One Big Open Sky

by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Three women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free—or cost them everything they have—in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement.

1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they’ve strived for over generations on their very own plot of land.
But Thomas’ hopes—and mouth—are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger.

Right after the war ended/and we were free/we believed/all of us did/that couldn’t nothing hurt us/the way master had when we were slaves/Couldn’t no one tell us/how to live/how to die.

Lettie, her mother, Sylvia, and young teacher Philomena are free from slavery—but bound by poverty, access to opportunity, and patriarchal social structures. Will these women survive the hardships of their journey? And as Thomas’ desire for control overpowers his common sense, will they truly be free once they get there?
Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome’s striking verse masterfully portrays an underrepresented historical era. Tackling powerful themes of autonomy and Black self-emancipation, Cline-Ransome offers readers an intimate look into the lives of three women and an expansive portrait of generations striving for their promised freedom.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Poetry, Historical, Fiction, Childrens, Novel In Verse

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2024

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you looking for a readalike for The Little House on the Prarie that provides greater insight to the homestead experience through a diverse lens. Look no further than One Big Open Sky. Lesa Cline-Ransome never disappoints and this title was no different. Focused on the Black homesteaders in the late 19th century, One Big Open Sky follows one particular family as they make their journey from Mississippi to Nebraska in hopes of owning land of their own. Though filled with hope, the book is realistic, gritty, and dark and addresses complex themes associated with topics such as Black land ownership, enslavement, and traditional family roles. This was written well and it is clear why it was considered for both the Newbery and CSK awards. I read this as a part of Newbery reading project. If you would like to know more about my thoughts, definitely check out my video: https://youtu.be/3GO5U8MopY0

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

Excellent middle grade historical fiction novel in verse! Set in 1879, One Big Open Sky follows three Black women/young women (Lettie really begins the novel as a girl but is starting to come of age through the narrative) on a journey to resettle in Nebraska where land was being given to Black families willing to work the land there. While the verse makes this a fairly quick read, it is both harrowing and inspiring to read about the challenges and experiences of these families. There is death and loss, hardship and illness, but also persistence in fighting for opportunity. Lettie is also in the complicated position of loving her father and seeing the good in him, but also beginning to see his shortcomings.

Reminiscent of other "pioneer" narratives that tend to be overwhelmingly white, this is a welcome change and peek into a less talked about part of history. One downside is that this doesn't really reckon with how settling this land intersects with colonization and the displacement of indigenous people. It at least improves upon similar stories that posit Native Americans as "savages" with a line of dialogue suggesting that they only mess with you if you give them a reason to first. But I still think for this age group we could include something dealing with the larger realities of what was going on. Overall though, I really like this and would recommend it. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Rebecca Reid · Rating 2 out of 5]

One Big Open Sky by Lesa Kline-Ransom (March 2024, Holiday House) is a free verse historical fiction novel about Black covered wagon pioneers in 1879. It features a young Black girl and her family, told from her perspective and that of her mother and another young woman. They journey from a sharecropping atmosphere in Mississippi to the open territory of Nebraska in a covered wagon. The journey is dangerous and difficult, but these young women find the strength to persevere and stand up to the men around them as they succeed in their journey and face the future.

It’s such a great premise and the characters are strong. But I found the book tedious to read. The free verse was almost completely devoid of punctuation. Dialogue is presented in italics. Without punctuation it was sometimes hard to follow who was speaking. The narration alternated among the three women. Although I liked the characters, the story, and the setting, the structure just made it difficult to read. I’ve read plenty of free verse novels, but this was not my style. The stanzas were too devoid of structure.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are expecting a story about what it might be like to be a young black person growing up in the frontier in the late 1800s, then this might not be the book for you. But if you are interested in what it might have been like for black pioneers to make the journey to the open frontier, then you will enjoy this historical novel in verse that is told mostly from young Lettie's viewpoint with occasional chapters from her mother, Sylvia who has more faith in God than her husband and Philomena, a young and independent black women. The road from Mississippi to Nebraska is grueling. There's a fair share of tragedy for the travelers in this story and some will die or turn around to go back home.

