Book Blurb:
Climb aboard! Don't miss the heart-pounding climax of the Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail series. Rolling Home is the final installment.
In the heart of the rolling village, dissent brews as the stubbornest naysayer refuses to continue the journey. With an ominous early snowfall and memories of the ill-fated Donner Party haunting the pioneers, Dorcas Moon faces a new wave of challenges. Just when she believes things can't get worse, a disastrous river crossing claims their wagon and submerges their belongings.
As the rolling village approaches the final leg of the journey, the looming threat of outlaws intensifies. The notorious bandit known as The Viper and his ruthless brothers are determined to rob the greenhorns, sell their stock, and kill every last one of them. The pioneers had heard tales of their brutality, but now, with Dorcas' daughter kidnapped and Dorcas captured, everyone is in danger.
What will become of Dorcas Moon, her family, and their friends? Will anyone survive the perilous journey?
Rejoin the expedition and witness the thrilling end to a gripping saga.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/WFgnL
Author Bio:
David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society.
Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level.
Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses.
Editorial Review:
Editorial Review: “Rolling Home”
Author: David Fitz-Gerald
Book 5 of 5: “Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail” Series
“I think of men like Lucky and his son, Alvah Nye. Neither one belongs tethered to a fixed destination, but who ever heard of a woman who felt the same way? We’re supposed to want domestic bliss, a stable home, and a welcoming hearth. I enjoy cooking, but to me, freedom is the wind blowing through my hair, riding a fast horse, and gazing at a landscape I’ve never seen before.”
“Rolling Home” is the final novel in David Fitz-Gerald’s “Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail” series. The stakes are much higher throughout this novel in several aspects, with significant danger and risk, both from people and the natural environment. The ever approaching threat of winter looms over the entire group.
As those following through the series will know, “Rolling Home” centers around Dorcas Moon and her family, who are travelling west on the Oregon trail in 1850. Other people and families are also travelling in the group, and Dorcas, who often helps others who are facing challenges and loss, must now rely on her fellow pioneers when she herself is in peril. The outlaws, who have been steadily evolving into a menace, create a dire situation for Dorcas and cause her to reflect on her choices and the journey she has risked everything to undertake.
It is a daunting task to attempt the writing of a five part saga. Yet with each novel and over “Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail”, Fitz-Gerald has succeeded in creating a clear plot line, with appropriate character arcs and has, in large part, balanced the pacing throughout. There are appropriate significant events in each novel. Each book is set out in chronological format, with chapters relating to certain days. At times the recounting of the daily routine can seem repetitive, but no doubt it was repetitive, and the washing and cooking and travelling does act as a foil to the more adventurous days and events! The inclusion of scenes within the daily routine also allows the reader to see Dorcas interacting with her children, and these family times and conversations are among the most special in the book.
Historical fact is woven into the storyline of this novel and all in the series, with frequent references to actual landmarks, and towns that feature along the trail. The depiction of pioneer life is authentic and is obviously well-researched by the author. Those readers who may have only generally heard of the trail without an appreciation of its risk, may be shocked at the graphic nature of some descriptions and events, but many readers will find this authenticity is what makes this novel, and the entire series, such a memorable one.
Dorcas’s character arc, both within this novel and over the entire series, has been riveting to read and also to consider in hindsight as the series draws to a close. Of course Dorcas is not perfect, of course she has flaws. But that is the mark of a true multi-dimensional character, and a woman who can effortlessly carry the narrative of entire five novels. The author’s skill in developing Dorcas as a character is further underscored through the continuing use of first-person present narrative, which creates immediacy in the novel and provides a comprehensive insight into Dorcas’s thoughts and personality. This novel more than any of the other four puts the “Wild” into “Wild West” and it is refreshing to see the story portrayed through a woman’s eyes and perspective.
Dorcas herself muses on how much she has changed in only a few short months.
“Our rolling village has endured a lot. It’s hard not to think of tragedy, especially after our ordeal at Farewell Bend. I understand how people feel after months in the wilderness. Our trip has been plagued by the loss of so many loved ones. Our friends and family members are gone forever. Though they knew the perilous journey exposed us to many dangers, we made the decision to take these risks for the sake of opportunity, new beginnings and adventure.”
Dorcas’s children continue to play a large part in the storyline, including the enigmatic Rose. Dorcas’s admirable but futile attempt to talk with Rose about her plans and relationships, although set in 1850, may be familiar to many parents of teenagers, even in modern times. After reading of Rose’s travails through these five books it is heart-warming to see Rose taking tentative steps to plan a future, even if it is not one that Dorcas wants for her.
One of the many standout features for a reader of “Rolling Home”, and indeed for a reader of the entire series, will be the author’s gift for descriptive language, whether for nature, wild animals, or human emotion.
“The writhing beast’s head appears above my trembling fingers, then wraps a coil around my hands. The rest of its length follows the head and slithers about my bosom. The restless creature ceases its movement. Its arrow tip shaped head rises. The snake’s skin has a diamond-shaped pattern, and its grayish-white eyes remind me of Washakie’s medicine man, Sees Through Clouds. The reptile’s tongue darts in and out of its mouth, inches from my face. My mouth is dry and I can’t help blinking hard. From somewhere I can’t see, the serpent shakes its rattles, confirming its identity. This is a rattlesnake.”
Then there is the ending. The ending of a series where this reviewer has forsaken daily routine to read late into the night(s), immersed in Dorcas’s world and that of the pioneers who risked so much. What an incredible reading journey! It is the reviewer’s solemn duty to avoid spoilers, and there is much in Dorcas’s time on the trail that the reader will enjoy discovering for themselves. The ending of “Rolling Home” is a wonderful combination of both happiness and hope. As to the nature of the happy ending, well, this reviewer may well have had something in her eye. But of course she can’t disclose spoilers, so…
“Rolling Home” by David Fitz-Gerald is a fitting final instalment to a wonderful and memorable series set on the Oregon trail. There are themes of family but also of loss and friendship in a time of great risk and opportunity. Dorcas Moon, the lead character, is a wife and mother who fights for the survival of her family on a dangerous journey that threatens everything they hold dear. Dorcas’s striking character arc and the author’s descriptive language of the western prairies will be highlights for any reader of “Rolling Home” and of this fantastic series. Each book is an incredible window into pioneer life in the American West.
*****
"Rolling Home" by David Fitz-Gerald receives 4 ½ stars from The Historical Fiction Company
To have your historical novel editorially reviewed and/or enter the HFC Book of the Year contest, please visit www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/book-awards/award-submission
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