One More River to Cross

by Jane Kirkpatrick

In 1844, two years before the Donner Party, the Stevens-Murphy company left Missouri to be the first wagons into California through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Mostly Irish Catholics, the party sought religious freedom and education in the mission-dominated land and enjoyed a safe journey--until October, when a heavy snowstorm forced difficult decisions. The first of many for young Mary Sullivan, newlywed Sarah Montgomery, the widow Ellen Murphy, and her pregnant sister-in-law Maolisa.

When the party separates in three directions, each risks losing those they loved and faces the prospect of learning that adversity can destroy or redefine. Two women and four men go overland around Lake Tahoe, three men stay to guard the heaviest wagons--and the rest of the party, including eight women and seventeen children, huddle in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River waiting for rescue . . . or their deaths.

Award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick plunges you deep into a landscape of challenge where fear and courage go hand in hand for a story of friendship, family, and hope that will remind you of what truly matters in times of trial.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Christian Fiction, Christian, Survival, 19th Century

346 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2019

About the author

Kirkpatrick brings us a story of one woman's restoration from personal grief to the meaning of community."

Reviews

[Hallie (Hallie Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

In the 1800s, no trip to the West occurred without unanticipated hardship. The Donner Party, of course, remains infamous for what they endured in 1846-47. Lesser known is the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend company, which chose to make the same crossing through the Sierra Nevada—with much different results.

In One More River to Cross, Jane Kirkpatrick imagines the experience this group of people had, facing a dangerous snowstorm and difficult decisions to make. Her writing is exquisite as the historical detail combines with intriguing characterizations, and it all proves extremely well-told.

My problem with this novel is strictly a personal one: I had trouble keeping track of the many characters, their relationships to one another, and who went where with whom. The book does include a map and a detailed character list at the beginning, so Kirkpatrick does her best to alleviate potential confusion. The fault here lies entirely with me.

So, if you love historical fiction, check out One More River to Cross. A story of brave men and women facing ostensibly insurmountable adversity, it’s worth a read (especially if you don’t have trouble with characters, like I do).

This review is also posted on Hallie Reads.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a truth, this wagon train crossing happened two years before the Donner party crossed the Sierra Nevada's. All was fine til October when the harsh snows hit the mountains.
The struggle was real and I am once again impressed with the strength of this author's research.
The vast wilderness,going without food for days on end including children,bone chilling cold,crossing rivers. Just amazing!
All had to work together to survive.
All the women had different strengths and weaknesses. The author showed a venerability to them. Do I think this made them weak, no! I do believe this brought out their character. No one had time to be selfish and think about themselves, everything was a group effort.
I think many of us have romanticized the wagon train crossings, including myself thinking how nice it would have been to ride in one in perfect weather enjoying the slow ride.
This book is really about strength,trust and faith in the Lord that he will get you through.
Excellent book with well developed characters set at a great pace!
Pub Date: 03 Sep 2019
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thoughtful, inspiring, beautiful book! I truly believe in 2019, people need instant gratification and action. That is why this amazing book is getting low ratings. This book is historical fiction based on real pioneers. It naturally happens and is authentic to the time. Yes, it's leisurely but it's exactly authentic and how a pioneer story should be. I grew up listening to my grandmother telling me stories of my pioneer ancestors. Jane Kirkpatrick sounds like my grandmother sitting at her kitchen table telling me stories. These are my people . So much love for this book!

[Allison Tebo · Rating 1 out of 5]

FTC Disclosure: Revell Reads gave me complimentary copies of this book. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.


Did not finish. I’m afraid I couldn’t get past the first few chapters. The writing is really poor. It’s not only bland and stilted, it’s confusing, and I had to pause at the end of every paragraph to decipher the sentences I had just read. A lot of the statements felt utterly random and had no connection to the previous phrases. The characters were so colorless thatI was getting them confused within the first chapter, and the historical details were awkwardly inserted with the heavy-handedness of a dull textbook.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in the American West of the 1840's, this novel is based on the obscure true story of a group of pioneer families who set out for and reached California, after enduring hardships, obstacles, and setbacks. Quite a contrast to the unfortunate Donner Party, this group all pulled together, helped each other, and were willing to separate into several groups, so that at least some of them would reach their goal and no one would hold anyone else back. I liked the author's note where she explained how she came across this unbelievable story in a footnote to something she was reading. She just HAD to research it deeply. Too bad, with such enticing material to work with, the writing was bland and cloyingly sweet. There was too much banal dialogue and it was much too long; it could have been pared down. With so many similar names, I'm glad the author gave a list of who each person was, and in which group. This made it clearer to me.