[Emily McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another novel in verse for 2024, but Lesa Cline-Ransome is one of the few who knows what she’s doing. Rich, complex characters, strong storytelling, and lots to learn about a moment in history that I knew nothing about.

Giving it to my 11 year old to read, and I’m cheering for this to win a Newbery!

*Editing to add that I listened to the audiobook.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This middle grade historical fiction verse novel chronicles a Black family's journey from Mississippi to Nebraska in a covered wagon in 1879. It's told from three perspectives. Lettie is a tween who loves her daddy and writes in a journal every day. Sylvia is her mother, and thinks it's foolish to move out west. Philomena is an orphan who has been hired to be a teacher in Nebraska, but needs to find a way there.

I loved the history and themes of community and family. While I knew many Black people settled out west and that women could be quite successful on the frontier thanks to a really excellent history professor I had in college, I had no idea that 20,000 Black folk left the south for the west in one year alone, 1879-1880. It's a fascinating history, and Lesa Cline-Ransome brings it to life. I'm not convinced having three perspectives was necessary, and the three voices sounded much the same. I would've preferred just Lettie, but I still really enjoyed this.

[DaNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up on pioneer stories, crossing the plaines, prairie grasses, wagons in circles, danger and triumph. A good 90% of these stories had strong religious overtones. It wasn’t call the Mormon Trail for nothing, you know. Today however, it seems those stories have slipped to a trickle. Ransome has given us a lovely, tragic, and triumphant story with this book. I appreciated how it felt authenticity of the time while still managing to show the resiliency of the women. She did masterful job creating Thomas, the father and husband of the main family. Unlike Pa Ingalls, who was the hero of all the Little House stories, she showed a man both adored by his daughter but full of flaws that lead to disaster.

52 Book Club25: 31)  Audiobook has multiple narrators 

[Kari Yergin · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, it’s crazy how long it takes me to read a kids book that literally looked like a table of contents when I’m reading on my Paperwhite. But not because it wasn’t good, just because I only read it before bed and generally get a few pages read before nodding off then the next day spend a few of those reading minutes backing up to the find the point when I was still conscious!

I’ve never before read anything about black homesteaders. But this author has proven herself well worth reading and I found the perspective fascinating. I plan on checking out more of her work.

[Dee Dee G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story. The author’s epilogue is a good history lesson.

[Devin Redmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

In order to foster conversations about reading, I try to start most library classes with a picture of a book I’m reading, even if it’s an adult book.
Today I shared 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘬𝘺 by Lena Cline-Ransome, a book for 5th grade +. The book was a Newbery Honor and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor winner. It is also a novel in verse meaning a hybrid form of writing that combines the narrative structure of a novel with the lyrical and poetic elements of poetry (Wikipedia).
5 / 5 stars
I told the kids I grew up reading 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘦 books. I told them I was embarrassed I didn’t see the racism in the books, nor did I really think too much about the Indigenous populations, but that I truly loved the series when I was younger. I told the kids that they’re lucky because, in addition to reading 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 (and being aware of the problematic parts) they could read 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, a story about an Ojibwe girl set in the same time period. They could read 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘵𝘶𝘴 by Linda Sue Park, a story also set in the same period, about a girl with a white father and a Chinese mother. Or they could read 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘬𝘺, a story told from the perspective of three Black women traveling west during the Black Homesteader movement.
Lettie is similar in age to Laura, Little Frog, and Hanna. She enjoys writing and reading. She has two younger brothers. She is nervous but excited when she’s told her family will be leaving Mississippi to travel northwest to Nebraska for their chance at land. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘬𝘺 is about all that Lettie, her mom, and a fellow traveler learn during the trip, about others and about themselves. There is a big feminist slant in the book, which I loved imagining was really there during this time period.
(Just FYI, the dog does NOT die.)

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Newbery Honor book that I both read and listened to. It is written in verse and is the story of three women who are leaving the South after the Civil War and moving to Nebraska. The story is very interesting and the pages at the end where the author gives some specific history helps give context to the story.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a young Black family that joined a wagon train headed to Nebraska. It is told in the voices of three different Black women.....wow what difficult events!

[kendall₊ ⊹ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cutest book I've ever read.

