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Title: Trials of the Earth

Subtitle: The True Story of a Pioneer Woman

Author: Mary Mann Hamilton

Narrator: Barbara Benjamin Creel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-12-16

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 156 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The Powerful, Only Known First-Person Account of One Woman's Struggles and Triumphs Taming the Mississippi Delta

Near the end of her life, Mary Mann Hamilton (1866-c.1936) was encouraged to record her experiences as a female pioneer. The result is the only known firsthand account of a remarkable woman thrust into the center of taming the American South - surviving floods, tornadoes, and fires; facing bears, panthers, and snakes; managing a boardinghouse in Arkansas that was home to an eccentric group of settlers; and running a logging camp in Mississippi that blazed a trail for development in the Mississippi Delta. All this she tackled - and diligently wrote about in secrecy, in a diary that not even her family knew she kept - while caring for her children, several of whom didn't survive the perils of pioneer life. The extreme hard work and tragedy Hamilton faced are eclipsed only by her emotional and physical strength; her unwavering faith in her husband, Frank, a mysterious Englishman; and her tenacious sense of adventure.

An early draft of Trials of the Earth was submitted to a writers' competition sponsored by Little, Brown in 1933. It didn't win, and we almost lost the chance to bring this raw, vivid narrative to listeners. Eighty-three years later, in partnership with Mary Mann Hamilton's descendants, we're proud to share an irreplaceable piece of American history.

Conveyed in frank and expressive prose by a natural-born writer, and withheld for almost a lifetime, Trials of the Earth will resonate with listeners of history and fiction alike - an emotional testament to our ability to endure as well as the story of extraordinary love and the allure of pioneer life.

Critic Reviews:

"A reminder of how punishing the physical struggle could be, and how unspeakably lonely a woman's life was when men were clearing the land." (New York Times Book Review)

"To read Hamilton's autobiography is to experience an extraordinary life of courage and hardship.... Hamilton, a born storyteller, has written a rich, simple narrative; her personal strength is surpassed only by the strength of her writing abilities." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Excellent!

Wow, this lady had stories to tell and sure knew how to tell them! The narration was the best match to story I've heard yet. Sometimes it's hard to tell whom should get the highest credit: the author or the narrator. This was one such example.

Excellent book! The narration is phenomenal!

Excellent book!

So visual, such a strong performance.

The narration is phenomenal! She deserves an award.

Trials of the Earth

Trials of the Earth: The True Story of a Pioneer Woman

: Mary Mann Hamilton

This auto-biography of a woman's life in the late 19th early 20th century. What a wonderful account to pass on for her family, and their generosity in sharing it with the public at large. It isn't a feel good everything was wonderful kind of story. It recounts events that happened, happy, sad, frightening , and many other emotions as well. This woman never had a home of her own, yet turned any place they lived into a home. There are so many "chapters" to her life to comment on. Thank you to the family for sharing!

The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed, by Barbara Benjamin Creel.