The Hunger by Alma Katsu

Everyone knows the dangers the Donner party and others faced crossing the Sierras to reach better times in California but you haven't heard their story told like this. "The Hunger" is the best of two genres - compelling historical fiction and shaking to your boots horror. We know the rumors surrounding the ill fated trip but do we really know how scary it really was or what caused the cannibalism? How could these God fearing people do the unthinkable? Alma Katsu takes what we know and adds her own frightening take on the terrors that awaited these early pioneers who were not only ready for the rigors of such a trip but also unprepared for all the human emotions put into play - fear, jealousy, love, lust and worst of all - hope.