by Alma Katsu
First published 2018
George Donner faces a critical decision at a crossroads in the wilderness. His pioneer party has traveled west for weeks, and now two paths stretch before them toward the same destination. One route is well known and documented. The other remains untested but promises to be shorter. Donner chooses the unproven trail. His decision dooms everyone in his care. The desert heat transforms into freezing winds that kill cattle where they stand. Starvation and cold push the travelers toward madness. Small disputes explode into brutal fights. Children start vanishing from the camp. As the survivors turn on each other, some realize they face something worse than harsh weather and dwindling supplies. A primal threat stalks them, more dangerous than anything nature can unleash. The story follows the true events of the Donner Party, exploring what humans become when survival strips away civilization.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, horror, thriller, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-allies, found-family, man-vs-nature
Setting: America, Wilderness
Period: 19th-Century
384 pages · Kindle Edition · Transworld Digital
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence