Commissioned for the pioneer sesquicentennial, here is a remarkable volume by Carol Cornwall Madsen that captures the spirit of the pioneer experience and spans the entire pioneer period, 1846-1869. It is a fine collection of documents selected from the writing and diaries of the pioneers who traveled the Mormon Trail. Readers are sure to gain a deeper understanding and greater appreciation for pioneer heritage and history.

In the summer of 1856, three companies of handcarts were outfitted and sent west from Iowa to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. All went well, and they arrived without undue incident. But two additional companies—one captained by James G. Willie, and the other by Edward Martin—left England late in the season. When they arrived at Iowa City, they were long past the time for safe departure across the plains. By the time they left Florence,