was alive, Larkin had been insistent that Rose was simply going through a phase, and that she would grow out of it quickly. While Dorcas tries to follow his parenting style, even after his passing, she does spend a lot of time away from her own wagon, leaving Rose to her own devices, and more often than not, she returns to find Rose nowhere to be found. The reader does have a slightly increased level of information on what dangers lie in situ, but Dorcas’s concern over the welfare of her family in this novel does appear overshadowed by how little time she spends with them, which only makes the reader more on edge. The tension in the novel reaches new heights as the reader is left to imagine where Rose is and the danger she could be in.
The series as a whole has a fascinating layout, meticulously crafted with attention to the historical detail. Each chapter of the book chronicles a day on the road, giving it the feel of a personal journal, which is a unique and effective storytelling approach. To fully grasp and immerse oneself in the story, it is crucial to read this series in sequential order, as each book seamlessly continues from where the previous one ended, creating a single cohesive narrative.
This novel achieves greater depth by including short segments that provide insight into the positions and actions of a group of outlaws on the road. The outlaws are characters in their own right, who all very much have their own stories to tell. Through the use of these short snippets, the author effectively builds tension for the reader. While the caravan is aware of the outlaws, the reader’s knowledge of their plans leaves them with a feeling of helplessness as they await the outcome.
As the series progresses, the tension and uncertainty are becoming more palpable. Stay With the Wagons: A Pioneer Western Adventure (Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail Book 3) by David Fitz-Gerald is just one piece of a much larger picture, but one of great importance. Without knowing exactly what will be the climax of the series, what the outcome will be, or when it will happen, is anxiety-inducing. This novel, this series, will captivate you and leave a lasting impression.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Ellie Yarde
The Coffee Pot Book Club
The title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
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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:
Congratulations on such a lovely review!
ReplyDeleteI agree. It makes me want to read the series too. :-)
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