One More River to Cross

Jane Kirkpatrick

Sep 2019 · Revell

About this ebook

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.

Ratings and reviews

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.

About the author

Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author of more than 30 books, 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. Jane lives in Central Oregon with her husband, Jerry. Learn more at www.jkbooks.com.