What do you think?
Rate this book
The Whitlock Trilogy #2
Wild Whistling Blackbirds
In the tumultuous 1860s, David Whitlock enlists in the hellish Civil War, leaving his wife, Suzanna, to manage the family lumber mill. With a son keeping a Pony Express station in Paiute Indian country and a daughter campaigning for women's rights in mid-century Chicago, Suzanna finds herself a lone woman in a man's world. When reports of her husband’s death place the future of the mill at risk, she battles prejudice, loneliness, and greed to keep the estate intact as she struggles to reunite her scattered family. Set in what is arguably the most impactful decade in American history, Wild Whistling Blackbirds is a story of courage, love, independence, and resilience--immersing the reader in the fears, hopes, and possibilities that were reshaping a divided nation.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 12, 2016
97 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Allen Kent
24 books35 followersAllen Kent is the author of the popular “Unit 1” thriller series, the Whitlock Trilogy in historical fiction, and a number of other mysteries and action novels. His books are published in electronic form by Kindle Press and in paperback by AllenPearce Publishers. He lives and writes in rural southwest Missouri.
Kent is a former Air Force pilot and educator who spent four years of his early life living in Iran and England. He has traveled and worked extensively in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia – experiences that are often reflected in his writing.
Writing as Kent Farnsworth, Kent has also published two works of non-fiction: “Grassroots School Reform” and “Leadership as Service.”
He and his wife Holly are avid travelers, gardeners, and conservationists, and live in an eco-friendly home near the community of Neosho.
See: https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Kent/e/B...
Kent is a former Air Force pilot and educator who spent four years of his early life living in Iran and England. He has traveled and worked extensively in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia – experiences that are often reflected in his writing.
Writing as Kent Farnsworth, Kent has also published two works of non-fiction: “Grassroots School Reform” and “Leadership as Service.”
He and his wife Holly are avid travelers, gardeners, and conservationists, and live in an eco-friendly home near the community of Neosho.
See: https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Kent/e/B...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 4, 2018
I LOVED this book. Fantastic characters that make you want to know more. I didn't realize there was a prequel so now I'm off to read that.
July 8, 2016
What I liked the most about Wild Whistling Blackbirds is the smooth, deft execution of the plot. Allen Kent is a consummate professional who has given this second installment of a trilogy a story that stands alone. I'm fond of the title. In my eyes, it is just right. The author intends to take one family, scattered across the country from a lumber mill in Afton, Iowa.
The Whitlocks are an adventurous family, strong in character and self-reliance, bold in the pursuit of adventure, all except for the matriarch, Suzanna, who is left home to tend the family's business while husband David goes off to fight the Confederacy, sons go east (Thomas) and west (Johnny), and daughter Elizabeth finds herself in the sophistication of Chicago.
Trouble strikes and Elizabeth needs them all back home, where, by and by, they arrive to confront the peril of a shady businessman.
It's a family that faces tragedy and turmoil, bigotry, and the scorn of those less stern.
My only reservation is that I find the perfect symmetry of the ending a bit predictable. It's almost too lovingly constructed, this plot. That's a small quibble.
The Whitlocks are an adventurous family, strong in character and self-reliance, bold in the pursuit of adventure, all except for the matriarch, Suzanna, who is left home to tend the family's business while husband David goes off to fight the Confederacy, sons go east (Thomas) and west (Johnny), and daughter Elizabeth finds herself in the sophistication of Chicago.
Trouble strikes and Elizabeth needs them all back home, where, by and by, they arrive to confront the peril of a shady businessman.
It's a family that faces tragedy and turmoil, bigotry, and the scorn of those less stern.
My only reservation is that I find the perfect symmetry of the ending a bit predictable. It's almost too lovingly constructed, this plot. That's a small quibble.
