"Peavy and Smith ( Dreams into Deeds: Nine Women Who Dared ) present an informative, personal account of frontier women who battled for survival in the village of Little Falls, Minn., while their husbands prospected for gold in Colorado and Montana during the mid-1800s. The work draws on correspondence between Pamelia Fergus and her husband, James, as well as letters between neighbor couples. James writes with advice and instructions on matters ranging from the children's schooling to family finances. Pamelia and other 'women in waiting' describe clashes with Indians, commercial dealings,...