In the Company of Angels

by David Farland

The Willie Handcart Company of 1856 was a trial and a miracle. You will feel a part of the company as you follow three of its members in a moving masterpiece that will take you from the green fields of Denmark to the icy peaks of the Rockies in a saga that elevates and enriches those that it touches.Best-seller and Winner of the Whitney Award for Best Novel of the Year! In 1856, a forty-year-old mother of twins named Eliza Gadd set off with nine-year-old Bodil Mortensen and more than three hundred immigrants to cross the American wilderness. In a bold experiment, they hoped to pull everything they owned in handcarts.They knew that they'd started far too late in the summer. They didn't know that the natives had sworn to kill anyone who dared cross the prairie, or that they'd face blizzards and the coldest winter in history.This is the epic story of hope and survival that has inspired millions for generations.“Reading Farland’s book is not just an engrossing exposition. It is like being a member of the 1856 Willie Handcart Company…. Farland’s novel takes the reader into the characters’ heads to confront their fears, hopes, dreams and dark, unrelenting doubts.” -Deseret News Based on the true story of the Willie Handcart Company of 1856, In the Company of Angels unfolds the triumphant tale of pioneers who struggle against unendurable hardships—persecution, buffalo stampedes, rampaging Indians, lingering starvation, and the early onset of the coldest winter in US history—to find the gentle homeland of the soul.David Farland’s moving masterpiece echoes the drama of Gone with the Wind and the glory of Ghandi, sweeping from the green fields of Denmark to the icy peaks of the Rockies in a saga that elevates and enriches those that it touches. "In the Company of Angels is a beautifully written, powerful account of a perfect storm on dry land." -Kenny Kemp, Author of Dad was a Carpenter "This book is wonderful, a true masterpiece. Buy it now - but keep a hanky handy!" -LDS Forever Friends Book Nook

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

448 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 23, 2009

About the author

David Farland is the author of the bestselling Runelords series, including Chaosbound, The Wyrmling Horde and Worldbinder. He also writes science-fiction as David Wolverton. He won the 1987 Writers of the Future contest, and has been nominated for a Nebula Award and a Hugo Award. Farland also works as a video game designer, and has taught writing seminars around the U.S. and Canada. He lives in Saint George, Utah. He passed away on January 14, 2022.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidf...

Reviews

[Josi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all time favorite novels I have ever read. So well written, so honest and so faith affirming in ways I'd have never expected. Absolutely loved this book and recommend it to anyone with any interest in the early members of the LDS church. Not preachy, not always kind, but very worth the read; the kind of book where you feel like a better person with a better view of the world when you finish.

[Shelah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many Mormons with pioneer heritage, my husband's parents love to tell the stories of their illustrious ancestors: the grandfather who lived with two wives in Salt Lake City into the 1950s, the uncle who should have won a Nobel Prize, the many-times great-grandfather whose hymns figure prominently in our hymnbook, the brothers (named Mormon and Moroni) who helped settle the town where my in-laws now live, the other many times-great-grandfather who used to have a church college named after him, the aunt who was married to a prophet. One of the most touching stories is of the grandma and grandpa who traveled to Utah with the Martin Handcart Company. After pulling their baby thousands of miles, she died shortly before the family reached Salt Lake City. Unwilling to leave her behind, exposed, on the frozen ground, they wrapped up her body, hid it in the handcart, and she's now buried in the Salt Lake City cemetery. I may be a convert, but after 20+ years of experience in the church, I know that in our cultural history the word handcart is synonymous with hardship.


In the Company of Angels documents the experience the approximately 400 members of the Willie Handcart Company had crossing the plains in the summer and fall of 1856 (they were traveling the same route as the Martin Handcart Company, but had a head start of about ten days). It was a hard journey, so understandably, this is a hard story to read, a story filled with pain, blood, disease, tears, sweat, snakes, treachery, death and lots and lots of ice and snow. Emily M (my partner in reading the Whitney books for Segullah) reviewed the book already for the Segullah blog, and I agree with what she's written. I finished the book last night, and I can't get the characters and the situation out of my mind. I think part of it is because Farland does a darn good job with his characters, but also because the story is part of our cultural history, and part of my (through marriage at least) family history. It's people willing to follow leaders despite those leaders' weaknesses, people willing to cross an ocean and then pull their belongings across a continent, people willing to pray when it seemed like all hope was lost, people willing to pack up their dead baby daughter so she could be laid to rest in Zion, these are the people whose blood is running through my children, and who represent some of the enduring traits of strength and faith and hard work that we value as a culture today.