November 11, 2020
Wild Whistling Blackbirds looks at historical events through the prism of a love poem that calls for blackbirds to ‘disturb not my slumbering fair’. In a larger context, this story is about struggling for the balance between a state of action and a state of dream, the forces of rebellion and weight of stability, as expressed through an engaging, complex family saga set in 1860s Civil War America
Suzanna Whitlock is left alone in the village of Afton to manage the family's lumber mill. Meanwhile, her husband David, fighting in the Civil War, is listed as dead, her son Johnny is fighting in in the Paiute Wars in the vast Utah territory, and Elizabeth, her daughter, is fighting for women's rights in mid-century Chicago.
Against the background of this chaotic era, Suzanna longs for a perfect world where “sons did not die before they reached full manhood and daughters didn’t yearn to leave to become lawyers the likes of a president. Husbands didn’t wake in the middle of the night with the fury of battle thundering in their heads.” But in such a world, with no disturbances, her life would mean little more than slumber.
Thomas, her son, is a rebel from childhood. “Afton could use a few wild whistling blackbirds.This town is far too sleepy and needs a bit of disturbing.” Her son Thomas returns home very ill. At his request, etched on his gravestone is the inscription, “A wild whistling blackbird.”
I got the audiobook through Audiobook Unleashed and enjoyed the delivery by Gryphon Corpus. This is another thought provoking story from Allen Kent. Highly recommended!
Suzanna Whitlock is left alone in the village of Afton to manage the family's lumber mill. Meanwhile, her husband David, fighting in the Civil War, is listed as dead, her son Johnny is fighting in in the Paiute Wars in the vast Utah territory, and Elizabeth, her daughter, is fighting for women's rights in mid-century Chicago.
Against the background of this chaotic era, Suzanna longs for a perfect world where “sons did not die before they reached full manhood and daughters didn’t yearn to leave to become lawyers the likes of a president. Husbands didn’t wake in the middle of the night with the fury of battle thundering in their heads.” But in such a world, with no disturbances, her life would mean little more than slumber.
Thomas, her son, is a rebel from childhood. “Afton could use a few wild whistling blackbirds.This town is far too sleepy and needs a bit of disturbing.” Her son Thomas returns home very ill. At his request, etched on his gravestone is the inscription, “A wild whistling blackbird.”
I got the audiobook through Audiobook Unleashed and enjoyed the delivery by Gryphon Corpus. This is another thought provoking story from Allen Kent. Highly recommended!
June 5, 2021
A Story of Family Love and the Civil War
Suzanna's family has moved to Afton, Iowa to get away from the prejudice and persecution of people who want to rid their area of Mormans. Her husband has been a craftsman, making the best barrels available. They find their niche in their new home community by having a sawmill to make railroad ties for the railroad that is being extended across the country. Civil War starts and her husband leaves for military service, one son joins the Pony Express, one son travels East to learn about chemical treatments to make the railroad ties better withstand the elements, and her daughter travels to Chicago to expand her knowledge. Her husband is reported to be missing in action and presumed dead. The former owner of the sawmill takes this opportunity to try to take the sawmill back. Suzanna refuses to let it go. Will she be able to hold onto the family business?
I enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down. This book is part two of a trilogy. I look forward to part three. (I reviewed part one about two years ago.)
Suzanna's family has moved to Afton, Iowa to get away from the prejudice and persecution of people who want to rid their area of Mormans. Her husband has been a craftsman, making the best barrels available. They find their niche in their new home community by having a sawmill to make railroad ties for the railroad that is being extended across the country. Civil War starts and her husband leaves for military service, one son joins the Pony Express, one son travels East to learn about chemical treatments to make the railroad ties better withstand the elements, and her daughter travels to Chicago to expand her knowledge. Her husband is reported to be missing in action and presumed dead. The former owner of the sawmill takes this opportunity to try to take the sawmill back. Suzanna refuses to let it go. Will she be able to hold onto the family business?
I enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down. This book is part two of a trilogy. I look forward to part three. (I reviewed part one about two years ago.)
