Letters of a Woman Homesteader

by Elinore Pruitt Stewart

Overview

First published in 1914, this remarkable first-person account gives us new insight into life on the prairie. Elinore Pruitt lost her husband in a railroad accident and went west with her two-year-old daughter to seek employment. She took what was available, cleaning homes and laundering clothes. But finally she was offered a permanent position in Wyoming with a wealthy Scottish cattleman, whom she married. From this new home, she wrote these collected letters to a former employer in Denver. Filled with warmth, wit, and memorable characters, Stewart's correspondence tells a story of hard work that leads in the end to success.

"A warmly delightful, vigorously affirmative chronicle . . . We part from this gallant woman with respect and affection." (The Wall Street Journal)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781545078396
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	04/21/2017
Pages:	130
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.28(d)

About the Author

Elinore Pruitt Stewart was born in 1878. Letters of a Woman Homesteader, first published in 1914, inspired the critically acclaimed movie Heartland.

Editorial Reviews

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. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 7 Up-After deciding that city life as a laundress wasn't for her, Elinore Pruitt, a young widowed mother, accepted an offer to assist with a ranch in Wyoming, work that she found exceedingly more rewarding. In this delightful collection of letters, she describes these experiences to her former employer, Mrs. Coney. Pruitt's charming descriptions of work, travels, neighbors, animals, land and sky have an authentic feel. The West comes alive, and everyday life becomes captivating. Her writing is clear, witty, and entertaining. The 26 letters are brief and tell about her life on the ranch in the early 1900s. The author frequently and unnecessarily apologizes for being too wordy; she begs forgiveness for many "faults," like being forgetful, ungrateful, inconsistent and indifferent, all without apparent cause. On occasion, language reflects the racial prejudice of the time. Many times, Pruitt attempts to portray the culturally diverse characters she meets by writing their various dialects as they sound. Kate Fleming's narration is as smooth as the writing, perfectly transitioning from one accent to the next. She reads with a calm, down-to-earth tone, which suits the writing well.-Kariana Cullen Gonzales, Lincoln Consolidated High School, Ypsilanti, MI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Warmly delightful, vigorously affirmative.

The Wall Street Journal

"Full of the tang of the prairies and of a delightful personality." The New York Times

"Warmly delightful, vigorously affirmative," The Wall Street Journal

From the Publisher

"Authentic records of Western ranch life—and more, for Mrs. Stewart had a born writer's talent."—New York Times Book Review

New York Times Book Review

"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

Western American Literature - Ann Ronald

"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

Wyoming Horizons Magazine - T. A. Larson

"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

— T. A. Larson

Wyoming Horizons Magazine

"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

— Ann Ronald

Western American Literature

Publisher InAudio seems to go from strength to strength in the Our America series. Elinore Stewart, a homesteader, left us a wonderful legacy when she recorded her experiences, reactions, and, best of all, her emotions as she encountered a life that would daunt most people. She wrote wonderfully descriptive letters to a former employer/friend in which she regales her with stories about the usual pioneer tasks, including looking after young children, along with preparing for a wedding, meeting some pleasant-- and very unpleasant--characters, and simply existing in harsh conditions. Narrator Kate Fleming perfectly projects Stewart’s humor, warmth, and wisdom. Commendably, Fleming quotes each character in the exact manner in which he or she would have addressed Stewart. This title offers pure pleasure. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

AUG/SEP 04 - AudioFile