Letters of a Woman Homesteader (Women of the West)
Letters of a Woman Homesteader (Women of the West) book cover

Letters of a Woman Homesteader (Women of the West)

Paperback – January 1, 1990

Price
$9.28
Format
Paperback
Pages
282
Publisher
Bison Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0803251939
Dimensions
5.4 x 0.6 x 8 inches
Weight
11.2 ounces

Description

From Publishers Weekly George provides biographical insight into the author of the 1914 pioneer classic Letters of a Woman Homesteader , giving a detailed presentation of Stewart's previously uncollected letters. Photos. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. “Everyone should read Elinore Pruitt Stewart. Letters of a Woman Homesteader is a lively account of a Denver woman who moved to Wyoming in the early 1900s and proved that a woman could ranch. It is a rare, first-hand account of the Wild West by a woman. There were plenty of women on the frontier, of course, but their accounts have been obscured by the cowboys who got to tell most of the stories.”— Shelf Awareness Published On: 2023-01-11"Mrs. Stewart was a woman whose nineteenth-century pioneer spirit seems to have been laced with a strong dose of twentieth-century liberation. Equally impressive is her ability to characterize the people around her."—Ann Ronald, Western American Literature "Authentic records of Western ranch life—and more, for Mrs. Stewart had a born writer's talent."— New York Times Book Review "The letters show how important women were in frontier development. [Elinore Stewart's] energy, good works, sense of humor, courage, common sense, and humility win our admiration."—T. A. Larson, Wyoming Horizons Magazine

Features & Highlights

  • Elinore Pruitt, a widow and mother who washed clothes for a living in Denver, planned to work as a housekeeper for some rancher while learning all she would need to know about homesteading a place for herself. In 1909 she went to work for Clyde Stewart, whose ranch was near Burnt Fork, Wyoming, and within six weeks she married him. "Ranch work seemed to require that we be married first and do our sparking afterward," she wrote Juliet Coney, her former employer. She maintained her independence by filing on a quarter section adjacent to her husband's land and proving it up herself. Her delightful letters, written from the time of her arrival until 1913, authentically depict an Old West that, as Jessamyn West notes in her foreword, has been "progressively obscured by those who portray it most often."
  • The critically acclaimed 1980 film Heartland was based on Elinore Pruitt Stewart's letters and journals.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
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(750)
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Most Helpful Reviews

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A candid slice of life

It's rare to find a book this good in this genre. The letters that make up the book provide a very personal glimpse into the lives of homesteaders in an isolated valley on the Wyoming-Utah border. It's good pioneer history as well as a unique self-portrait of a strong, energetic and enterprising woman. This has become one of our favorite books to share with friends.
8 people found this helpful
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Pioneer grit

Genuine substance and sincerity describe Stewart's letters from the early twentieth century while homesteading in this remote corner of Wyoming. Whereas most women would not even consider putting down roots in such an isolated area, Mrs. Stewart was determined to make a life for herself in this territory. And she did just that. It took a special kind of person to live in this far-removed landscape.

Her writing, subject matter and approach to life were most admirable. Hard working and always enthusiastic for adventure, she writes of various encounters with surrounding neighbors and experiences into the countryside. If she had any dull moments on the ranch they must have been few and far between.

Very optimistic about life, Mrs. Stewart affirms, "...all my own efforts have always been just to make the best of everything and to take things as they come."
To further quote, "It has always been a theory of mine that when we become sorry for ourselves we make our misfortunes harder to bear, because we lose courage and can't think without bias."

A wonderful read furthering an appreciation for life in the homesteading era.
2 people found this helpful