Promiseland

Dawn Miller has taken the story of a 1870s pioneer family and related it in the form of a journal in “Promiseland,” creating a lovely story about friendship and faith.
The book follows a time period in which the Montana Territory was beginning to be settled. The main characters in the book are Callie, her husband and children, along with her brother and his family and friends they met along the trail. They establish a section of land where they raise their families and herd cattle. This small group isn’t too far from the nearest town, so they do interact with other settlers.
“Promiseland” makes for fascinating reading and provides a glimpse of the hardships of life when the west was being won. However, the reader will do well to remember the book is rated fiction and, as such, shouldn’t be taken literally. From my studies of the Oregon Trail and the settling of the Pacific Northwest, I was able to pick out several inconsistencies with the true facts of the time.Aside from that, I did enjoy the book and the way the author presented this story. Miller has developed personable characters and is very good at describing the scenery of the area. She also gives the reader some excellent lessons to follow in his or her belief in God’s hand and protection in the lives of His children.