December 31, 2019
It is now the 1860's. The Whitlock family has grown up and scattered to the winds. As the story follows their individual paths the family comes back together, but not without fear and grief. Some important threads of mid-19th century America are here: the Civil War; women's rights; America's expansion into Indian country; the lack of protection for workers in new industries where the dangers are hardly known. If the book had a weakness, it was that each family member's experiences are covered only superficially. There is enough interesting material here (and in the first book, River of Light and Shadow) for the author to write one of those generation-following blockbuster novels. I wish I could have been there when Johnny met his wife, and when Elizabeth went to Chicago. Would I have picked the book up if it had been a generational blockbuster? Maybe not. I tend not to like them. But I like this author. If he wrote it, maybe I would like it.
February 29, 2020
I listened to the audiobook. It is a continuation of the Whitlock Trilogy started with "River of Shadow and Light" and is the continuing story of David and Suzanna. It is noted that this book takes place many years after the first (during the Civil War) It could be read a stand-a-lone as enough information and background is given to enjoy the story without having read the first book; however, I adored the entire series and would suggest reading from the start of the trilogy. I continued to fall in love with Suzanna and her story in Iowa, and her struggles with the absence of her husband at war.
January 24, 2025
Family history is important.
As usual, punctuation errors interfere with smooth reading and understanding. WHY are commas rarely used CORRECTLY??!!!
The story of this family was so interesting and typical of the time. Women were third class citizens. Adventure pulled the young from their families. Prejudice was rampant!
I enjoyed reading this story, which included a lot of truth from history. Families were greatly affected by the laws and public opinion.
Please read this engaging story about David, Susanna, their three children, and the mill.
As usual, punctuation errors interfere with smooth reading and understanding. WHY are commas rarely used CORRECTLY??!!!
The story of this family was so interesting and typical of the time. Women were third class citizens. Adventure pulled the young from their families. Prejudice was rampant!
I enjoyed reading this story, which included a lot of truth from history. Families were greatly affected by the laws and public opinion.
Please read this engaging story about David, Susanna, their three children, and the mill.
January 24, 2020
Excellent
Loved this well researched novel with its insight into life in the 1860s beyond the Civil War years. He highlighted the restrictions of the laws on women and the pervading prejudices against people we today refer to as minorities. I loved the plot and appreciated how the author developed the characters. A must read.
Loved this well researched novel with its insight into life in the 1860s beyond the Civil War years. He highlighted the restrictions of the laws on women and the pervading prejudices against people we today refer to as minorities. I loved the plot and appreciated how the author developed the characters. A must read.
August 15, 2020
This was a very intriguing book covering a great variety of historical events of America. The Civil War, the Pony Express, the limits of women prior to the suffrage movement, and more are discussed as the Whitlock Family are dispersed across America!
I thought the narration was superb and really brought the book to life!!
I thought the narration was superb and really brought the book to life!!
June 2, 2021
A terribly and heartbreaking realistic depiction of the pains and tragedies of that age.
Fast forward some years and we find our family in the midst of the Civil War with an empty nest of children flown the coop in all directions. A thorough novel with tragedy and hope, contention and peace, plus family and community.
Fast forward some years and we find our family in the midst of the Civil War with an empty nest of children flown the coop in all directions. A thorough novel with tragedy and hope, contention and peace, plus family and community.
November 26, 2019
When I first started this book, I wasn’t sure I would like it. But once into it I thought it was a great read. It was heartwarming,beautiful story about the Making of a country while a war is impacting the lives of the people. I would read it again.
March 15, 2021
An engaging and suspenseful story of a family in early America.
This was a quick and easy read with different plots converging together. Truly a story about family, strength, and independence.
This was a quick and easy read with different plots converging together. Truly a story about family, strength, and independence.
February 22, 2018
Beautiful. The prose, the characters, the landscapes... it's all beautiful. Well done, Mr. Kent.
