Thirteen-year-old Mary Goble and her family were part of the pioneer overland journey to Utah Territory in the John A. Hunt wagon company in 1856. They traveled close to the Edward Martin handcart company and suffered with them through the cold of Wyoming. The core of the book is a transcription of Mary's handwritten memoir, with annotations that corroborate, correct, and provide context. This annotated transcription is bookended by an introduction and epilogue that place Mary's story of her journey in the context of her life before and after her emigration.