The Indifferent Stars Above

The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party

By: Daniel James Brown

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

From the #1 bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat and Facing the Mountain comes an unforgettable epic of family, tragedy, and survival on the American frontier

“An ideal pairing of talent and material.… Engrossing.… A deft and ambitious storyteller.” — Mary Roach, New York Times Book Review

In April of 1846, twenty-one-year-old Sarah Graves, intent on a better future, set out west from Illinois with her new husband, her parents, and eight siblings. Seven months later, after joining a party of pioneers led by George Donner, they reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains as the first heavy snows of the season closed the pass ahead of them. In early December, starving and desperate, Sarah and fourteen others set out for California on snowshoes, and, over the next thirty-two days, endured almost unfathomable hardships and horrors.

In this gripping narrative, New York Times bestselling author Daniel James Brown sheds new light on one of the most legendary events in American history. Following every painful footstep of Sarah’s journey with the Donner Party, Brown produces a tale both spellbinding and richly informative.

Fascinating, but hard to connect

I suspect that, like many other people, I listened to this book because I thought The Boys in the Boat was one of the best books I ever read. This book is fascinating and full of interesting history. Unlike some other reviewers, it did not bother me that the author chose to go off on tangents about things that were not directly related to the Donner party. I love learning things, and to that end the book is a five out of five. However, it falls short for me in human connection, especially with Sarah. I was never able to warm to any of the people as they went through their harrowing adventure. It is clear that the author was deeply moved by the experience of writing this book, and I will continue to read his other work.

great book hard to stop reading

great book but so sad
amazing what people went through in the that time of history

Well Research Horror

I enjoyed everything that I learned about the Donner Party, from its origins to the world events happening at the same time they were stuck in the mountains (for reference). It’s in depth to the point that you can almost feel yourself trapped in a hand hewn cabin buried in the snow. Initially I disliked how dry the narration was but I quickly understood that if this story was told in any way other than PBS documentary style, it would be too much. It was border on being disrespectful.

Fascinating story and well crafted

The narrator takes some getting used to, but overall and excellent read. Highly recommended, especially if you know California.

If you like historical reads - this is fantastic!

I liked the narrator and the way his voice carried the genuine interest and care as if the writer was narration himself.

It brought to life details of a historical event I knew just a fraction about.

I truly enjoyed everything about this book.