They Saw the Elephant: Women in the California Gold Rush

Rating:
Summary: They Saw The Elephant
Review: As a writer of both fiction and non-fiction, I found tremendous value in "They Saw The Elephant." For the general reader of non-fiction, this book reads like a novel! The stories of these valiant women grab the reader and never let go. You feel that you are with them, as they face the unknown perils and triumphs of the Gold Rush in California of the mid-19th Century. The words of these wonderful women have the special ring of Truth to them. I cannot overstate my admiration for the author and her work in presenting this important book.

Rating:
Summary: They Saw The Elephant
Review: As a writer of both fiction and non-fiction, I found tremendous value in "They Saw The Elephant." For the general reader of non-fiction, this book reads like a novel! The stories of these valiant women grab the reader and never let go. You feel that you are with them, as they face the unknown perils and triumphs of the Gold Rush in California of the mid-19th Century. The words of these wonderful women have the special ring of Truth to them. I cannot overstate my admiration for the author and her work in presenting this important book.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down!
Review: Reading ³They Saw the Elephant² changed the way I think about historical narratives. JoAnn Levy¹s ³westering women² come alive through their own words and through her skillful weaving of their stories. They weren't just hookers and schoolmarms; they ran boarding houses and laundries, they mined for gold, and there was even one who drove a stagecoach for Wells, Fargo, & Co.! Excellently researched and a great read!

Rating:
Summary: One of the most amazing books I've ever read.
Review: Well written, well researched, mesmerizing! There are not enough words to praise this book. It covers every aspect and type of life a woman could lead when she came West. It takes information from diaries and eyewitness accounts. It will make you realize that human feelings don't change. We can all relate to what these women felt. It doesn't read like a history book, it reads like a magnificent saga. I couldn't put it down.