Life on the Ohio Frontier by Jacqueline Miller Bachar

A first-person account of faith, resilience, and solitude, Life on the Ohio Frontier: A Collection of Letters from Mary Lott to Deacon John Phillips 1826-1846 by Jacqueline Miller Bachar is an eye-opening historical account, and personal labor of love.

Through twenty years of heartfelt and meticulously penned letters from sister to brother, readers are offered a visceral glimpse into the challenges of survival in 19th-century America. Prefaced with a brief family history and an explanation of the project by the author, who is a direct descendant of Mary and John, this epistolic story details Mary’s everyday struggles and discoveries on Ohio’s frontier edge. Whether lyrically lamenting her inability to visit family back in Pennsylvania, conspiratorially discussing local gossip, or giving voice to her unwavering faith, these letters capture the raw emotion and unforgiving nature of early American existence.

Aside from the intriguing narrative elements, Mary’s undeniable skill as a writer elevates this collection of letters far beyond a well-traced family history. The missives are laced with dark humor, solemn reflections, profound wisdom, and emotional confessions of loneliness: “…could I once more fold you to this fond heart that has so long been the seat of pain, and have so often drinked deep of the streams of woe.” Bachar’s editorial notes and asides provide historical context and personal connectivity to these events without ever feeling interruptive.

Carefully curated and honoring the author’s bold bloodline, this is more than an obscure historical artifact, and presents an unfiltered and fascinating portrait of American history through an unexpected lens.