THE UNGODLY

by Richard Rhodes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 1973

In the annals of survival there have been few events which have left such a tenacious and terrible -- almost unacceptable -- memory as the story of the Donner Party which set out in 1846 for California -- ""only a word for a place"" which distanced farther and farther away. Rhodes' novel, closely following the known which are almost all in and therefore paralleling George Stewart's Ordeal by Hunger (the most widely read historical version, more modulated in tone) uses a day-to-day documentary presentation, sometimes down to a short, telling entry: ""Sunday. The ashen dust and foul water preached a notable sermon in humility."" The Donner party of 89 as it is figured here (the numbers do vary) traveled through buffalo country, through the great salt desert, and within the first month fell ""dangerously behind"" to be trapped by snow before they reached the Continental Divide. Forced to set up camp, they were soon without food and fell to eating their dogs or their mules down to the hair of their hides and finally themselves -- whether fresh killed or frozen in the snowpits. ""We did what we had to"" (Tamsen Donner) and Rhodes spares no one in the cumulatively insensate proceedings. Since there is limitless courage to offset the horror, much of it can be attributed to Reed and his relief attempts and to Tamsen Donner who had lost her first family to cholera and who now stays with her dying husband -- sending her children on out after the rescue which comes for many too late. And after what may have been for some readers too much (unnecessarily much?) of the literally gutting actuality. Still Rhodes' novel is strong and stirring and fateful and one can almost not look away.

Pub Date: June 15, 1973

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Charterhouse--dist. by McKay

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1973

Categories: FICTION