I think anyone who lays claim to this cultural heritage and who values the freedoms and benefits we have as a people today wonders how they would have stood the test of traveling with a handcart company. Farland allows readers to experience the journey through the eyes of Baline, a young Danish immigrant, Captain Willie, the missionary chosen to lead the group, and Eliza Gadd, a non-Mormon Englishwoman traveling with her family of converts. They all experience heartache and loss and are all transformed by the experience. I appreciate that Farland didn't excuse Franklin Richards (who made the ultimate call to send the Saints out late in the season and ill-equipped and chose not to pitch in and help when he could have made a big difference in the journey's outcome), and also showed the inner struggles of Willie, who bore the day to day burden of carrying the company.

It's interesting reading a historical novel when you already know the history. As the Saint set out with hope in their hearts and smiles on their faces, I knew, as a reader, that disease and despair and death waited for them down the trail. So did Farland, but he didn't change the story. When I read books like this, I often imagine that it's somewhat similar to the experience Heavenly Father might have in relation to us. He knows us, he loves us, he helps us when we ask for it, but knowing what will happen to us based on the choices that we make doesn't mean that he'll step in and make sure those hard things don't happen.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I have two ancestors from the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies, I was excited to read David's manuscript of this horrifying, yet courageous and heartbreaking story. With the early Saints selling their homes to come to Zion in 1856, there were some that had to come by handcart. Due to unforeseen delays, mostly caused b y the Crimean War that caused delays in ships to sail from England, that when they arrived in Iowa, they found no handcarts made. This delayed the Saints even more. One of the sub-captains of The Willie Company attempted to get the Saints to wait for a season to embark on such a long and hard journey, especially with the late start. The main body trusted Captain James Willie, mostly because he'd traveled the trail fifty times.

I liked how David had the three main Saints telling their story in each chapter, bringing it more up close and personal. Eliza Gadd, a proud English 41 year old, was the only non Mormon in The Company, though her husband, Samuel, and their older children were. Due to her father being seduced by fakirs and spiritualists, she didn't believe in God. She felt during the trek that all the Saints were fools. Since she was apparantly the only nurse in the Company, she attended to everyone's needs.

Captain Willie tried to keep the Saints together and healthy. He was a very compassionate man, praying to God for guidance all along the way. He totally had his people at heart, only thinking of them and their welfare. He did start having his doubts that God was listening to his prayers, but he never gave up, even assisting several children and women across a freezing creek when his own legs were frozen.

Baline Mortenson, a young ten year old Danish girl, did all she could to keep up the spirits of everyone in The Company. She assisted approx 20 children several miles up Rocky Ridge, even so much as pulling a handcart herself. Her parents had sent her alone to make the trek, but then, some parents did just that, to save money, until the rest of the family could come later.

This is a huge faith-promoting story, filled with faith, love and hope and a strong Testimony of The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Willie Handcart Company had to weather storms we couldn't even fathom or dream of, such as sub-zero temperatures, Indians, floods, buffalo stampedes, utter starvation, blizzards, etc, I can't recommend this historical novel enough. It is a wonderful, heartbreaking, faith-promoting, Testimony building true masterpiece!!!! You'll need a ton of Kleenex, so be prepared. And, this is my kind of book to read, especially since this happened and it happened to two of my ancestors. This book is due out on 1 Sep, so you'll need to go to www.inthecompanyofangels.net and order your copy. I plan to, as I want my own special hardbound copy.

Forever Friends Rating A VERY HUGE 5 Stars by Teri
Until Next Time, See You Around The Book Nook.

