Across America on an Emigrant Train

by Jim Murphy Narrated by Richard M. Davidson

Overview

In the summer of 1879, the young writer Robert Louis Stevenson received a telegram from America. Fanny, a dear friend in California, was ill. Stevenson packed his bags and left his home in Scotland. When the steamer reached the east coast of America, his journey had just begun. Stevenson had little money, so he traveled across America the cheapest way: he went by train. The trip from New York to Monterey, California, would take two exciting weeks. As the train chugged up mountains, through Indian territory, and over trestle bridges, Stevenson recorded his impressions of the rough, vast country and the people he met. Jim Murphy weaves a lively account of Stevenson's journey with fascinating glimpses of the construction of the transcontinental railroad. It is a vivid introduction to one of the most important chapters in the history of the American West. Richard M. Davidson's compelling narration makes the personal journey and the historical information truly accessible to young listeners.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-In 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson journeyed from Scotland across the Atlantic and then by train across the United States to join the woman he loved in Monterey, California. Murphy has drawn from the writer's journal to provide a fresh, primary-source account of transcontinental train travel at that time. Choosing by necessity the cheapest passage, Stevenson traveled with other newcomers to the U.S. who had not yet reached their final destination. He describes his companions, the passing countryside, the interior of the railroad cars, and daily life aboard a train. Into these journal entries, Murphy has woven meticulously researched, absorbing accounts of the building of the railroad and its effect on the territory it crossed: the disruption and destruction of Native American life, the slaughter of the buffalo, accidents, the development of the Pullman car, the towns that quickly came and vanished as the construction crews moved on, the snowsheds built to protect the trains in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Abundant, carefully selected period photographs, engravings, and lithographs are every bit as intriguing as the text. Appended is a lengthy bibliography with some original source material. This work supplements Leonard Everett Fisher's more extensive Tracks Across America (Holiday, 1992); it is a readable and valuable contribution to literature concerning expansion into the American West.- Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA

From the Publisher

"The 19th century’s transcontinental railroads, explored via a delightfully effective narrative device: tracing the 1879 journey of Robert Louis Stevenson, who, at 29, was making an as-swift-as-possible journey from Edinburgh to Monterey, California. . . . A fascinating, imaginatively structured account that brings the experience vividly to life in all its detail: history at its best. Generously illustrated with period photos and prints; endpaper map; extensive bibliography, mostly of sources; index."

Kirkus Reviews with Pointers

"A readable and valuable contribution to literature concerning expansion into the American West." School Library Journal, Starred —

OCT/NOV 00 - AudioFile

Murphy has used Robert Louis Stevenson's 1879 trip across America and entries from Stevenson's own journals to recreate this wonderful slice of Americana. Davidson's outstanding ability to capture the sound of early American voices makes this at once interesting and enjoyable for young listeners. Stevenson's horrendous experience crossing the Atlantic and his equally harrowing train trip across the United States are rendered in a style reminiscent of a great teacher or storyteller relaying a tale that modern Americans can barely imagine. Davidson splendidly enhances an interesting story with minimal dramatic flourishes. This excellent and easy way to learn American history is not to be missed. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171054113
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	06/06/2008
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

Videos