Recommended, only with reservations. Thanks to LibraryThing for an ARC.

[Jypsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Revell for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

One More River To Cross
By: Jane Kirkpatrick

*REVIEW* 💛💛💛
I wanted to like this book much more than I actually did. The idea of wagon train life in all its hardships, particularly for the women, intrigued me. I felt disconnected from the characters because their were too many. No one individual occupied enough space to become familiar with. I felt a great deal of sadness and melancholy by the end of the story, and it was a letdown. It's informative and thought provoking for certain. I think this story personally didn't suit my taste.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read most of Kirkpatrick's books and have always enjoyed learning some new history about the west where I live. It was fascinating to read this account of a large group of over 50 people successfully make it to California 175 years ago, over the mountains in deep snow, via covered wagons, horses, and on foot. I am familiar with the Truckee, Donner Lake, and Lake Tahoe area, so I am in awe of what this group achieved with the conditions they faced. I generally research more information when I read historical books, so in addition to what I discovered online, I was especially pleased with the "Author's Notes and Acknowledgments" at the end of the book where we learn "the rest of the story" of many of the main characters and how they went on to play key roles in California's history. I was also grateful that a map and a list of characters were included. With over 50 people to keep track of, the latter was critical. However, I found it incomplete. Since I was reading a library book and couldn't write in it, I made a photocopy of the character list so I could make notes on it and add names as they were revealed.

[Kremena Koleva · Rating 5 out of 5]

One More River to Cross на Jane Kirkpatrick ме върна във времето, когато прочетох "Глад " на Алма Катсу. Америка пази спомена за първите заселници на континента си и за преселенията на емигранти и установили се вече жители в търсене на своето място под слънцето.
Когато в дните на декември усещах как часовете навън вмъкват студа в костите ми, напълно си представих драмата на голямата група пътуващи ирландци , канадци и американци през зимната пустиня от Орегон към Калифорния. Истинското преследване на една мечта изисква упоритост, воля и безрасъдство. Готовност да изоставяш стари навици, удобство и сърдечни трепети, за да тръгнеш към непознато, но обещаващо място. Късите зимни дни, ледените нощи, оскъдната храна, грижата за малките деца и постоянното безпокойство. Навсякъде лишения, жертви, раздели и несигурност. Но никога отчаяние и съжаление. Сякаш за всички мъже и жени в групата знаеха само посоката напред. Без обмисляне на връщане. Имаше варианти за достигане на мястото, а не отказване от мечтата. Може би именно защото мечтата и вярата на хората през онази 1844 - 1845 година са били непоколебими, са били и достигнати.
" ...първите покрити вагони, влезли в Калифорния през Сиера Невада по пътя на реките Тръки и Беър. "
Онези, които носят последиците от мъжките решения в това пътуване, са жените. Те остават в най - дълбоката зимна пустиня с всички деца, в набързо сковано бунгало с оскъдна храна. Те се борят със студ, глад и с отчаяното убеждение , че собствените им бащи, съпрузи и братя могат с лекота да ги напуснат, за да проправят път напред.
Както добре всеки може да види в книгата, не всяко мъжко решение е водено от мисъл за доброто на жената. Много пъти се действа от егоизъм , от желание просто да се прави нещо и от удоволствието да се наложи волята на по - силния и онзи с повече власт.
Оптимизмът е в основата на One More River to Cross. Без отчуждеността и кръвожадността в " Глад " на Алма Катсу. Преминаването от единия край на Щатите до другия дава увереността, че добрите отношения между всички членове в групата ще осигуряват оцеляване. Никой не гледа подозрително зад рамо, никой не посяга алчно към чуждата собственост.

