Only the Brave: The Continuing Saga of the San Juan Pioneers

San Juan Pioneers #2

by Gerald N. Lund

Four years have passed since the first Mormon pioneers made the harrowing journey to care the Hole-In-the-Rock trail to the region of the San Juan River in southeastern Utah. In that time, the settlers have dug in deep to try to establish roots in this untamed and unforgiving desert, but life is still far from easy. Biting winds, devastating floods, scorching heat, barren terrain, and tensions with everyone from Indians to outlaws to competing ranchers have threatened the pioneers ability to thrive or even survive.
But the call from Church leaders to establish peaceful, stable settlements in the volatile region still stands, so young Mitch Westland and his family must find a way to make a home amid the harshest of circumstances. They soon learn that their only chance of success lies in uniting together with the other faithful Saints including the Zimmers and their charming daughter, Edie. Can the families withstand the blows that seem to come every step of the way as they struggle against man, nature, and their own fears to heed a prophetic call? Many settlers will try to conquer that rugged territory, but only the brave will prevail.

Continuing the saga of the San Juan pioneers, fans of THE UNDAUNTED and new readers alike will enjoy taking a journey into southern Utahs thrilling past with master storyteller Gerald N. Lund.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Lds, Fiction, Church, Lds Fiction, Historical, Religion

288 pages, Hardcover

First published December 8, 2014

About the author

Gerald N. Lund received his B.A. and M.S. degrees in sociology from Brigham Young University. He served for thirty-five years in the Church Educational System, and he served as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy from 2002 to 2008. He is a prolific and bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction and is best known for his historical novels, including The Work and the Glory series, Fire of the Covenant, The Kingdom and the Crown series, and The Undaunted. He and his late wife, Lynn, are the parents of seven children.

Reviews

[Linda Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much more than The first "Hole in the Rock - San Juan Pioneers" series, The Undaunted. I have ancestors who were among those early So. Utah pioneers and was somewhat familiar with some of their stories/ struggles. I will read the 3rd book, To Soar With Eagles

[Sherrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

To begin with this book was not as well written as The Undaunted. It was mostly a little romance and not a remarkable one at that. I did like the sweet faith of these pioneers under what were terrible circumstances. Their homes were flooded and it was probably the most muddy place they could ever live. For this I said I liked the book. Some of my own ancestors lived about 100 miles from Escalante in Ephriam. So I am sure they experienced much the same fate. Still this was not near the caliber of The Undaunted. There was so much drama in that book. I doubt I will go on to the sequel to this sequel. Sorry Brother Lund.

[Rachel D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one because friends told me it was part of the series of The Undaunted. I was disappointed to learn it was new characters, and I really didn’t enjoy it as much. I feel like this one was a filler for the author, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed his other books that I have read.

[Micah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only the Brave was a great book about pioneers settling the San Paulo Region and dealing with Native Americans. I loved how the author made the book feel real, with characters that could have reasonably existed, yet it felt dramatic and intense. The first scene in particular just ropes the audience and makes it feel like a western movie. However, it was sobering to see at the end of each chapter a list of references that explained what parts were real and what parts were fiction added by the narrator. The narrative drags the audience through the life of Mitch, a small boy who grows up with every turn of the page, and meets some stunning people from actual history along the way. If you love true stories, but also enjoy the spice of something not entirely nonfictional, and have a heart for romance stories then you would love this story. The ending will delight any hopeless romantics or hopeful dreamers out there.

[Karen Danielson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and decided to listen to it this time because I love the way Kirby Heyborne narrates novels. I can’t help but be awed by the faith and gumption of early Utah pioneers. As I looked on the map to trace their journey, I realized that these people were living in the area where I went on a 30 day survival trip. I walked 300 miles in this area without food, water or shelter. Thank goodness I didn’t have to fight off cowboys and Indians too!! I honestly don’t know how they did it but I’m glad they did because my faith is strengthened as I learn of their faith.

[Janet Kirkham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.

I read this while traveling through southern Utah. What brave pioneers tamed this forbidding land. This book gave me a new found reverence for their sacrifices.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful sequel. I enjoy learning more about those that settled the area. Amazing people!

[Jacque · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and thought it was a good story. The only thing I was let down by was that the first book contained so much history of the saints and this one seemed more fiction than historical. Otherwise, still a great read.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy read. I enjoyed the story: I was looking for an enjoyable read and found it with this book. There is. It as much detail as in the previous book, Undaunted, but was what I was looking for at the time. This is more of a story about Mitch a seventeen year old boy when the book starts and his desire to own his own cattle. It's also the story of Edie, the girl that catches Mitch's eye and what Mitch needs to learn about young women. Gerald Lund has also included historical information and a few historical characters as well.

[Mary L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual Lund makes the people so real that you want to meet them in person. The narrator of this story finds that when it comes to love he is a real dummkopf. You don't have to read the notes at the end of each chapter that tell you what is the real story behind the one he tells but it lets you know what the real history of the time was. I am looking forward to reading the final one of this series and the next one in the other series where he inserts this family also.

