Answer Creek

- Reviews -

"Ada is every pioneer woman who accomplished more than she ever thought possible. " --Booklist "Ada is an impressive heroine who thinks for herself and exhibits moral courage in dire straits . . . [the novel] succeeds at capturing the endurance of the human spirit. " --Publishers Weekly "The author is a master of vivid descriptions, dragging readers along every wretched mile of the trail, sharing every dashed hope and every dramatic confrontation, with Ada as their guide. Ada is a marvelous creation, twice orphaned and both hopeful and fearful about a new life in California, the promised land . . . A vivid westward migration tale with an arresting mixture of history and fiction. " --Kirkus Reviews " . . . a gripping story of loss, survival, and female strength. Sweeney does such a masterful job of evoking the journey, from the shifting challenges of the landscape the emigrants move through to the emotional complications of being dependent for survival on people who were strangers months or even just weeks before. The epic sweep, the vast scale, of the trek is vividly felt, but so are the smallest of details. " --Society Nineteen Journal, 5/5 stars "So well researched, one can almost feel the cold of winter and the stifling pain inflicted upon the heart and soul of these courageous pioneers. " --K. S. Jones, award-winning author of Shadow of the Hawk "With faultlessly authentic period detail and relentless, riveting twists of fate, Answer Creek puts the reader right on the Oregon-California Trail in every sensory and emotional aspect imaginable. This compassionate but utterly realistic telling of the story gently crushes the sensationalized versions and releases something that feels much closer to truth. Ada is hope personified--it takes wing, soars, crashes--and survives. " --Ellen Notbohm, award-winning author of The River by Starlight "In Answer Creek, Sweeney rescues the story of the Donner Party from its fate as salacious anecdote and delivers a harrowing tale of resilience, folly, loss, and hope. " --Mary Volmer, author of Reliance, Illinois "Ada Weeks is an unforgettable character, authentic and true, created by the deft hands of author Ashley Sweeney. Together they provide a possible answer to the question ' how might I fare in a time of trial? ' But this is only one question of Answer Creek. Full of distinctive language, fresh images of overland travel, and the challenge of choices, Ada Weeks is a woman to cheer for while we explore our own journeys toward meaning no matter the century nor trail. Be prepared to burn the night oil to discover more. " --Jane Kirkpatrick, award-winning author of One More River to Cross "Answer Creek is brilliant, masterfully written. " --Frances Simmons, editor "If there can be beauty in horror, Sweeney has managed it in the writing of this book. Doom hovers on every page--in the sunsets of the western sky, in emaciated cattle, in boots worn down to shreds--yet the human spirit radiantly perseveres in the form of young Ada Weeks, who is determined to find love despite an avalanche of losses and sorrows. Her harrowing physical and psychological journey grips the reader in a tightly woven web of suspense. Impeccably researched, Answer Creek is a triumphant re-telling of a mythic American tragedy. " --Laurel Davis Huber, author of The Velveteen Daughter, winner of the Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction "Intimate, engrossing, and personal--this novel is so much more than the story of the Donner Party. It is the story of a budding young woman: her loves, her hopes, and her generous spirit in the midst of an unfolding tragedy. As I read this engrossing novel I forgot I knew--or thought I knew--the story that inspired it. Sweeney captures both the highs and lows of human behavior with each gripping scene. " --Martha Conway, author of The Underground River

- Author Bio -

Ashley E. Sweeney is the winner of the 2017 Nancy Pearl Book Award for her debut novel, Eliza Waite. A native New Yorker, she is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and resides in the Pacific Northwest and Tucson. Answer Creek is her second novel.

- Full Details -

Status:	No local stock, title imported to order
ISBN-13:	9781631528446
Published:	4 Jun 2020
Published In:	United States
Imprint:	She Writes Press
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Format:	Trade Paperback
Height:	216mm
Width:	140mm
Pages:	344

- Delivery ETA -

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

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