Published Sep by David Farland
0615300537 (isbn13: 9780615300535)
448pp
Hardbound

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[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a great great grand-daughter and a great great great grand-daughter of two members of the Willie Handcart Company of 1856. As such I picked up this novel about the trek west by the 400+ persons who left Florence, NB in this company--68 of whom died on the way. Not one of these was from my Scottish family--all women except a six-year-old boy. However, this book does not include any narrative of my family, except a mention of their rescuer--a son and brother who was already in Utah and had urged them by letter to come in all haste.

The strongest points of this author's narrative include his research and traveling to various sites of the trail during the time of year and weather conditions they would have experienced, his experience with story crafting, and the afterword which includes brief biographies of some of the people he included in his interpretation of their story. I appreciated his chapter by chapter disclosure of "what's true and what's not" which he includes at the end of the book. I wish I'd read that first as it would have encouraged me to pay better attention while reading. I confess to a lot of skimming through the first 2/3rds of the book. The final 1/3rd was gripping and emotional.

I certainly prefer this account over the one crafted by Gerald Lund, The Fire of the Covenant. I felt Lund was simply plugging 20th Century characters into a 19th Century experience. I could not gag down his audacity. It seemed to me that he trivialized them, misrepresented them, and misunderstood them.

Their was one person in the Willie Company who had not been baptised a "Mormon". The author weaves her voice with the voices of others to examine the experience from several points of view.

A

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a writer who usually does sci-fi (speculative fiction) comes a beautifully done piece of historical fiction about the Willie Handcart company - one part of the Martin Willie handcart group who, crossing late in the season due to a domino of bad planning and just bad luck ended up trying to cross the continental divide during winter.

The story is told through the eyes of individuals - but I think a glimpse of the larger group is well drawn. This is not a homogeneous groups of believers, but a mix of the good, the bad and the in-between. Those who take sides, those who quit, those who carry on and try to help the others and of course those who die.

I think this is a well done portrait/story and worth the time.

[Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eliza Chapman [Gadd:] was my 4th great grandmother, and her daughter, Mary Ann Gadd, was my 3rd great grandmother. Samuel Gadd of course was my 4th great grandfather. I had five other direct-line ancestors in the Willie handcart company, including William James, who was buried at the common grave at Rock Creek, and Ann Jewell [Rowley:] who is mentioned in the book. For all of these reasons, I loved the novel and read it with much delight.

I hesitate to rate it a full five stars (as other reviewers have) for a few reasons. First, I believe the dialogue between Eliza and Baline, when Baline (rightly) accuses Eliza of intellectual barbarism is stilted and quite improbable for a ten-year-old girl who has only spoken English for a few months. Second, Eliza's extended consideration of thermo-dynamics and the "mathematics" of caloric intake is so out of place that it's jarring. I'm not saying she wouldn't have considered something like this and realized what was going on, but the language and concepts used are so modern that once again my "suspension of disbelief" was lost. Third, there is a scene when Eliza is shown how to take the "safety" off her muzzle-loading revolver; of course revolvers do not have safeties. Finally, the book has quite a high number of minor typographical/grammar errors. I believe that with another editing pass under a strong hand the novel could have been superb. Instead, it was good and quite enjoyable.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is impossible for me to be objective in rating this book because I identify so closely with the story. I have been inspired by it since my youth when my mother used to tell me of my great-great-grandmother, Mary Smith’s journey with the Willie Company. I have read every primary and secondary account of the Willie Handcart Company that I could find, which amounts to easily a hundred sources. Though I respect Farley’s research and writing skills, I find his tone a bit raw at times.

I love how he tells Bodil Mortensen’s story. Even more, I love the sage and loving counsel Bodil is given by Jens Nielsen. Farley’s account of the only non-Mormon in the company, Eliza Gadd, is intriguing. I found some of the story regarding Captain Willie and other women in the company a bit irksome because I did not get out of my research the extrapolations he makes of their characters. That said, I applaud Farley for telling this story and self-publishing it.

