The Living is a mesmerizing evocation of life in the Pacific Northwest during the last decades of the 19th century, penned by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillard.

This novel is a vivid narrative saturated with the themes of violence, hardship, and triumph. It paints a picture of pioneer life navigated by European settlers and Lummi natives, interwoven with tales of gold miners, friendly railroad speculators, doe-eyed sweethearts, and shifty card players.

Set in the rough settlement near Bellingham Bay, which would become the town of Whatcom, the story captures the essence of the era with its rich tapestry of characters and events. From hermits paying debts in sockeye salmon to miners tracking gold-bearing streams, the lives of these vital, ruddy men and women are brought to life.

As settlers pour in to catch the boom the railroads bring, the novel unfolds the intimate, murderous tale of three men: Clare Fishburn, John Ireland Sharp, and Beal Obenchain. Their lives intersect with the dramatic backdrop of social changes, including the expulsion of Chinese workers from the region.

The Living is not just a historical account but a tale full of adventure and timeless human experiences that will stay with you long after you close the book.

De Overgave is een aangrijpend verhaal over een Texaanse pioniersfamilie die wordt overvallen door een groep Comanche-indianen. De gevolgen van deze aanval zijn hartverscheurend. Veertig jaar later krijgt de hoogbejaarde Granny, die destijds haar familie voor haar ogen zag gedood of ontvoerd worden, bezoek van Quanah, de aanvoerder van de door haar zo gehate Comanche. Hij is op weg om zich over te geven en zijn verslagen volk voor altijd in het reservaat te leiden. Hiermee wordt, na bijna vierhonderd jaar, de onderwerping van de oorspronkelijke bewoners van Amerika een feit.

De Overgave vertelt het aangrijpende en onvoorstelbare leven van een vrouw die in het gevecht om haar kinderen en kleinkinderen uiteindelijk het machtigste wapen moet leren hanteren: vergeving.

In an open cart, Elspeth Huxley set off with her parents to travel to Thika in Kenya. As pioneering settlers, they built a house of grass, ate off a damask cloth spread over packing cases, and discovered—the hard way—the world of the African.

With an extraordinary gift for detail and a keen sense of humor, Huxley recalls her childhood on the small farm at a time when Europeans waged their fortunes on a land that was as harsh as it was beautiful. For a young girl, it was a time of adventure and freedom, and Huxley paints an unforgettable portrait of growing up among the Masai and Kikuyu people, discovering both the beauty and the terrors of the jungle, and enduring the rugged realities of the pioneer life.

"Sometimes it all comes over me," young Abbie said to her fiancé, "that I can do big things. It's ahead of me...kind of like a light in the woods that shines and stays far away." And when I read verse or hear music...or...sing...it beckons me on, and my throat hurts with wanting to do something great."

Abbie Deal did do something great, even if it wasn't what she had dreamed of. Years later, when her children, raised in a rude sod hut, were prosperous men and women of a thriving state, she could say proudly, "I've seen everything...and I've hardly been away from this yard." I've seen the feeble beginnings of a raw state and the civilization that developed there, and I've been part of the beginning and part of the growth.

But it's funny," she added, "I was always too busy filling up the youngsters and getting patches on the overalls to notice that I was part of the epic."

A strong and vigorous picture of pioneer life. The magnificent story of a young girl who went West as a bride—and helped to build a nation.

Tragedy brought them together, but love bound them into a family. Clark and Marty Davis, the pioneer couple thrown together after the death of their first spouses, now preside over a growing number of youngsters in their prairie home.

Together they face the joys and trials of life on a homesteader's farm. Will they be able to find a suitable teacher for the long-awaited new school? Is the "very learned" Eastern preacher going to be able to communicate with the simple people of the West?

And how do Clark and Marty guide their lovely daughter, now grown to womanhood, in her choice of a partner?

Laura Ingalls Wilder embarks on a new chapter in her life with her husband, Almanzo, in their own little house. As a young pioneer wife, Laura works tirelessly alongside Almanzo, farming the land around their home on the South Dakota prairie.

Soon, their baby daughter, Rose, is born, and the young family faces the hardships and triumphs that so many American pioneers encountered. Laura's adventure as a little pioneer girl concludes, and a new journey as a pioneer wife and mother begins.

This book offers a unique glimpse into America's frontier past, providing a heartwarming and unforgettable story cherished by generations.