Thanks to Jen Bonaroti Condron-Gold and Mike Marlette at MumboJumboLaya. You are both so creative and fun.
For all the work Crystal Patriarche has done to bring attention to The Last Letter, thank you!
To Stephanie Elliot, copyeditor extraordinaire! One more read through?
To all those who have shown interest in my work over the years. Thanks to Madhu Wangu, Lisa Ryan, Isabel Beck, Cheryl Sandora, Jeanne Truchel, Kate Shorter, Dave Fleager, Cindy Closkey, Judy Burnett Schneider, Julie Long and many others. Your name may not be here, but I appreciate your support and you know who you are.
Finally, to Bill, my husband, the best.
Resources
I’m forever indebted to the people and organizations responsible for the following sources. Any errors in factual information were my doing and not that of the authors or websites below.
northern.edu/natsource
state.sd.us/state/sdsym.htm
netstate.com/states/symb/flowers
nature.org
homepages.dsu.edu
theflowerexpert.com
nebraskastudies.org
sdgfp.info
persi.heritagequestonline.com
Grasshopper Summer, Turner, Ann. Macmillan Publishing Company, 1989.
Museumoftheamericanwest.org
Rootsweb.com
Shawnature.org
Plattesd.org
Members.cox.net/awise130/plains.htm
Nps.gov
History of Charles Mix County, Peterson & Peterson— Opening and Closing the Lands to Settlement, 1906.
Geoimages.berkeley.edu
Plainsfolk.com
South Dakota, Griffith, T.D., Compass American Guides, 2004.
Infoplease.com
Frontiers.loc.gov
The Prairie Girl’s Guide to Life, Worick, Jennifer. The Taunton Press, 2007
Book Club Guide
1. Why does Kathleen Shoop tell the story from Jeanie’s point of view in 1887-1888 and Katherine’s point of view in 1905?
2. How does Jeanie’s upbringing seem to prepare her for prairie life?
3. What role does James play in the book in terms of decisions Jeanie makes? Do you agree with her response to his death?
4. Consider the decisions Jeanie made throughout the book. How did the era in which she lived influence the path she took?
5. To what degree were Katherine and Jeanie able to find peace in life and in death?
6. How might Katherine and Tommy’s lives change now that they know more about their mother’s difficult life?
8. Why would Jeanie think that her children knowing their father was “a weak man who failed at so much,” was worse than them believing she was responsible for the family’s struggles?
9. Under what circumstances is it appropriate to board out children? How does your modern perspective on parenting shape your response to the question?
10. How has this book changed your view of pioneer life? How might Lutie and Ruthie fit into your new prairie view?
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Acknowledgments
Resources