Journal of the Trail- exactly as the name implies. It is a collection of personal journal entries that the pioneers of the Willie and Martin handcart companies kept while on the trail. Although this is a small book with few pages, it is sometimes difficult to follow as it jumps between many different points of view and people telling of their own experiences.
Handcarts to Zion-(I incorrectly listed this book as “Handcart Pioneers” In this book, LeRoy and Ann Hafen gives details about each of the ten companies, including charts showing mileage and number of immigrants. They give special emphasis to the Willie and Martin handcart companies and the circumstances surrounding their unique experience. The index includes letters from Brigham Young specifically addressing the handcart plan.
Fire of the Covenant- Gerald Lund's work of historical fiction brings to life the unique history of the handcart pioneer migration to Utah in the mid 1800's. Lund weaves together real people involved in the ill-fated 1856 Willie and Martin Handcart Companies with a set of fictional characters. By far the longest of the approved books, this is perhaps the most entertaining read. One online reviewer states “Reading Fire of the Covenant is an entertaining way to learn about Mormon handcart pioneer history. This is my favorite Mormon historical fiction novel. This book will make you laugh and cry. One of the best compliments I can give a book is to say that some of the characters from the book continue to inspire me even years after I read it.”
The Price We Paid- Author Andrew Olsen not only presents the stories of the Willie and Martin handcart companies, but he presents the background information and historical situations allowing us to understand why the handcarts were necessary, and what factors lead up to the problems with the Willie and Martin companies specifically. An online reviewer writes the following “I was captivated by The Price We Paid which is well-researched and masterfully-told. It clarifies biographies, journals and fictional accounts, recalling countless triumphs and tragedies attending the Handcart Pioneers, their missionary leaders, manner of organization, and ultimate rescue. Its story of faith and footsteps is a window to the past - not just through the telling, but through tell-tale, first-person accounts of individual thought, faith, desires and deprivations.”
I Walked to Zion- Subtitled True Stories of Young Pioneers on the Mormon Trail it is unique in its perspective of focusing on those handcart pioneers who were younger when they crossed the plains. It is inspiring in that our youth are able to place themselves in the shoes of those young pioneers who in many cases are the exact same age as our youth today.
Tell My Story Too- is a collection of 258 biographical sketches of pioneers and rescuers of the Willie, Martin, Hodgett and Hunt Emigrating Companies of 1856. The 528-page book also contains 302 pictures; an index of all names and ages of the pioneers in the four emigrating companies and their known rescuers, a brief chronological overview of their immigration and rescue; an 1855 map of the trail that they used, and more. The stories in the book may be copied and given to individuals to take on pioneer trek reenactments.
Trek Requirements