I hope Farley’s book inspires more interest in the topic as I have written my own novelized version of the story from my great-great grandmother’s perspective. Where Farley focuses on the physical journey, my story unites both the physical and spiritual aspects of the journey. My adaptation tells it in the tone in which my ancestors’ family wanted their story remembered: “I will not dwell upon the hardships we endured, nor the hunger and cold, but I like to tell of the goodness of God unto us.”

[Taffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

David's story is told from three viewpoints: Eliza Gadd, Bodine Mortenson and Captain Willie.
At first I was a little taken aback by the viewpoint her choose of the one non-LDS pioneer in the company. But as I read, I saw the strength in this character.
I already had a soft spot in my heart for Bodine, but after David's sketch of her, I loved her more.
And Captain Willie was made human and strong and amazing in this story.
I waited for parts of the story I was familiar with and was disappointed when they weren't given much light in the story. On the other hand, I learned more about the start and middle of the handcart trek.
I also waited for the part in the story that I assumed was the title. I wasn't disappointed, especially as I cried. And I don't cry easily. But after going over Rocky Ridge and spending time in Rock Creek Hollow, my tears easily surface at the mere mention of those places or the pioneers I associate there.

David self-published this book so I think I was hyper-aware of any mistakes. There were a few but for the most part I skimmed right over them.

Thank you,David, for giving us another look at an American tragedy that made so many people strong.

Rating PG13
V: Harsh climate, deaths, killings
L: Some swearing, women's body parts mentioned
S: Rape (not graphic; told after the fact)

[Chris Unwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable Book

I was familiar with the event. I knew how it ended. I even knew some of the stories inside the event. However, I find myself shocked at how little I knew. I found myself saying to my husband, "Just let me read you one more thing..." and as I tried not to sob I'd read it to him. This is the true story of the ill fated Mormon, Willie Handcart Company, that crossed the plains by walking and pushing handcarts in the fall and winter of 1855. Have your Kleenex ready. Historical Fiction. Clean Read. Excellent Read

[Sheila (sheilasbookreviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a well written story of the Willie Handcart pioneers. I was so melancholy while reading this book. As an LDS person myself, I already knew the fate of this handcart company. As I read this book, it was so hard to not feel such sadness and heartache for these brave men, women and children.

[June Guymon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really made me appreciate my LDS heritage

[Amberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had known that Eliza Gadd was a real person from the beginning. If I had known that I would have enjoyed the book even more. I appreciated the endnotes that offer clarification about which events were fictionalized. For the most part, the fictionalization occurred to simplify the storytelling. For instance, one person experienced a moment when their deceased loved ones helped push the handcart. There is no record that that person actually experienced that, but many other pioneers from the company did experience that and recorded it in journals, etc. The author chose to assign that experience to this person to assist in moving the story along. While possibly inaccurate it still felt authentic.

I was also troubled by the character "Baline" who was clearly Bodil Mortensen. In the endnotes, the author listed her as Bodil Maline "Baline" Mortensen. I've only ever heard her called Bodil so I thought the character was made up to resemble Bodil. Nope, she was Bodil.

The book was well written and a page-turner. It is a lovely tribute to this group of handcart pioneers who suffered so much. As a descendant of both handcart pioneers and a rescuer, I enjoyed feeling a deeper connection to those ancestors as I read this book.

I highly recommend it, just know that almost every character is a real person. It will make the book more enjoyable. There is a summary for each person in the endnotes with the rest of their story.

[Erica Nadeau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of the Willie Handcart Co

