Tragedy refuses to abate in this fictional account of the Donner party's expedition west. Narrated mostly in verse by a cast of distinct characters and an omniscient, non-human figure ("Hunger"), the story begins as the group of families sets out with a slew of animals and wagons stocked with supplies. Among them are children Patty Reed (dubbed "The Angel"), whose narration is in the form of prayers, and Virginia Reed ("The Princess"); their father James Reed, who fancies himself a strong leader, is later ousted from the group for killing a fellow traveler. Attempting a shortcut to California, the settlers spend a winter trapped in the snowy mountains, where some starve to death and others cannibalize the bodies of those who die. Tamzene Donner ("The Scholar") refuses to leave her dying husband's side; Ludwig Keseberg ("The Madman") endures agonizing injury before his long-awaited rescue. Voices are given to two Miwok vaqueros who attempt a rescue expedition and are murdered by the settlers when the situation becomes dire. Extensive back matter provides short biographies of the characters, a timeline, a miscellany of facts and figures, and more. (Age 14 and older)

In powerful, vivid verse, the master behind The Watch That Ends the Night recounts one of history’s most harrowing—and chilling—tales of survival.

In 1846, a group of emigrants bound for California face a choice: continue on their planned route or take a shortcut into the wilderness. Eighty-nine of them opt for the untested trail, a decision that plunges them into danger and desperation and, finally, the unthinkable. From extraordinary poet and novelist Allan Wolf comes a riveting retelling of the ill-fated journey of the Donner party across the Sierra Nevadas during the winter of 1846–1847. Brilliantly narrated by multiple voices, including world-weary, taunting, and all-knowing Hunger itself, this novel-in-verse examines a notorious chapter in history from various perspectives, among them caravan leaders George Donner and James Reed, Donner’s scholarly wife, two Miwok Indian guides, the Reed children, a sixteen-year-old orphan, and even a pair of oxen. Comprehensive back matter includes an author’s note, select character biographies, statistics, a time line of events, and more. Unprecedented in its detail and sweep, this haunting epic raises stirring questions about moral ambiguity, hope and resilience, and hunger of all kinds.