* " Не познаваме чуждите демони. Но може би споделянето им е начин да разбием силите им.“
* " Трябваше смелост да продължаваш всеки ден, да измисляш надежда. "
* Може би нямаше значение на колко години си, а колко добре ги носиш. "

[Abigail Harris]

My Review of One More River To Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick: I promise I tried to read this book . . . Truly, I did, but I am a girl, eh, woman that believes that some women overreact with feminism, men should automatically be put in three categories; stupid/weak/needy, overbearing/controlling, or wanting an inappropriate relationship. Since this book has shown a lack of respect for the men, bitter woman that "was what women did" talking about taking care of a family, and I tried flipping through the book and landed on a page where a guy was leaving his wife to travel another way because he needed to take care of his guns. GUNS! How ridiculous can a book get? It's almost as if this was making a joke of the men, women, and everyone. I didn't finish this book and can't recommend it.

If there isn't cheating in a book there is disrespect. Especially in Christian fiction lately.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

[Peg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher, Revell, via LibraryThing, for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a story of survival based on true events in 1844 about a group of people from Missouri traveling through the Sierra Nevada mountains to find a better life in California. They encountered unimaginable hardships of starvation, cold, separation from loved ones, and birthing babies in the wilderness.

I am always interested in how an author gets an idea for a novel. Jane Kirkpatrick saw a footnote in The Brazen Overlanders of 1845 by Donna M. Wojcik. Writing of the Bear River country, "they camped in the valley near a log cabin built by 1844 emigrants.... Here the snow must have been very deep for some of the trees had been cut off 8 feet from (above) the ground....This cabin was occupied the winter of 1844 by women emigrants looked after by James Miller." For Jane Kirkpatrick the obvious question was, who were those women and what were they doing? So a few years later, she began her research.

There were so many characters in this novel that the author compiled a list at the front of the book with pertinent information like who was related or married and a comment as to their occupation, personality, etc. It was very helpful since I have a hard time remembering details when there are so many characters. There is also a map which helps to envision the route they took.

I felt this novel was too long. There was so much misery among the people who endured the trip, I felt depressed, cold, and hungry most of time while reading. I don't mean to diminish the courage and strength it took for the people to survive, but the slow pace was hard to handle with all the trials and tribulations going on.

[Robin Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Received through the Revel Reads Blogger Program and voluntarily reviewed*

There are many, many characters in this story, but with one exception the focus is on the women, with the narrative constantly shifting from the point of view of one character to another. Unfortunately I struggled to keep track of the characters, men and women alike. There were a few who stood out, such as Maolisa and Moses, a young man who was the exception I mentioned above. I particularly enjoyed his sections of the book. I would say the main characters are Ellen, Beth, Mary and Sarah. Beth stood out, and I never confused her with someone else. But the other three I was constantly getting mixed up.

The plot meanders and is slow paced, not that I was bothered by that, and I enjoyed the descriptions of the landscape and the hardships. I can't imagine making the journey these characters undertook, and I seriously don't know that I would have survived! For the young ladies, life is frustrating when you're constantly overlooked or left behind, or your opinion is unimportant because of your gender, and there was a lot of internal dialoguing from the girls mentioned above about the unfairness of that.

It was what women did. Waited for the right husband. Waited to begin a family. Waited for a life to begin.

Boy, if that doesn't sum up why it's so great to live in the time we live in!

The book read more like a young adult book than I was expecting, and I think I would've liked it much more if that weren't the case. But overall it was a good read and aside from having to pause occasionally to sort out the characters I stayed pretty invested in their story.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m going to let this rating settle as a four star. On one hand I loved how this was based on actual historical events, yet I do feel as though the writing was a little confusing at times do to a lack in character developments. I also felt that the ending was sort of rushed and a little hard to follow. Either way, five stars to the actual story, and three stars on aspects of the writing execution. I truly found this story gripping, and an absolutely fascinating read. I may have my girls read this as a required read in high-school due to its historical and eye-opening facts that are presented throughout it’s pages.

I recommend this to those who appreciate a story based on true historical events, and to those who enjoy survival stories.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much as been written about the wagon trains going west and it seems as though we have romanticized those trips quite a bit. Jane Kirkpatrick though, lays it on the line and doesn't mince what it was like when the wagon trains ran into trouble. The hardships are everywhere in this story and it makes me think if I could survive such a trip. These women were strong and so were there children. They grew closer, as times got rough and formed a bond that couldn't be broken.

One More River to Cross did seem to jump around a bit from party to party. Sometimes there were only a few sentences about that party before she jumped to the next. At times, that seemed to drive me crazy because even though I cared about them all, I just wanted to know more detail about Moses. He remained my favorite character with the way he cared for others, his hard work, and his ingenuity.