I have to admit the only reason I read this was for a book club. It took me a while to get into and in fact I almost quit reading halfway through. I was so angry after reading the chapter where Levi Savage is humiliated( won’t say anymore don’t want to give away anything). I only continued because of my bookclub. But after that the story became much more interesting and I couldn’t stop reading. I really like the Fact vs Fiction at the end of the book. I too wondered what parts were true or not. There are numerous typographical errors which for me were kind of annoying. Made me wonder if the author had an editor. Overall a good story and interesting to hear the account of events.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always hesitate to read LDS fiction, but I felt this was written well. It’s the story of the Willie Handcart company. I usually like historical fiction, with a fictional main character set in a historical setting with the real people. However, this one used the real people as the main characters. My main problem with this is, unless you have their journals with their thoughts, you don’t really know how they thought and acted. But, I was able to go along with the story. There were definitely parts that made me cry and parts that made me think of what I would have done or felt in that situation.
I would give this a pg rating.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love historical fiction but I feel like the author blurred the lines between fiction and reality too much for me. There was a section at the back of the book distinguishing truth from fiction but reading it at the end of each chapter was too disrupting to the story so I stopped referring to it. I prefer historical fiction when the main characters are fictional and real characters play a more minor role.

[Lisa Shepherd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having previously studied the Willie Handcart Company, I felt like there was a lot of really good information and stories left out or merely glossed over. But I recognize that it would be impossible to include everything, and I think the author did a great job of taking some key figures and bringing them to life for us. I have deep admiration and respect for these pioneers. Very enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting!

This gave me a lot to think about concerning Mormons and their outlook on things. How they are to be a reflection of Jesus. Emulate Him in His sacrificial lifestyle and more.
This book is fascinating and horrifying at the same time. What these people went through. Though I know it's fiction, much is based on the testimony of many.
You'll come to relate to the characters! Very well written when it moves your emotions, as it did mine.

[Jolene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreaking,...heartwarming.... Having walked the more difficult areas of the trail in good weather, I feel it took angels for these people to finish this trek with faith and honor.

[Rebecca]

Just not in the mood to read this right now. I might come back to it later.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an amazing true story. A great read that opened my eyes to the severe challenges that the handcart pioneers in the Willie Handcart Company faced.

[Emily Weston ( Frosty ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how it was based on true stories but there was a little fiction added to it! Such a wonderful book!

[Tara Pendley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book!

This is such a devastatingly sad book. It is also filled with so much faith, love and perseverance I can't believe anyone lived through this time. This book is a great historical book.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about the Willie Handcart company that made its trek from Iowa to Utah. I liked how the book focused mostly on three main characters: Eliza Gadd, the only person traveling with the company that was not a member of the LDS Church; Baline Mortensen, a ten-year-old girl traveling with another family while her parents save up money to travel to Utah the next season; Captain Willie, in charge of the handcart company. Each chapter designates which of these three voices will be heard. I really loved Eliza's character and Baline's character too. They seemed very real, with real human flaws and emotions. They also showed true courage on such a dangerous trek across the country. There are notes in the back of the book which specifically tell you which parts of the characters are fictional and what is true to the history. Captain Willie was an interesting character with his true, unflinching courage and faith. I like how the author also depicts Captain Willie's weaknesses and maybe even moments of doubt himself as the journey became more and more dangerous. The only thing I didn't like about his character is that I think the author puts a little too much emphasis on a disagreement between Captain Willie and one of the other leaders of the group. While it's known that they disagreed on whether to continue on the journey to Utah so late in the season or to try to winter over in Winter Quarters somewhere, I think the author just made too big of a deal of the disagreement, dragging it on and making Captain Willie seem vindictive and unforgiving towards this man at times.
One thing I really enjoyed about the book was how much information was given about the Indians and what a danger certain tribes were to pioneers at this time when there was so much tension between certain tribes and the US militia. I had heard a lot about how much cold and hunger the pioneers had endured, but I never really knew what a constant danger they were in from attacks from Indians. Because of this, the men had to take shifts guarding the camp at night which just added to their already desperate state of exhaustion and could only have hurried their demise.

[Leisel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written story about a historical incident I find very inspiring. It can be hard to read, at times, because it is about great hardship. If you read it, please don’t give up early and only read about the hardships without reading about the rescue party that was sent. Also, the Afterword has important information, and I would highly suggest reading that as well.

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually finished this about a week ago, but needed a little time to separate myself from it - for entirely good reasons. I was deeply affected by this story and the pain and suffering this group of people endured. I'm not sure if it was just the story, or the writing, or something else, but it is probably a bit of all of those.

