Frontier Children

This book is exceptionally good. It was more than I expected it to be. It covers all races of children who lived during the Frontier Days and goes into detail about the games they played, the jobs they worked, chores they were expected to complete, how they suffered and endured hardships, schooling, and just every aspect of their lives you can imagine. The pictures are wonderful and so real. My feeling about the authors is that they are real people who did a lot of research to complete this very real and informative book. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for yesteryear and the reality of what people lived through during those times.

Peavy fills in some historical blanks while she presents the reader with the American migration westward. The missing stories she brings to us are those of the children. And not just children on the move. Frontier Children shows us images and glimpses into the lives of those children who were already there when settlers came. The book is rich with photographs of children in their time. The pictures and stories show us the diversity that was distinct in our young country at a pivotal moment of our transition into what we have become as a nation. The extensive collection of photographs in Frontier Children includes images of Mexican, Chinese, African American children as well as Native American children. That alone makes this book an unusual look at our history.

Having met Ursula and Linda personally, I can attest to the enthusiasm and zest that went into their reasearch on the little known "small people" of the American frontier. THey have studied the American west extensively and are well versed in all aspects of early frontier life. FRONTIER CHILDREN relates the hardships and also the fun children endured settling and living "out west". Oftentimes, children were the lone survivors of the west when one or both of their parents died mysteriously of unknown causes and perils. Also revealed is the joy of family life and the few pleasures they shared. The book presents a plethora of historical photographs including those by famous photographer, Evelyn Cameron from Terry, Montana, who had the forsight to record historical scenes. This book offers a comprehensive study of the American west and its forgotten children.