The history I learned while reading this book made me continue turning the pages. The descriptions were perfect and I could picture them in my mind. I even learned about something new that I didn't know before (reflector ovens) and that always a bonus.

Just to let you know, I'm still mad and I need to forgive the men.

This book was given to me by Revell and this is my honest opinion.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick is an interesting read. One that brings a story of traveling from one land to another, alive. There were so many dangers presented in this book. Many did not survive trips like these. Still so many treaded forward. Hoping for the promise of a new life. Loss, grief, fear, and hope were mixed on every page. The unpredictability was good. I kept on wondering what next. They story was well-written. Slow but steady was the pacing. I did feel like the plot was not as engaging as I expected. However, I could feel and sense everything the cast of characters were experiencing. That made this a worthy read.  Growing up in this time period was tough. The characters had my sympathy all the way. Overall, the book was realistic and a good historical trip. 

I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[Linda]

To be fair I won't rate this since I didn't finish it. It started off with a long list of character names and their relationships to one another. I mean a LONG list. OK, I thought, I've done this before, so I kept reading. But it didn't take long for my little brain to start spinning, trying to remember who was who. I've enjoyed other Kirkpatrick books, but this was just too much work. Sadly, I'm done.

[Emily Yager · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. It was fascinating to read about the pioneer families that traveled west and some of the struggles that they went through. The story itself is well written and had a somewhat slow and steady pace. The story was an enjoyable read. It's a time frame that i usually enjoy reading. Yet for whatever reason, I couldn't quite get into this book.

[Julie Stauss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would never have survived this trip by wagon to California. The men ad women of that era were extremely tough!!

[DonnaJo Pallini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great historical fiction based on facts. A lot of research went into this story.

[Jessica Baker (A Baker's Perspective) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed thoughts on this book. I was so excited to start reading it based on the book blurb. I needed to know if these families would live or die! Unfortunately the amount of characters in the book made it hard for me to keep everyone straight. I tried to piece together which woman was married to which man, and who the children belonged to, but it was just hard for me. Too much for me to try and remember as I was reading the book. However, I do understand that could be something that not everyone has a problem with. Some readers may in fact love the amount of characters presented. So please, take this thought very lightly.

On the plus side, the journey itself was fascinating. Kirkpatrick writes descriptions and paragraphs to make you feel as if you are on the journey with these families. You could feel the bumps as the wagons moved, feel the fear during dangerous parts, and sigh right along with the characters as they got through tough situations. I found myself learning a bit about such a treacherous trail, and wanting to learn even more by visiting the history books. Yes, you can learn a thing or two by reading a fiction novel! Kirkpatrick must have spent hours upon hours researching everything that would apply to this book. Her efforts should not go unnoticed.

Overall, I think historic fans who want to learn more about the 1840s, or the tough journeys people had to go on to get to California, will enjoy this book. The breathtaking settings will amaze you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sara Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

** “ … I trust God is with us whatever choice we make. It’s what I draw on in the hard times. That I’m not alone and that God wants good things for us at the end.” **

Jane Kirkpatrick brings a story straight from true life to the page with “One More River to Cross,” a harrowing tale of a courageous group of people who make their way across the country in a wagon train, and the battles they face on the way.

Taking place from 1844-1845, “One More River to Cross” follows the story of several families that race against time and Mother Nature to make it to California, a land filled with promise for new beginnings and happy endings.

But when weather conditions force the group to break into several parties — some pressing on via horseback, some via wagon and some forced to stay behind — each member is forced to be the strongest they have ever been.

And in a male dominated world, the women especially are forced to step up into roles that will allow for their very survival.

Kirkpatrick does an amazing job of delving into these characters — sharing their hopes, joys, sorrows and fears. She develops strong, inspirational women like 17-year-old Mary Sullivan who’d rather be taking care of the animals than cooking dinner; Sarah Armstrong Montgomery, who struggles with the fact she’s never learned to read; 20-year-old widow Ellen Murphy who yearns to get out from her father’s and brother’s interference; and Beth Townsend, the sickly wife of the party’s overbearing and pompous doctor.

The author writes so descriptively that the readers feels they’re right there on the wagon trail, experiencing the trauma and trials of the wagon party. You can tell she deeply researched this topic. Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end as it goes into detail about this true-to-life story.

