Like most people I thought I knew the story of the Donner Party, but reading Michael Wallis’s Best Land Under Heaven has proved me wrong and improved my understanding of those who hazarded the journey to fulfill their Manifest Destiny.
Wallis takes us back to the families who decided to abandon farms, friends and the familiar in search of an optimistic future. It was to be a future that would bring them a new start and success. It would insure the lives of their children and bring prosperity.

Wallis starts his book by detailing the circumstances of the Donner Party participants in the context of the political and economic climate of the country. This was not an easy decision to make. Yet based on dreams, tales from travelers (not often accurate) and faith in their abilities, these pioneers united to go West. The group had the same goal but sometimes had different values and ideas on how to achieve it. None imagined the horror that the journey would become.

Wallis humanizes these strong men and women so one feels awe and even empathy for their travails rather than revulsion. This was especially true for the women who were left behind at different sites near the Truckee Lake and mountainous areas. Almost as remarkable as the well-known Donner story, is the story of the rescue attempts made by volunteers (and family members) willing to risk their lives for those who may well have already died.

This book needs to be shared and read by readers of history and those seeking to understand the founding of this country. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.