Perspective

Letters of a Woman Homesteader is a compilation of letters written by Elinore Stewart. Hers is the only relevant perspective to the book. Elinore has one of those unusually energetic, upbeat and strong personalities that one finds rarely in real life. Given that her husband died and that she was a single mother, one would not expect for a woman, in a time when women were not even allowed to vote, to seek out her own homestead much less to continue to pursue that goal and do so successfully despite getting remarried, having three more children, raising her daughter and helping her husband to run a ranch. But Elinore pressed on. Elinore often extends her expectation and hope of strength to those around her, frequently encouraging those near to her.

Elinore's independence and boldness make her a prime candidate for an early form of feminism. She clearly chafes...