Besides being a fantastic historical fiction novel, “One More River to Cross” also teaches several incredible lessons, like finding a bridge between grief and new beginnings; finding the courage to overcome major trials; we should feast on joy and not anger; spreading kindness is a gift; and we never know each other’s demons, but sharing them kills their power.

Obviously a major theme in this novel is weathering storms, and the fact that anything is possible with God (“Don’t seem humanly possibly to do such a thing, but all things are possible through him that trusts the Lord”).

Anyone who loves historical fiction or inspirational novels in general will love “One More River to Cross.”

Five stars out of five.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.

[Tami · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first novel by Jane Kirkpatrick and I’m now wondering why I haven’t already come across some of her previous novels. This newest work is set in 1844 and involves a wagon train that travels through the Sierra Nevada mountains en route to California.

Most of the settlers from the wagon train are Irish Catholics, but regardless of where they are from or what their religious views are, they are all searching for a better life in California.

Unfortunately, the journey didn’t move fast enough to beat the first snows of winter. Due to the weather situation, they began to run low on food and to have trouble getting the wagons through the snowy mountainous terrain.

At some point in the journey, they decide to split up. They end up having three groups. Some stayed with a few wagons that held the heaviest and most valuable possessions. The plan was to winter in place and have others come help them when the snow melted.

Another group traveled by horseback. This group made the best time and reached the settlement area in California before any of the others.

The third group was the rest of the wagon train. This group eventually split due to the lack of food and the slow progress being made. The idea was for the men to ride ahead and send back help.

As so often happens, the best laid plans go awry. With each group facing starvation, natural disasters and other hazards common to living in a snowy mountainous region, there were quite a bit of tense moments. The experience that the people endured also brought to light various weak spots in some of the marriages. It was truly a journey that exposed what was important in life to each individual.

[Robin Willson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of this is facts that the author found in research. One of the first wagon trains to travel this area.
In the epilogue Jane said she hoped that this story might celebrate the honor of self-sacrifice, the wisdom of working together, and the power of persevering through community and faith. She did that exactly. This story is set in 1844 as a wagon train is progressing across country towards Oregon first then changing to California, which was still Mexican at the time. A fairly easy trip for the first part, they didn't take into the account the high mountains and altitude around Lake Tahoe, and thought California only had warm temperatures. Never expecting the deep, deep snow in the mountains. These became tremendous obstacles for them. Most were Irish, some from Canada. Good old Irish stubbornness, brains and tenacity came into play as they determined to live and move to their goal. Women were expected to follow without question or input, not expected to think. This group of Irish girls got tired of that and when left to themselves learned what they needed to and proved resourcefulness of their own, as the men left and forged ahead without them. As with all of Jane's books, there are always lessons to be learned that will apply to women everywhere, anytime.
Quotes
“An old Indian once told me, ‘When you come to a wide chasm— jump. It’s not as wide as you think.’ We had no alternative but to jump and so we did.”

“Taking things apart to re-create them,” Mary said. “That’s happening to us too,” Sarah said. “We’re having to remake ourselves here.” And so they did.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

#OneMoreRiverToCross #NetGalley #JaneKirkpatrick #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #5Stars #ChristianHistorical

[Rose | Adventurous Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this book because it sounded like something right up my alley. Unfortunately, many aspects of this book were disappointing.
When I first opened this book, I noticed the map (which was pretty cool) and the three-page character glossary. Even with the help of the glossary, which I consulted often, I still struggled to understand who was who, who married whom, and which children belonged to each person.
Secondly, I found the writing of this novel bland. It presented everything in a very long-winded manner and couldn't catch my attention. I often had to go back and reread because I didn't catch what was being said.
On top of all that, this book also character-hopped every few paragraphs, switching stories and issues being discussed. It was difficult to keep up with because the characters were not given the chance to come alive on the page.
This book was not for me but I still encourage you to give it a try.

Rating: 2 Stars
Content: Cannot Assign due to DNFing this novel

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

[Crystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had such a hard time pushing through this book. I chose it for the survival element. It did indeed have the survival element, but there were so many characters, I had a very hard time getting into the multiple story lines. About mid book, the characters were grouped more so together as separate groups, but even in that, I just disliked how many there were to keep track of. By the time I connected to any of the characters enough to really care about how their story ended, I was about 90% through the book.

