SIXTEEN BRIDES

By Stephanie Grace Whitson

Stephanie Grace Whitson learned about war widows moving west while researching a totally different topic. When she learned about the single women who were homesteaders, a new novel began.

When I first picked up the book, I wondered how I was going to keep track of 32 main characters, 16 brides and 16 grooms. Mrs. Whitson makes it easy. She focuses on only five women, Sally, Ruth, Caroline, Ella and Hettie.

Mr. Hamilton Drake made the Ladies Emigration Society sound so appealing. Women could go west to Cayote, Nebraska, stake a claim and in five years the land would be theirs. On the other hand, Mr. Drake had collected money from the men of Cayote to bring them wives. Sixteen women left St. Louis on a train to Cayote. Hettie, who boarded the train without any knowledge of the Ladies Emigration Society, was assimilated into the group. Sally had divorced her husband. Ruth was a widow of a Union General. She traveled with her young son, Jackson. Caroline, a southern belle, was a widow to a Union private. Ella was encouraged by her mother Zita to go west with her. Each woman had a reason to leave their homes and venture out on a new life.

When the train made a stop at Plum Grove, Mr. Drake sent a telegram to Cayote stating that the “brides” were on their way. When the women discovered the ruse, some decided to stay at Plum Grove while others thought they would see what Cayote had to offer. Hettie, Caroline, Ruth, Ella, Zita and Sally decided they would work together and homestead near Plum Grove. The women find inner strength and learn to deal with the past. There were also a few eligible men in Plum Grove who had histories to overcome.

The women, even though they were diverse characters, worked together to make Plum Creek home. This book gives you a glimpse of pioneer life. There are dangers and challenges for the women on the prairie. A refreshing sense of community is evident in Plum Grove, each helping the other. The citizens of Plum Creek learn to deal with the past as well as adjust to the changes coming their way.