Genre:
Historical
Historical
One More River To Cross
by Jane Kirkpatrick
| -From Goodreads- In 1844, two years before the Donner Party, the Stevens-Murphy company left Missouri to be the first wagons into California through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Mostly Irish Catholics, the party sought religious freedom and education in the mission-dominated land and enjoyed a safe journey--until October, when a heavy snowstorm forced difficult decisions. The first of many for young Mary Sullivan, newlywed Sarah Montgomery, the widow Ellen Murphy, and her pregnant sister-in-law Maolisa. When the party separates in three directions, each risks losing those they loved and faces the prospect of learning that adversity can destroy or redefine. Two women and four men go overland around Lake Tahoe, three men stay to guard the heaviest wagons--and the rest of the party, including eight women and seventeen children, huddle in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River waiting for rescue . . . or their deaths. Award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick plunges you deep into a landscape of challenge where fear and courage go hand in hand for a story of friendship, family, and hope that will remind you of what truly matters in times of trial. ISBN-13: 9780800727024 Every single choice could mean life or death... |  This Book received a 4 Bark rating.
 Jane Kirkpatrick |
Like most Americans I've heard about the Donner Party and I've had the same macabre fascination with the story that pretty much everyone has. So, when I read the blurb for One More River To Cross and saw that it is about a wagon train who got stuck in the same place two years before the Donners, and they ALL survived, well, I knew this was one story I had to find out more about. What an amazing story it was! The determination of these people to survive, their strength of will, the sacrifices they made, and of course, most importantly, the faith that kept them going. Wow!
I've read a few of Jane Kirkpatrick's books and I've come to appreciate her carefully researched attention to detail. While the author does have to take some literary license as she fictionalizes history her determination to stay true to that history shines through each word. The author's note at the end of the story also provides a lot of fascinating information about the changes and also about what happened to the real people afterwards.
While I didn't exactly read One More River To Cross straight through like I normally would, the story was never far from my thoughts and wonderings. I'm going to date myself a little here and say that the story, and format, were reminiscent of the Dear America series of books that I read as a kid/teen. And as an adult I think that little bit of nostalgia made reading this book an even better experience.
I enjoyed this book from Jane Kirkpatrick and it has inspired me to find out more about the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend party. I am definitely looking forward to what the author might have in store for her readers next....
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives One More River To Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick a 4 Bark rating.
I've read a few of Jane Kirkpatrick's books and I've come to appreciate her carefully researched attention to detail. While the author does have to take some literary license as she fictionalizes history her determination to stay true to that history shines through each word. The author's note at the end of the story also provides a lot of fascinating information about the changes and also about what happened to the real people afterwards.
While I didn't exactly read One More River To Cross straight through like I normally would, the story was never far from my thoughts and wonderings. I'm going to date myself a little here and say that the story, and format, were reminiscent of the Dear America series of books that I read as a kid/teen. And as an adult I think that little bit of nostalgia made reading this book an even better experience.
I enjoyed this book from Jane Kirkpatrick and it has inspired me to find out more about the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend party. I am definitely looking forward to what the author might have in store for her readers next....
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives One More River To Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick a 4 Bark rating.
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