I also found the writing style to be extremely difficult for me to enjoy. For example, a random sentence with no relation to the paragraph would be inserted, leaving me rereading entire pages a few times over, only to leave me confused as to why the sentence was included at all.

It was clean with a light faith based element.

This is a popular CF author, so I may try another book by her in the future. I did enjoy her descriptiveness in making me feel like I could envision what was happening in the story.

[Evelyn Lilyana · Rating 2 out of 5]

One More River to Cross is based on the true story of a group of travelers heading west in the 1840s. It was a large group with 17 children. Forced to split up in 3 groups after encountering a brutal winter, each group must find a way to survive and fend for themselves.

I had never heard of the Stephens- Murphy- Townsend expedition nor the Donner Party so it piqued my interest. However, I was let down by this book. There are way too many characters and although I appreciate the character table of contents, it's still confusing. Several characters have the same first names and it's not enjoyable to have to keep track of each one. Some dialogues are a bit boring and long. I was immediately turned off so that after a couple chapters I abandoned it altogether.

The plot sounded interesting but the novel itself just couldn't draw me in, which was a let down because I have enjoyed Jane's older novels in the past.

I received a copy of this book from Revell in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

[Rachel DeVaughn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical fiction story caught my eye because I enjoy reading historical novels in the west during that time period. This story is not a lighthearted, easy story to read however.

These "pioneers" had major struggles like starvation, death, illness and separation from loved ones. It was hard (and depressing) to read their struggles and at times I was confused since there were alot of main characters and women in this story. The author attached a listing of characters in the beginning of the book, but again, there were so many it was hard to keep track. Women from that time period had alot of struggles and did not enjoy the freedom, respect and conveniences that we have today. Sometimes it's nice to be reminded of that so I can be more grateful.

If you have read other historical novels by this author, I'm sure you will also enjoy this one! I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

[Deedee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars... Story of immigrants traveling west in 1844 (two years before Donner Party). I was so excited to find this audio download at my local library. Book started off very good with typical problems encountered by pioneers, including an early snowfall. But, later the book seemed to go on forever. Maybe because the character overload was confusing and exhausting.

Or maybe it was because I was still exhausted from our August 10th, 140 mph Derecho which damaged so much of our area. We did not have electricity for ten days and “audio books” saved my sanity!

One More River to Cross is based on true facts and I do recommend it to fans of Oregon Trail type stories.

[Rebekah Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I immediately grabbed this book because 1) It's by Jane Kirkpatrick; 2) the history! 😍

This book definitely did not lack in the history department. I was soo intrigued by this true story of travelers.
But this book did, however, lack in compelling, lovable characters...... I didn't like any of them.
Actually, I disliked many of them thoroughly

The story was good, the writing was off.
The book just wasn't as amazing as I'd expected.

It became boring very quickly and I did not want to finish it.

- Rebekah

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.**

[Dianne McMahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A River To Far

A convoluted novel of strangers, family and friends heading for new lives in California in the mid to late 1840's.
Most of them were Irish Immigrants.
The story was similar to what happened with the Donner party,but all of these good folk survived.
The book took a long while to read,as it was broken up and jumping off from family to new happenings every few pages and didn't have a steady flow.
I usually enjoy Jane Kirkpatrick's stories, but this one ,wasn't one of her best,at least for me

[Virginia Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acclaimed author Jane Kirkpatrick is known for the meticulous detail found in her inspiring works of historical fiction. "One More River to Cross" is her storytelling of the "Murphy-Stephens-Townsend Overland Party", which traveled from Missouri through the Sierra Nevada Mountains to reach California in 1844. Decisions of varying wisdom by members of the group. the twists and turns of Fate, and the undeniable force of Nature itself lead the travelers on an eventful, life-altering journey for which none of them were truly prepared. The author has included a breakdown of the groupings in the wagon party which explains who was in each group--giving us insights into their characters: "Horseback Group"; "Wagon Guards"; "The Wintering Women"; "Also at the Wintering Cabin"; and "Cross-Country Men". The party eventually separated into three main groups--each one choosing a different and difficult route to follow. If you enjoy reading about American Frontier trials and tribulations and life in the mid-nineteenth century, then you will find "One More River to Cross" to be an involving and inspiring journey of a lifetime.

Book Copy Gratis LibraryThing