[Hannah]

I'm not sure I agree that having two adult perspectives and one child perspective was the best creative choice here, but my Little House-reading little girl inner self still loved this book, which was exactly the kind of classic Going West tale while also not being classic at all and filling in some of the gaps and annoyances and misconceptions of the Wilder books and other white pioneer stories I read when I was young. It's well-researched (the author note is baller and a must-read) and fascinating, but I would have preferred straight prose and just a kid's perspective instead.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Very good!! I knew nothing about this migration. I hope she considers writing a sequel. The lack of punctuation marks made it a little harder to read. Might be great as an audio book. No problem with the free verse style though, and enjoyed the author's notes at the conclusion. Also a beautiful cover!!

[Katie Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good children’s chapter book about western homesteading during the 1870s for America’s black communities. Written in prose, this novel addresses the pioneer adventure for black families looking for freedom, land ownership and safe communities.

[January · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome
6h 12m narrated by Crystal Clarke, Janina Edwards, and Emana Rachelle, 296 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, African-American Fiction, Western

Featuring: Map, 1879, Exodusters, Exoduster Movement or Exodus of 1879, The First Great Migration, Overland Trail, Natchez, Mississippi; North Platte, Nebraska, Louisiana, Arkansas, Independence, Missouri; Kansas, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, Dates, Family Story, Land Grab, Migration Story, Unnumbered Chapters, Wagon Train, Frontier Life, Pioneers, Teacher, New Start Trope, Illiteracy, Death, Hardships, Misogyny, Racism, Multiple POVs, Historical Events, Dog, Community, Violence, Dangerous Situations, Author's Note - Historical Information

Rating as a movie: PG for violence, danger, and adult content

Songs for the soundtrack: "Take Me To The Water," "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder," "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand"

Books and Authors mentioned: The Holy Bible

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️¾☁️🐴🧳

My thoughts: 📱22% 1:20:46 Lettie: Missouri, June 1879 - It's okay so far. I could see it being read for social studies in an elementary classroom but it's lacking historical depth.
📱40% 2:29:32 Sylvia: Kansas, July 1879 - It has picked up a lot but back to my spicy book.
📱64% 3:57:42 Lettie: Nebraska, October 1879 - Well this has gotten depressing, this is what I dislike about books like this, this one is the realistic type.

This was a little like Little House on the Prairie but grittier. Told from the point of view of a young girl, a married mother, and a teenage teacher, it was okay. I would have enjoyed it more but I don't enjoy bitter historical fiction, but the historical information is why it's close to 4 stars. If it was happier and more romanticized I probably would have complained just the same. I think this would be a great book for an upper elementary or middle school classroom.

Recommend to others: Yes. This is certainly a book you want your kids to read.

[Shella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author has an amazing talent to develop all characters- main and secondary. Great description of the setting. The reason I did not rate this title higher is the choice of using free verse. The structure was very tedious to read at first. I was about half way into it before I felt I was in a rhythm of the story. Only on one page, did I feel the strength of verse used in a way to make me pause catch a breath and reread. That is not the case in many other novel in verse titles that I’ve read. This is a very talented author and I think the strength of her writing would have shown through better in a chapter book format. I did appreciate that the setting (time and place) were at the start of each change in POV. However, the structure of the verse along with the tiny font size will make this difficult reading for most young readers that gravitate to novel-in-verse titles. I wish there had been more male characters that were better role models. It almost seemed like the author wrote some really terrible male characters to make the female characters seem stronger and better. I would have rather read about strong characters in both genders. The racism they faced was not as strong as I think they would have faced- just two scenes of that and only one of those really dangerous. I’m not sure the subtle references to racism will be noticed by some younger readers. After looking up some information in reference to other reviewers about the lack of indigenous characters- it seems at this point in time along their trail, there would not have been much interaction. Overall, I loved the character development and setting- the second half was much better than the first half (Philomena was my favorite character) but the novel in verse format and lack of more historical background in most younger readers will make this a tough read. I would love to read a sequel, but in chapter book form.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up playing endless rounds of Oregon Trail. I loved seeing all the ways one could die on the journey, but I also loved planning the trip, and doing all the shopping to figure out what we'd need to survive. That game imprinted on me, and I often turn to stories about people journeying out west to start a new life as homesteaders. I haven't read many, however, that feature an all-black cast of characters.

