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

Raw, vivid, and emotional--the 19th century 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 experience as a female pioneer. The result is the only known first-hand account of a woman thrust into the center of taming the American South--surviving floods, tornadoes, and fires; facing bears, panthers, and snakes; all while caring for her children, several of whom didn't survive despite her efforts. The extreme hard work and tragedy she faced are eclipsed only by her strength and faith in her husband, a mysterious Englishman, and by her sense of adventure. Written in frank and expressive prose, and withheld for almost a lifetime,Trials of the Earth speaks to the heart of our ability to endure and will resonate with readers of history and fiction alike.

Mary Mann Hamilton was one of the only women to write about homesteading in the Mississippi Delta. Her legacy lives on in her children and their descendants, many of whom still live in the area Hamilton writes about in these pages.