November 15, 2019
Great History
I greatly enjoyed reading the Whitlock history. I would like to read the remainder of the story and history of this family.
I greatly enjoyed reading the Whitlock history. I would like to read the remainder of the story and history of this family.
December 16, 2016
If you like historical fiction this would be a great book for you. There's enough meat to the story to keep you interested. I will admit that I did want to shed tears when it comes to a certain character. I also cheered for another certain strong willed character. I loved the matriarch of the family. I will forever hate the main villain, how dare he!
The only thing keeping this book from 5 stars is I could have used a little more description in the writing. I love descriptions so that I can have that much better of a visual in my mind. I was very impressed with the book in itself. I'm one that is always on the lookout for plot holes, incorrect spelling, etc. I didn't find much of it here. You can tell that Allen Kent has taken the time to release something that is not just thrown together.
The only thing keeping this book from 5 stars is I could have used a little more description in the writing. I love descriptions so that I can have that much better of a visual in my mind. I was very impressed with the book in itself. I'm one that is always on the lookout for plot holes, incorrect spelling, etc. I didn't find much of it here. You can tell that Allen Kent has taken the time to release something that is not just thrown together.
July 28, 2016
"Wild Whistling Blackbirds" is a heartfelt story about the Whitlock family. It gives you a view of America during the Civil War. It has enough events of the era to give you a feel for the lives of the family, but doesn't go into a lot of details. It is more a telling of events, without living through them. Each story line in itself would have made a great expanded story, but combined you get less of a feel for the characters and their lives. But, that was not the author's intent. He calls this "a broad but accurate feel for what the 1860s were all about." Nonetheless, it is an engaging story and one I think many people will enjoy.
July 28, 2016
Fantastic characters and a great story along with a narrative pace that moves everything along well - this was a great read! Historically accurate with the smooth interjection of the fictional characters, Kent has a done a wonderful of job of inviting the reader into the world of the 1860's with characters that the reader can embrace and empathize with as they struggle with life, stereotypes, prejudice and the everyday struggles of the world with integrity, character and faith. This is my second Allen Kent book and I am rapidly becoming a fan!
June 3, 2019
A family torn apart.
In a world where women are not recognized as being owners of businesses Susanna is struggling to keep their mill in the family. Her son Thomas returns home very ill. Her husband David is fighting for his life after being wounded and listed as possibly dead. Son Johnny and his Indian wife and her daughter, Elizabeth who was in New York fighting for women's rights return home but are they going to be able to help? A book full of mystery that is hard to put down.
In a world where women are not recognized as being owners of businesses Susanna is struggling to keep their mill in the family. Her son Thomas returns home very ill. Her husband David is fighting for his life after being wounded and listed as possibly dead. Son Johnny and his Indian wife and her daughter, Elizabeth who was in New York fighting for women's rights return home but are they going to be able to help? A book full of mystery that is hard to put down.
July 13, 2016
I was hooked from the first beautiful line of this book. The historical setting and context of the novel are spot on, which makes this an even more enjoyable read. As a reader, I can empathize with the characters who we come to care about. Kent continues to create beautiful phrases and images in his descriptions. I love the plot line of following a family through the great changes and prejudices and conflicts of the 1860s.
June 7, 2019
Another Great Book
This is the second in the trilogy about the Whitlock's. I feel the same as when I completed the first book - great and I can't wait to read the final story. I like all the Whitlock's. They are a great family that has compassion and respect for others. Can't wait to read the final book. I hope this writer writes another series as great as this!
This is the second in the trilogy about the Whitlock's. I feel the same as when I completed the first book - great and I can't wait to read the final story. I like all the Whitlock's. They are a great family that has compassion and respect for others. Can't wait to read the final book. I hope this writer writes another series as great as this!
October 2, 2018
Really good book. I went and read his other books as a result. Learned alot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews