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.
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Reading this book now. It is hard to put down. Never know what is ahead. A historical book about a wagon train having to split up.
I started this book back in January, and just couldn’t get into it at the time. This week, however, when I started it again, I really enjoyed it, and had a hard time putting it down! Since I live in California, I knew the geography. Kirkpatrick has done a fabulous job of putting flesh to a few bare facts and making the story live. If you like historical fiction, I highly recommend this book!
It is always difficult to write a review of Jane Kirkpatrick’s book when I finish reading it. I always have to dwell for a while on the emotional and spiritual aspects of what I learned or was impacted by in her work of art. The same is true for “One More River to Cross”. Her stories are based on real life. One gets to know these people, their strengths and weaknesses, their accomplishments and failures. Most of all, one can see them grow in their faith in God and how He is at work in their lives. Her words can sometimes go to the very heart of a person and touch them deeply while reading about the lives of others. Truly inspirational.
year 1844. A group of families of Irish-Canadian-Missourians people, start a long journey from Iowa to Alta California.
It’s a long trip, with troubles, mountains and rivers to cross, pregnant women, small children to tend, cold and snow to complicate the situation.
The familes must split up in small groups, the wagons must lay behind.
The story is well written, no boring, so much characters but well building.
It’s incredible, but this story is true: people in year 1844 made a long trip, last 6 months, trough wild mountains, bad weather with a lot of snow and wind,
many children to tend, rationed food, huge and heavy wagons.
They had courage, faith, the wisdom of working together, dreams for a new land to create a new life.
An enthralling, heart pounding, heartbreaking and ultimately triumphant story of the first successful journey to settle California in the mid 1840’s. With each step guided by their faith in God the women in this story experience every difficulty with strength and fortitude that left me in awe and woefully lacking in their courage to withstand the elements and their pig-headed menfolk, some of who treat them like chattel. This author has become a favorite of mine because she weaves historical facts embellished with a little fiction that enhances the story and illuminates the time time period for history fans like me. I especially appreciate Ms. Kirkpatrick’s impeccable research and her updates on what happens to these remarkable people after the book ends which also provides titles of non fiction resources that I find particularly fascinating. I can’t say enough wonderful things about this wonderful book. I real an early copy of this book through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.
I love all things pioneer, and, even better, this was based on a true pioneer story. It did get a bit confusing at times because it had so many main characters, it was a bit hard to remember which was which. One of Jane’s themes in her books seems to be the plight of women in a male dominated society. Sometimes I want to shake those women and say to get some backbone. But I guess that is how it mostly was back then. I did enjoy learning about this part of California history I had never heard of, for all the pioneer books I have read.
Jane Kirkpatrick’s impeccable research skills shine through in her latest historical fiction novel, One More River to Cross.
When the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend group leaves Missouri in 1844 bound for California, they don’t expect fierce October snowstorms in the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains.
It becomes clear that some of the large wagons holding materials needed for future livelihoods cannot make it in the deep snow. The large party of fifty-two separate in three directions. The Horseback Group continues overland. The Wagon Guards stay to protect the heaviest wagons. The Wintering Women group comprising of eight women and seventeen children, seek shelter in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River to await rescue.
During the long months, near-fatal accidents happen, food supplies go from barely adequate to nearly non-existent. Each group experiences hazards. The Wintering Women who previously had their lives shaped and dictated by fathers, husbands, even brothers, now find inner strength to make their own decisions to carry on, to survive.
Months go by. Truths surface. All the groups experience terrifying incidents and hardships. As they struggle to survive, they discover strength in family and friends, and in themselves.
One More River to Cross is a remarkable story of survival, and of perseverance when all seems hopeless. Award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick has written a memorable, moving story about the endurance of our early pioneers.
I’ve read other novels by Jane Kirkpatrick and I enjoy the fact that she uses real historical events, although partly fictionalized. In her author’s notes in the back of One More River to Cross, she acknowledges that most of the characters in the book are used with their real names. She even gives a history of what happens to them “on down the road.”
This was a brave group of travelers on their way from Missouri to California. The journey began when the weather was agreeable but turned into a hard snowy winter. They had to abandon most of the wagons and broke the fifty travelers into groups. Some traveled on and others braved the cold in makeshift cabins built of some of the wood from the wagons. The women amazed me with their strength and fortitude. Spending lots of time freezing cold and literally starving, they talked, told stories and played games with the children to pass the time. The men tried to hunt game but little was found in the deep snow drifts of the areas. I felt for the women in that the men made the decisions without consulting the women. I truly believe they were the stronger of the two sexes in the end.
Interesting note, this was the winter of 1844. It was two years later that a party called the Donner Party headed out on basically the same route.
This was an interesting novel that those with an historical bent will greatly enjoy!
This was a personal purchase. My review is done of my own accord, all opinions are my own.
Every single choice could mean life or death…
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….
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
Based on a truth, this wagon train crossing happened two years before the Donner party crossed the Sierra Nevada’s. All was fine til October when the harsh snows hit the mountains.
The struggle was real and I am once again impressed with the strength of this author’s research.
The vast wilderness,going without food for days on end including children,bone chilling cold,crossing rivers. Just amazing!
All had to work together to survive.
All the women had different strengths and weaknesses. The author showed a venerability to them. Do I think this made them weak, no! I do believe this brought out their character. No one had time to be selfish and think about themselves, everything was a group effort.
I think many of us have romanticized the wagon train crossings, including myself thinking how nice it would have been to ride in one in perfect weather enjoying the slow ride.
This book is really about strength,trust and faith in the Lord that he will get you through.
Excellent book with well developed characters set at a great pace!
Pub Date: 03 Sep 2019
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.
People have different opinions about what makes a great book. For me, it is when an author can take readers right to the place where the story is set and can vividly feel part of the action. The characters are easy to relate to and the story flows at a pace that doesn’t overwhelm readers with unnecessary facts.
This book is exactly all the things above and more. It takes place during 1844 where travelers take off in wagons across unforgiving weather and terrain to make a better life for themselves. We can understand their struggles as the author carefully shows the danger that our characters faced. There is a large group that make a decision to branch off and take different routes. This is where the meat of the story is for me. One decision will change the lives of these men, women and children.
The unknown is scary and I loved how they faced their trails with a steadfast faith. It is hard to read at times the many challenges they faced but with each step they became closer to their dream of a better life. I did like that the women were depicted as strong and capable of looking out for themselves and making wise decisions. I loved the historical facts that the author includes which makes the story intriguing to read. I love this time period but I’m sure I couldn’t have done some of the things they had to do to survive. Overall the book is very good and gives us a look at people who traveled by wagon and overcame hardships with hope and faith of promising opportunities.
I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing. The review is my own opinion.
One More River to Cross
By Jane Kirkpatrick
In 1844, a group headed from Missouri to California. The Stephens-Murphy-Townsend party was determined to be the first company to take wagons into California via the Sierra Nevada. Wagons through the mountains would be no easy task add to that this wasn’t just a group of explorers but families – men, women, children and laden down wagons. But as they approach the final leg of their journey there is a decision to make – which path to pursue. Winter is showing its coming approach and the mountains before them are daunting.
When the health and safety of the various members of the party are in question the party splits into three smaller groups each pursuing a different goal. One group heads south, another continues on towards a hoped-for mountain pass, and the final group remains behind with their overladen wagons to protect their valuables. With families divided by this decision the certainty of their futures is further thrown into doubt – will they find one another at the end of their journeys. Who will live? Who will die?
One More River to Cross is a journey of perseverance of the human spirit in the face of mounting adversity. Each person no matter what course they took was faced with challenges that could make or break them and how they responded had a profound impact on those closest to them. This is what I most like about Jane Kirkpatrick’s work – she brings history to life. She focuses on a chapter of history that people are familiar with but she finds the mostly unknown footnote and restores those who were involved in it to remembrance. She doesn’t glamorize the trials her characters underwent and we experience their pain, anger, sorrows, joys, failures, and triumphs.
Fans of Historical Fiction will greatly appreciate this work as will those enjoy pre-Civil War Western expansion. I found it interesting that at this time that the California lands that are being settled is under Mexican rule and that the current influx of Americans is less than appreciated. Overall I highly recommend this book if you want excellence in writing.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.
It has been many years since I learned about the Donner Party’s tragic expedition so I was eager to read about this journey that had taken place two years before that ill-fated trip. One More River to Cross relates the hardships that The Stephens-Murphy-Townsend Overland Party encountered during the months from October 1844 -July 1845 as they attempted to cross the Sierra Nevadas to reach California. As I read about these brave people who endured extreme hunger,frigid cold, and snow that was estimated to be eight feet deep, I couldn’t imagine how much they had suffered. I was especially touched byThe Wintering Women, a group of eight women and seventeen children who were left to tend for themselves in a makeshift cabin while the rest of the group traveled on to find help. These women faced extreme difficulties but they drew strength and comfort from each other and from their faith in God. They also discovered just how strong they really were!
Author Jane Kirkpatrick relates in her Author’s Notes and Acknowledgements how this story came to be and she also shares what is true and what she has added as fiction. I am a fan of historical fiction and I admire her efforts but I did find myself having to refer often to the list of characters in the front of the book. There are many people involved in this story and I found it difficult to keep them all straight.
One More River to Cross is 345 pages long but those who enjoy reading about the early history of our country and the pioneers who struggled to expand its boundaries will find it to be both entertaining and educational.
I received a complimentary copy from Revell and I am voluntarily sharing my thoughts in this review.
One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick is a stand-alone novel based on historical events surrounding the Stephens company and its journey to California. I appreciate that the author chose to stick to certain happenings, as odd as they seem to today’s readers. While some of these events led to character development and/or relational healing in the book, other events seemed to pass without sufficient time given to dealing with the trauma they must have caused and I wished those events had been more thoroughly addressed.
