Torrie by Annabel Johnson

Torrie Reviews

• 
  Lisa Vegan

  Very well written book about an angry, naïve and somewhat spoiled, 14 1/2 year old girl, who unwillingly moves westward in a wagon train with her family. The story chronicles the changes and growing up she does on the journey. I reread this one many times as a kid. It’s an exciting story that’s character driven. This is a good historical fiction book; some real life U.S. western settlers are intertwined into this story. As I recall, it’s not particularly Native American friendly – it was published in 1960 and I was reading it in the early 60s as an elementary school student. Despite the considerable hardships these characters endured, it made me long for adventure. Still worth reading as a period piece.
• 
  Kressel Housman

  Knowing my love of historical fiction, my husband picked this up for me at a library discard sale. That probably means it was unpopular, just another ignored book collecting dust on the library shelf. But some little-known books can be real treasures, and that’s definitely the case here.
  
  Torrie is a teenage girl making the trek to the west coast with her family by wagon train. The book is set in the 1840’s, but Torrie could just as well be living now. She doesn’t think highly of her parents, she wants to be popular with girls, and most of all, she wants a certain boy to notice her. The trouble is, she’s just naïve enough not to understand the dangers of the signals she’s sending out. When she finds out the hard way, she begins to grow up and develop in character.
  
  Like any good work of historical fiction, this novel gives you a glimpse into the time period, but I think it’s just as much of a glimpse into the time it was written – 1960. The world was more innocent then, but it was on the verge of a gigantic loss of innocence, much like Torrie. And even though today’s teenage girls are exposed to much more than girls of the 50’s and early 60’s, I think the message is not just relevant, but morally laudable. As an adult, I loved it, but I couldn’t help wishing I’d read it as a teen. If I were raising a daughter in the secular world, I’d give it to her without hesitation. There’s nothing like learning from someone else’s mistakes, and nothing like a happy ending to make it really enjoyable.
  
• 
  rivka

  It is a crying shame that this book is so hard to find! Printed in 1960 ('61 in England) and never reprinted, and very few libraries still have copies. The university library the copy I read is borrowed from had to dig it out of the "not taken out in ages" area -- it was last borrowed in November of 1980!
  
  It would be great to see this book reissued, along with
  Jayhawker Johnny.
  Caddie Woodlawn is popular enough, and I'd guess most readers of that book would love these two as well.
  
  Torrie is well-written -- the occasional surprise is hinted at but not telegraphed, character development is realistically gradual but definite, and it made me cry several times. A great coming-of-age story, as well as a wonderful look back to what it was like to be one of the families who crossed the Great Plains in a covered wagon.
  
  While negative rumors about Mormons and Indians recur several times, it is made clear that these are rumors, NOT fact. (The few actual Indians are relatively realistic -- it is certainly factual that settlers were sometimes attacked en route bu Indians, and the term "Digger" was historically used to refer to the Paiute. No actual Mormons appear.)
  
  One startling appearance was that of the Donner party!
  
  Added: My 14-year-old enjoyed it as well. :)
• 
  Sid Kramer

  A 14 1/2 year old girl, spoiled and selfish is launched into adventure by her family weather she wants to go WEST or not. This historical fiction captures the color and the flavor of a 1840's wagon train to California. On this trip Torrie changes her thinking about many things and turns into a different person by the trails end.
  
  A Western classic tale superbly written and well researched by the authors. This tense and romantic story is a dramatic portrayal of those legendary pioneering days.
  
  Lucky for me I have a copy of this book on old cassette tape read by the Author Annabell Johnson (my Cousin), now converted to a CD for easy playing.
• 
  Rose

  A very spoiled and horrible young girl, Torrie has no desire to go West with her family. Until a big tough and uncouth ox driver catches her eye... But Spoiled Torrie hasn't been looking beneath the surface. When the driver tries to take advantage of Torrie's shameless fascination, it is the silent and somewhat contemptuous hired hand Jess who rescues her. At that point, Torrie realizes that she doesn't hold many attractions for a good man, and begins her difficult journey to maturity.
• 
  Danielle

  A book I picked up for a dollar or so for the library for the younger teenagers that get books from us. Written from a 15? year old's perspective. Trip to CA by wagon and all the things that happen along the way.
• 
  Wendy

  Entertaining, but even more racist than the average old book about the Oregon Trail. The sexism/victim-blaming was even more startling. (Curses, Torrie, you've gone and gotten yourself sexually assaulted and now we have to leave the wagon train.) But otherwise, I enjoyed Torrie's parents.
• 
  Megan

  Interesting take on the hazardous journey across the West in the time of the Oregon Trail and the Donner Party. I really liked this book when I first read it, but it hasn't aged with me.