When Winter Comes
About this audiobook
In the voice of an unforgettable heroine, V. A. Shannon explores one of the most harrowing episodes in pioneer history—the ill-fated journey of the Donner Party—in a mesmerizing novel of resilience and survival.
Mrs. Jacob Klein has a husband, children, and a warm and comfortable home in California. No one—not even her family—knows how she came to be out West thirteen years ago. Jacob, a kind and patient man, has promised not to ask. But if she were to tell her story, she would recount a tale of tragedy, mishaps, and unthinkable choices—yet also sacrifice, courage, and a powerful, unexpected love ...
1846: On the outskirts of Cincinnati, wagons gather by the hundreds, readying to head west to California. Among the throng is a fifteen-year-old girl eager to escape her abusive family. With just a few stolen dollars to her name, she enlists as helpmate to a married couple with a young daughter. Their group stays optimistic in the face of the journey’s hazards and delays. Then comes a decision that she is powerless to prevent: instead of following the wagon train’s established route, the Donner Party will take a shortcut over the Sierras, aiming to clear the mountains before the first snows descend.
In the years since that infamous winter, other survivors have sold their accounts for notoriety and money, lurid tales often filled with half-truths or blatant, gory lies. Now, Mrs. Klein must decide whether to keep those bitter memories secret, or risk destroying the life she has endured so much to build.
About the author
V. A. Shannon trained originally as an artist in the United States, and then requalified as a lawyer in the United Kingdom, but her first love has always been writing. In 2011 she was accepted on the prestigious Faber Academy novel‐writing course. She subsequently left the security of full‐time paid employment to concentrate on her writing. She lives in Welwyn Garden City, just north of London.
Susannah Jones is an Earphones award-winning narrator whose voice can be heard on over one hundred and fifty audiobooks. As an actress, she can be seen in musicals and Shakespeare plays across the country. She is also the librettist and co-lyricist of Bisland & Bly, a new musical about a history-making race around the world.
