Incredibly emotional narrative nonfiction detailing the journey of the Donner-reed Party traveling from Illinois to California in 1846, and the tragic deaths of nearly half the party in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Brown is an amazing writer who takes a vast collection of source material and transforms it into a gripping story. I appreciated that Brown frequently broke from the story and offered context behind certain historical events and even scientific/medical explanations, it helped better put things into perspective. If you’ve never heard of the Donner Party, or have done your share of research (like I did) and want more, I highly recommend this book.