Lesa Cline-Ransome wrote one of my absolute favorite books last year, For Lamb, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. The story begins with a family starting their journey west from Mississippi. We read from 3 perspectives - Lettie, her mother Sylvia, and a young teacher Philomena. I was surprised and pleased at how much depth the author put into this story. Novels in verse don't always work for me, I often find they need more story and can sometimes be hard to follow. But this story was so good I frequently forgot that I was even reading a novel in verse.

I think this would be a great addition to any US History curriculum or pioneering unit. I think it is best for ages 12+

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another remarkable novel (this one in verse) to add a different perspective to the mythology of the American west and the pioneer experience. Lettie, her parents and two younger brothers, leave their family, friends and everything familiar in Natchez, Mississippi, 1879, to travel west to North Platte, Nebraska to claim land of their own through the Homestead Act. Just as Linda Sue Park wondered where the Asian people were when she read the Little House books, so too, did Lesa Cline-Ransome wonder where the black people were. They were certainly there, settling the west as “Exodusters”, but children couldn’t read much about them. Until now. Thank you. This is a moving story of brave pioneers facing perilous conditions in search of not only some land, but true freedom—or at least the hope of it. Lovely main character, Lettie—smart, loyal, courageous as she faced the unknown.

[Jillian Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a great premise for a story but the novel in verse format did not do it justice. The font was tiny and hard to read. I wish there was more of an indicator that the narrator was changing. As I got into the story, I would keep reading and skip over which character was telling the story. This made it confusing, but it was my own fault😉. The switching of the characters when the plot was rolling along made the story screech to a halt.

I would love to see this same story in a chapter book format. I think kids would like it better that way too.

[Cathlina Bergman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I REALLY liked this book! A middle-grade book told in verse. Great companion piece or replacement to Little House on the Prairie because no racist attitudes toward the Native Americans. Plus, it deals with racism against former slaves, disregarding the opinions of women, an unhappy marriage, etc. Not too predictable or stereotypical for a girl's adventure story. Sweet moments, sad moments, funny moments. A great read I'll be telling everyone about for weeks! :)

[Lynette Caulkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, telling the story of an 1979 pioneer crossing by several Black families through the words of three women. The free verse stream-of-consciousness writing is easy to get into and feels conversational, and you fall in love with young Lettie, our main protagonist. 4.5 stars

[Brigid Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading a book in free verse (I think) so I was little apprehensive but the characters and story were very striking. Since I grew up with the Little House series, getting to read a different POV about a black family/black women was really cool

[Renata]

hmm I loved the concept of this, that she was inspired by a) reading the Little House on the Prairie books as a kid and enjoying the stories while being alienated by the whiteness and b) learning about the history of the Exodusters (Black Americans who migrated west after the Civil War).

That said for a middle grade novel I was sort of confused by the choice to have 2 of the 3 narrators be adults? And also for their narrative voices to be so similar that sometimes I had to check the heading to see if it was the mother or daughter's poem? I don't know how well being in verse served this for me...maybe if Lettie's portion had been in verse and the others not? Or if the 3 characters had distinct styles of verse rather than all being free verse?

ehhh still it's a great contribution to the MG historical fiction shelf and would work well in a classroom setting.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent accounting of the first Great Migration of Black pioneers during Reconstruction. Told in verse, with three narrators, this is another, more historically accurate substitute for Little House books.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful historical fiction, middle grade book told from three perspectives.

[Jenna-booklooksbyjenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

now THIS is a wonderful, authentic historical fiction! Black pioneers and strong women and grief and building community!!

[Bethany Bruns · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Little House books will always have a special place in my heart, even though there are problems. So it’s a delight to read a new-to-me perspective on the westward journey. Even though I don’t love a novel in verse, I liked the 3 voices of the women telling the story.

[Mary Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pair with PRAIRIE LOTUS by Linda Sue Park for a more realistic look...a more DIVERSE look at the westward movement.