One More River to Cross ~ Review

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 Book:
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 in 1844.