The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride

The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party by Daniel James Brown offers a detailed account of one of the most notorious tragedies in Westward expansion and American history. Published in 2009, this historical non-fiction book examines the doomed 1846 expedition of the Donner Party, led by George Donner, through the Sierra Nevada mountains. Brown, celebrated for his narrative non-fiction, departs from conventional accounts fixated on the Donner brothers, focusing on the personal story of Donner Party survivor Sarah Graves, a young newlywed who traveled West with her family. Sarah’s story captures the full spectrum of human endurance and suffering the party faced during the devastating early snowfalls in the Sierra Nevada that ultimately sealed their fate. Brown’s detailed recounting traces the footsteps of the Donner Party, exploring themes of Love and Sacrifice, The Challenges of Pioneer Life, and The Impact of the Environment on Human Fate.

This guide refers to the 2009 Harper Collins edition.

Content Warning: The book contains descriptions of starvation, cannibalism, and death.

Summary

On April 12, 1846, 21-year-old Sarah Graves, her new husband Jay Fosdick, her parents, and her eight younger siblings embarked on a journey westward from Illinois.