Jenny of the Tetons (Great Episodes) (original 1989; udgave 2002)

Kristiana Gregory's fictional account of Carrie Hill, a teenage girl orphaned by an Indian attack on her wagon train heading for Oregon was a surprisingly good read. The book may be aimed at YA readers, but nevertheless I certainly enjoyed it. The title character of JENNY OF THE TETONS is an Indian (Native American) woman married to an 'Englishman,' Richard "Beaver Dick" Leigh, who is a most resourceful hunter and trapper (as well as a loving husband and father). Dick and Jenny have five children and take on the teenage narrator, as a foster child/mother's helper. The book, presented in the form of a journal Carrie keeps, documents the seasonal moves and very gritty life of living in the wild mountains of Montana/Idaho/Wyoming in the 1870s. I was reminded a bit of the Little House stories, except Carrie's story is much more graphic, and the frontier life depicted is much harder than that of the Ingalls family. Daily life is plagued by the constant presence of mosquitoes, flies and yellow jackets, relieved only by campfire smoke. Deeply frigid winters and torridly hot bug-infested summers were part of everyday life, with other dangers as well, including marauding grizzly bears, brush fires and unfriendly Indian tribes. It's also a coming-of-age story as Carrie develops feelings for a handsome young carpenter who visits Dick's camp often from Fort Hall. JENNY OF THE TETONS is a little book. I found it at a local thrift store and read it in one afternoon. A rewarding read, thoroughly researched (based in part on the actual journals of Richard Leigh) and well-written. A window into every-day life of the American West in the time of the Little Big Horn. The 'blended' family aspect of a white-Indian mixed marriage makes the story even more interesting. I'll pass this along to some younger readers I know. Highly recommended. ( )