Much of One More River to Cross is devoted to highlighting the powerlessness of women in that time period and how the women’s mindsets changed. I enjoyed seeing the women find their own reasons to hope and persevere through their severe hardship. They learned to speak up despite oppression from companions and loved ones. They learned to take action when necessary. The themes about powerlessness and gender equality echo into today’s society and are still relevant.
Despite its prose being well-written with its smooth dialogue and vibrant descriptions, I struggled to finish One More River to Cross because I never developed deep interest in the characters. There were just so many of them and the story hopped all around in so many different minds that even when I was a third of the way through the book, I needed to refer to the character list.
If you have enjoyed previous historical fiction novels by Jane Kirkpatrick, you may enjoy One More River to Cross. While it didn’t captivate my attention, long-time fans of Jane Kirkpatrick will likely be interested in her newest release.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
*I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Revell at Baker Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts below are my own
A TRULY REMARKABLE TALE OF COURAGE, ENDURANCE AND PIONEERING SPIRIT.
Jane Kirkpatrick does a magnificent job of remaining true to the real story in her newest novel, One More River to Cross, creating a narrative that is both historically accurate and beautifully told with dynamic characters based on the exceptional pioneers of the day.
I can’t say enough about this masterful retelling of the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend pioneer party. Author Jane Kirkpatrick weaves her magic in a soft and easy to read narrative that inspires, delights and encourages the soul with the perseverance, determination and faith of her characters. In true early American fashion, these Irish Catholics make their way westward in hopes of finding land for their families to experience religious freedom, peace and prosperity. As they face the challenges that nature presents them, they come to grips with hard decisions, endure hunger and starvation, and bond together while holding onto hope and ultimately preserving.
Kirkpatrick used historical resources to build her dynamic cast of characters in such a beautiful way, they immediately become engraved on the heart and soul of a reader who will find themselves rooting for these pioneers and their families. I personally found myself intrigued by the story enough to do my own research into the history and real people behind One More River to Cross.
I enjoyed the dialogue throughout the book, the historical accuracy, the well developed characters and learning about the struggles these families overcame. The book is well written; a beautiful unfolding of difficult but triumphant events that evoke a spirit of pride, perseverance and hope. As a result, I can’t recommend this new novel enough to lovers of historical fiction of all ages. It will remain a passionate favorite of mine for this particular time era.
One More River to Cross is an interesting read. It is based on true events from mid nineteenth century. I thought the author did a great job bringing this moment in history to life. However, there are quite a bit of characters to keep up with that did make me confused at times. I enjoyed reading the book, but it was a little slow at times. About halfway through, I was beginning to be intrigued and could not put it down.
I am giving One More River to Cross three and a half stars. It is definitely worth a read.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
All the while I’m reading this story, I had the feeling that I would never be warm again, or not starving.
The author made this story so real, and then I read her notes at the end of the book, and found out that this is based on real people. Along that note, I loved all the updates on these folks that we sure cared about.
As you are reading this you kept wondering how they ended up in these circumstances, and then you remember what happened to the famous party that came after them, and I had to wonder how many if any of them would be left at the end of the book.
An eye opener of courage and perseverance.
I received this book through the Revell Readers Program, and was not required to give a positive review.
When I finished reading this book by Jane Kirkpatrick I couldn’t stop thinking about it, all the trials and tribulations they endured on this long journey traveling across America. All the dangerous rivers were part of trying to survive but also the weather hazards of lots of snow, rain, mud, bitter cold added to the misery. I read how lonely many of them felt. Injuries occurred. Hunger was real. Heroic acts happened.
So very much transpires in every chapter, it seems overwhelming but I believe even though this book is fiction, many of the characters were real in history.
It makes a person appreciate the luxurious life we have, even taking a shower, heating up food on the stove or in a microwave, having food in the house.
It’s a really good book!
I am always amazed to read how various authors get started on a novel. Whether it’s a person of history or an event it just fascinates me. The novel One More River to Cross began when the author read a footnote, which you can read about in your copy, and from there she set out to learn more. Jane Kirkpatrick does a very good job of researching and portraying true events as close to reality as possible. When she writes the story, there are times she might deviate from what occurred if she knows what did or if there is no way to know, and her ability to create a believable tale is exceptional.
Before I started reading the tale, I read in the back the Author’s Notes and Acknowledgments, which lets me know fact from fiction. For me, it doesn’t diminish my ability to enjoy the novel. In fact, it enhances it knowing the truth from fiction. In the beginning of the book, Jane lays out her characters’ histories such as who they are, if they are married and to whom they are related. Having this helps me if I forget as I read who is related to whom.
October 1844 is where the reader’s journey begins, traveling with women who must face a harsh wilderness with courage and fortitude. In a time where there wasn’t any way to communicate instantly with a loved one or know what lay ahead, these women had to carve out a living with their children until they reached their destination.
What is so gripping is the precariousness of life in the wilderness and traveling long distances always keeping in mind the unknown future. These women had to fight to live. It wasn’t pursuit of riches or fame but wanting a future. I hope readers enjoy following these Winter Women to their destination through a vast and unkind wilderness to reach a future they believed would be better.
May you enjoy the novel and the journey!
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.