"One More River to Cross "--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.

One More River to Cross

Based on true events, this compelling survival story by award-winning novelist Jane Kirkpatrick is full of grit and endurance. Beset by storms, bad timing, and desperate decisions, 8 women, 17 children, and one man must outlast winter in the middle of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the mid-19th century.

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.

MY REVIEW: Acclaimed author Jane Kirkpatrick is known for the meticulous detail found in her inspiring works of historical fiction. "One More River to Cross" is her storytelling of the "Murphy-Stephens-Townsend Overland Party", which traveled from Missouri through the Sierra Nevada Mountains to reach California in 1844. Decisions of varying wisdom by members of the group. the twists and turns of Fate, and the undeniable force of Nature itself lead the travelers on an eventful, life-altering journey for which none of them were truly prepared. The author has included a breakdown of the groupings in the wagon party which explains who was in each group--giving us insights into their characters: "Horseback Group"; "Wagon Guards"; "The Wintering Women"; "Also at the Wintering Cabin"; and "Cross-Country Men". The party eventually separated into three main groups--each one choosing a different and difficult route to follow. If you enjoy reading about American Frontier trials and tribulations and life in the mid-nineteenth century, then you will find "One More River to Cross" to be an involving and inspiring journey of a lifetime.

Book Copy Gratis LibraryThing


Reviews
 
"Jane Kirkpatrick has turned a scrap of history into a story of courageous women strong enough to meet the challenges of nature--and of men."--Sandra Dallas, New York Times bestselling author

"What an incredible journey this novel is! It's moving and beautifully told, and I absolutely loved it."--Molly Gloss, award-winning author of The Jump-Off Creek and The Hearts of Horses


Jane Kirkpatrick

 



Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author of more than thirty books, with nearly two million copies sold, including Everything She Didn't Say, All She Left Behind, A Light in the Wilderness, The Memory Weaver, This Road We Traveled, and A Sweetness to the Soul, which won the prestigious Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center. Her works have won the WILLA Literary Award, the Carol Award for Historical Fiction, and the 2016 Will Rogers Medallion Award among others. Jane lives in Central Oregon with her husband, Jerry. Learn more at www.jkbooks.com.