In the winter of 1846, the Donner Party was stranded by heavy snows in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The pioneers endured bitter hardships and many of them died. But some survived, including eight-year-old Patty Reed, a girl filled with dignity and determination in the face of mortal danger. This is her story, as told by Dolly, the wooden doll she kept hidden in her dress. Rachel Kelley Laurgaard wrote Patty Reed's Doll as a master's thesis at Sacramento State College in 1956, where she also taught English. She lived for many years in Oakland, where she died in 2000. Story of the trials of the Donner Party Skillfully pieced together from authentic letters, journals, and reminisces of survivors As narrated by eight-year-old Patty Reed's doll Heartwarming tale of how a little girl's love for her precious doll can trascend all danger