Review of Chris Ensss Hearts West: True Stories of Mail-Order Brides on the Frontier, paperback, The Globe Pequot Press, 2005, 114 pages, ISBN: 076272756X
Cite as: Nick J. Sciullo, Review of Chris Ensss Hearts West: True Stories of Mail-Order Brides on the Frontier, Spring Board Journal, Volume 1, Number 1, Fall 2005.
A provocative look at an overlooked area of history. This work is enticing because it functions not only as a historical investigation, but as a jump off point for gender studies criticism. Enss provides an intimate description, much like an oral historian might provide, of the trials and tribulations of womyn in the West. The book reads well and is a product of not only an excellent researcher, but an excellent story teller.
There are pictures of mail order brides and ads used to purchase them. Each chapter discusses a couple and reveals romance, hope, and fear. The book reads like a diary. Each chapter is a personal account, vivid and intimate. With writing this clear and genuine its a wonder more people are not jumping on the historical bandwagon.
It is this type of history that brings the people back to the events, epochs, and criticism. History often needs a personal touch and perhaps this is why social history is on the rise. When folks talk about history they need to talk with the people that made the history. Hearts West comes as close to a first-person narrative as humynly possible. Works like this bring the world to life and reinvigorate historical inquiry and interest.
Perfect for students of the West and those interested in feminist theory and historyHearts West is a welcome addition to the bookshelf.
Nick J. Sciullo
(University of Richmond, 2003; West Virginia University College of Law, 2006)
