In the Work of Their Hands Is Their Prayer: Cultural Narrative and Redemption on the American Frontiers, 1830–1930 by Joel Daehnke (review)

b o o k R e v ie w s 4 8 3 I n t h e W o r k o f T h e i r H a n d s I s T h e i r P r a y e r : C u l t u r a l N a r r a t i v e a n d R e d e m p t i o n o n t h e A m e r i c a n F r o n t i e r s , 1 8 3 0 - 1 9 3 0 . By Jo e l D ae h n k e . A t h e n s: O h io U n iv e r sit y P r ess, 2 0 0 3 . 2 9 9 p age s, $ 5 9 .9 5 /$ 2 6 .9 5 . Review ed by Jen n y Em ery D avidson C o lle ge o f So u t h e r n Id ah o , H aile y T h e m ore w e stu dy t h e h istory o f M an ifest D est in y ideology in th e A m e r ican W est, th e m ore w e fin d it w orkin g in a rem arkable ran ge o f n arratives, perform ­ in g in terestin g an d in tricate cu ltu ral fu n ct ion s— an d, perh aps, exten d in g its reach in to con tem p or ary foru m s. In In th e W o rk o f T h e ir H a n d s Is T h e ir P ray e r, Joel D aeh n k e argu es t h at th e discou rse o f M an ifest D estin y m erges religious d r eam s o f spiritu al salvat ion an d secu lar d r eam s o f r epu b lican greatn ess th rou gh t h e im agery o f red em p tion in a fascin at in g array o f fron tier n arratives over a h u n dred-year period. D aeh n k e an alyzes literary w orks, p op u lar texts, an d folk­ lore to explore h ow in dividu als n egotiated th eir r elation sh ip w ith th e w estern lan d scap e an d its evolvin g so cial stru ctu res t h r ou gh th e form o f t h e A m e r ican Jerem iad . R ed e m p t io n requ ires con ver sion , an d D aeh n k e e xam in e s th e “specific p r actice s an d b e h av io r s” t h at w ork t o con ver t t h e w ild lan d scap e o f t h e W est in to a “valorized vision o f a social com m u n ity” (1 5, 13). Lab or fu n ction s as a pr i­ m ary m od e o f red em p tion , t h e m ean s by w h ich t h e w ild lan d scap e m ay b e tran s­ form ed an d th e cat aly st for forgin g t h e ch ar act er o f th e go od citizen . W h eth er it is w om en ’s system s o f d om est ic econ om ic e xch an ge in C ar olin e Kirk lan d ’s A N e w H o m e , W h o ’ll Fo llo w ? (1 8 3 9 ) or m e n ’s rou gh w ork in th e m in es in M ark Tw ain ’s R o u gh in...