[Andrea Fife · Rating 3 out of 5]

Labeled as a stand-alone sequel to The Undaunted, this volume gave me high hopes of a compelling plot with fascinating details. While I found the retelling of historically accurate history interesting, I was less than riveted by the fictional plot. I don't think I will follow the lives of this particular set of characters.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. The characters seemed flat and stilted. The history of the San Juan pioneers is incredibly inspiring, but trying to stick these fictional characters into the real history just didn't speak to me.

[Deena · Rating 3 out of 5]

good read,

Not nearly as good as The Undaunted, but still a good read! The Undaunted was one my favorite reads, so was expecting more from this book.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel was one of the worst novels I've read by Lund. It seems as though he wanted to continue The Undaunted, but there weren't enough historical accounts to keep it afloat. There were a few historical events that were mentioned throughout the book, but they were far and few between and were changed too drastically to accommodate for the fictional characters to take part in them. There were hardly any spiritual moments mentioned in the novel. This was a major let down after having read The Work and the Glory, Fire of the Covenant, and The Undaunted. The fictional characters were very hardened and didn't have a whole lot of depth to them (specifically Gwendolyn) and I didn't care too much for them. It was hard to stay with this book and I just finished it just to be over with it. Not to mention all of the grammatical errors found within the published copy. I'm not quite sure I'm going to read the 3rd book in this series. I'll put it on my list, but I make no promises.

[Riley Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the undaunted that ended with the Hole in the Rock saints arriving at Bluff. I was disappointed when Lund gave up on those characters and tried to cover 8 years with new characters in about 25% of the time. If the message was that the community of Bluff had to be the shock absorber of Native American violence and unscrupulous whites then he did a good job showing the value of the settlement. The Zimmer and Westland family arriving in 1884 after the flooding of Bluff would be disheartening. It helps explain how they got up to Bluff and Monticello. The love story between Mitch and Edie is good but too quickly developed. I like seeing how brave and undaunted these saints had to be.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As this standalone sequel to The Undaunted begins, four years have passed since the first Mormon pioneers made the harrowing journey to carve the Hole-in-the-Rock trail to the region of the San Juan River in southeastern Utah. In that time, the settlers have dug in deep to try to establish roots in this untamed and unforgiving desert, but life is still far from easy. Biting winds, devastating floods, scorching heat, barren terrain, and tensions with everyone from Indians to outlaws to competing ranchers have threatened the pioneers' ability to thrive—or even survive.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again let me say that I enjoy Lund's nonfiction much more than his fiction. But I had to read this one because it was the continuing story of the Hole-in-the-Rock pioneers, some of whom were my Lyman ancestors. (In fact, Lund used my great-something uncle's book for much of his research to write this, so I've decided to re-read that book.) There is just something about the characters Lund creates that feel contrived. At any rate, the book was fine, but I was also fine with it being short.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this had been the only book I'd read by this author, it would have recieved more stars. As a standalone, I'd probably give it 4 stars because I really enjoy historical fiction, and this author puts a lot of effort into ensuring accuracy. It's a quick and enjoyable read. However, compared to his many other masterpieces such as the Work And The Glory series, The Undaunted, or Fire of the Covenant, it doesn't rank as high for me.

[Rex Cluff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read following up on the Undaunted story of the pioneers of SE Utah. This short novel continues to tell about the hardships of those pioneers who settled the area around Bluff, UT. It is a fun read and also historically enlightening. The romance between two of the young characters keeps the story light and entertaining. I recommend it to all who love Utah history, pioneer stories, western lore or even a romance story. It also hints at another sequel to follow.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't my favorite of Lund's novels but not my least favorite either. It is amazing to learn more about those brave souls who settled the South Eastern parts of Utah. I love how Lund uses true stories and events and weaves them with fictional characters. I don't always love the fictional story lines.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to "The Undaunted." They are truly inspirational books. I love Gerald Lund's books because they are based on facts, although the characters are fictional. And at the end of each chapter, there is an explanation as to the things that are true and fictional. Great reading and learning!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like reading about the settlement of Utah and hearing names of familiar places and learning how they were settled, Gerald Lund makes reading history so much fun. I didn’t know hardly anything about the places in this book and really enjoyed it. Love the characters and was happy to learn he will write more about them in the Fire and Steel series!

[Billie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great USA roadtrip CD when we were crossing the country and back, and had lots of time to look at the barren land that so many braved to cross and settle in.
Lighter reading than some of Lund's books but every bit as enjoyable. We had a nice surprise when a 'family' story was inserted (with a different character).

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the stories of Gerald Lund. I like his footnotes so I can see how it relates to real history. I had a hard time keeping track of the time and had to keep looking back at the dates he wrote at the beginning of each section. The love story was cute.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book about pioneers settling the wilds of southern Utah. Gerald Lund does such a wonderful

work with his writing. I know! I've read 10 or 12 of his books & more to read. Thank you, Brother Lund

[Mandi Palfreyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. It was interesting. I am glad that the author put in a note at the beginning of the novel. It helped to know that he was a sequel but with different characters than his previous novel. The story definitely gave the reader a feel for what life was like for these pioneers.

[Kassie Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Gerald Lund's books!

[Holly Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Easy, quick read. Likable characters. Cant decide if i like the abrupt ending or not. I guess that's why there's another book to the series. All around good book. I'd recommend it!

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ending of the book seemed rushed. Enjoyed the book.

[Robb Menlove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great one from the King of LDS Historic Fiction. Those San Juan Saints were real saints. Love it!