First Line Fridays: One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick

Happy Friday!

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today I'm sharing the first line from the prologue of One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick:

"Mary Sullivan stood outside the circle of men, watched through the triangle of elbows as they nodded and commented about the markings the Paiute drew in the dirt."

Are you interested in reading this book? Read my review of One More River to Cross or read an excerpt on the publisher's website.

What are you reading this weekend?

Have a great weekend! Happy reading!


About the Book:

Adversity can squelch the human spirit . . . or it can help us discover strength we never knew we had.

In 1844, two years before the Donner Party, the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend company leaves Missouri to be the first wagons into California through the Sierra Nevada. They enjoy a safe journey--until October, when a fierce mountain snowstorm forces difficult decisions.

The party separates in three directions. Some go overland around Lake Tahoe. Others stay to guard the heaviest wagons. The rest of the party, including eight women and seventeen children, huddle in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River awaiting rescue. The months ahead will be long and at times terrifying. But with friendship, family, and enough courage to overcome their fear, these intrepid pioneers will discover what truly matters in times of trial.

Book Review: One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick

About the Book:

Adversity can squelch the human spirit . . . or it can help us discover strength we never knew we had.

In 1844, two years before the Donner Party, the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend company leaves Missouri to be the first wagons into California through the Sierra Nevada. They enjoy a safe journey--until October, when a fierce mountain snowstorm forces difficult decisions.

The party separates in three directions. Some go overland around Lake Tahoe. Others stay to guard the heaviest wagons. The rest of the party, including eight women and seventeen children, huddle in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River awaiting rescue. The months ahead will be long and at times terrifying. But with friendship, family, and enough courage to overcome their fear, these intrepid pioneers will discover what truly matters in times of trial.

My Thoughts:

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.

September Reading and Expected October Reads

My September 2019 Reads:

Today I'm sharing a bit about what I've been reading and what I hope to read. Mostly, I'm just wondering how it is October already? 🍁🍁🍁 In September, I finished:

1. The Reckless by Marylu Tyndall. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


2. CALLED to Inspire by Marsha DuCille. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


3. The Devotional Poetry of Donne, Herbert, and Milton by Leland Ryken. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐


4. How to Survive a Shipwreck by Jonathan Martin. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.


5. Shadows of Ladenbrook Manor by Melanie Dobson - ⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


6. One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick  - ⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.


7. One Final Breath by Lynn H. Blackburn. - ⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.

My favorite book this month was...... The Reckless by Marylu Tyndall! This captivating novel had it all: romance, adventure, suspense, and character development! My review is available here!

Expected October 2019 Reads:

In October, I expect to read:

1. Outbreak by Davis Bunn. - My local book club's October selection.


2. Unscripted by Davis Bunn - Two books by Davis Bunn this month? Yes, please!


3. Woe Is I by Patricia T O'Connor - Yeah, still working on this one....


4. How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty by Patti Breitman and Connie Hatch. - Currently reading! So many good examples of using the powerful word: no.


5. Courage to See: Daily Inspiration from Great Literature by Greg Garrett and Sabrina Fountain. - Literature combined with a devotional. Can't go wrong with that!


6. We Hope for Better Things by Erin Bartels - Ever since I read (and loved) The Words Between Us, I've wanted to read this one. Fortunately, my library had it available! 


7. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis - I've wanted to read the Narnia series for some time now and my husband recommended starting with this one.


8. A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott - A new-to-me author!

 What will you read this month?

August Reads and Expected September Reading

My August 2019 Reads:

Today I'm sharing a bit about what I've been reading and what I hope to read. In August, I finished:

1. Play to Their Strengths by Analyn and Brandon Miller. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


2. With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


3. The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


4. Protecting Your Child From Predators by Beth Robinson and Latayne C. Scott - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


5. Shame Off You by Denise Pass. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


6. Where Dandelions Bloom by Tara Johnson.. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


7. The Rescue by Tanya Eavenson. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.


8. Confident Moms, Confident Daughters by Maria Furlough. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.

My favorite book this month was...... The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels! Check out my review here. I'm pretty sure it will end up in my top ten favorite reads for 2019!

Expected September 2019 Reads:

In September, I expect to read:

1. One Final Breath by Lynn H. Blackburn - A new-to-me author!

2. Shadows of Ladenbrook Manor by Melanie Dobson - This is my local book club's selection for September.

3. One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick - I've heard how great Jane Kirkpatrick's books are, and I'm looking forward to reading one for myself.

4. Woe Is I by Patricia T O'Connor - Yeah, still working on this one....

5. Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson. - I have both of Abigail Wilson's books sitting on my TBR stack, but I think I'll start with her newest release.

6. The Devotional Poetry of Donne, Herbert, and Milton by Leland Ryken. - I started this last month. It's a short book, but it's a slow read as I never make it through more than two or three poems per day.

7. Tate by Susan May Warren. - I've fallen behind on the Susie May's Montana Marshall's series and I need to catch up ASAP from all the good buzz I hear about it.

8. How to Survive a Shipwreck by Jonathan Martin. - Currently reading!

 What will you read this month?