This is historical fiction, so there is some supposition going on here about conversations and some things that happened. Dave has an appendix that gives more details about what is real and why he made certain choices.

I'm not sure it is exactly fair to analyze this book like I usually do, so I'll give a brief summary and some of my thoughts.

This is the story of the Willie handcart company (all this time and I never realized the Martin company was not traveling with them). They leave late in the season to get to Utah from England. Lots of problems hampered them, from delays in getting a ship from England to no handcarts being ready for them to rough weather to Indian trouble. Of course, the biggest problem (that Dave points out so well) is the lack of food for such an arduous journey. They are eventually rescued by a group sent out from Utah, but not before many people die of starvation and exposure.

We get to see the events through the eyes of James Willie, Eliza Gadd, and Baline Mortensen. Willie is the confident, religious captain of the company. Eliza is the non-believing wife of a faithful leader. And Baline is a young girl fleeing persecution.

Of all of the stories, I felt drawn most to Eliza and her struggles with her family and their "blind" faith. Baline's story, too, brought me to tears on a couple of occasions. At first I didn't like James. But as the story went on, I grew to see him in a new light and gained great respect for all that he did.

After reading this, I felt like I wanted to be more like Baline and the other members of the company who worked so hard to create unity and love in their group. It gave me a new commitment to my life, and for that I am extremely grateful.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

In clear and simple language, Farland beautifully illuminates the struggle of the Martin-Willey Handcart Company. For those who do not know the story: many of the Mormon pioneers who crossed the plains to settle in Utah could not afford the livestock needed to make the trek by wagon. The handcart system was developed for these people, and they would essentially push all their goods and supplies across the plains, rivers, and mountains in what was a large wheelbarrow. It was vitally important that they leave in May, so that they would accomplish the journey before the winter began in the mountains, but the Martin and Willey companies were delayed, first by the Crimean War in Europe, then by other factors in America. They ended up crossing the Great Divide on the coldest day on record in that decade. Many of them had no shoes, and they were starving as several of their supply stations had failed them along the way.

This is a hot-button topic in the Mormon church, and an inspiring one as well. Not a single survivor of that horrible journey would hear a word of criticism for the church, the leaders, or anyone involved in planning their journey. Many of them swore they were visited by angels, that they saw miracles, or had visions. Farland has dealt with all of this wonderfully well, leaving us with a concise account that nevertheless grips the reader from start to finish. He focuses on three main characters, one of them a non-member reluctantly accompanying her Mormon husband, and tells the story in their own words as often as possible. Farland has done copious amounts of research, and the back of the book is filled with biographies of the people mentioned in the book, factual information, and even a guide as to what is real and what he embellished.

This is a masterful work, and possibly Farland's best book to date!

[Edward Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the Martin and Willy handcart companies is well known to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). In his book “In the Company of Angels” David Farland takes the reader on a journey as members of the Willy Handcart Company through the trials as they cross the planes in their trek to Zion. The story brings out a lot of emotion, from Anger at the way the saints were treated, to the fear of Indian attacks on the sorrow as family members are lost. Still there are lighter moments such as when Brother Cole meets his “dream girl” and Ephraim Hanks pulling a gun on a heavenly messenger.

In this book you become one of three members of the Willy Company, from Captain Willy himself, to a young Dane girl crossing on her own ahead of her parents to the only non-member in the company traveling with her member husband and children. You get to know them all personally. You cry when they lose friends and loved ones, and feel their relieve when the rescue party arrives.

In a story like this fact is interwoven with fiction. Though many things were recorded in journals no one really knows what interactions took place between members of the company, and exactly what happened when they encountered others along the journey. David Farland is left to use know facts from the time to fill in the voids. At the end of the book he explains how he took the facts and twisted them to fill in the daily lives of these people.

I recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about what the early saints went through as the journeyed from their homes to Zion, in many cases giving up everything the owned and being forced to leave loved ones behind.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reader who is well-acquainted with David Farland’s various publications, I was interested to see how he’d handle the LDS genre. From the first pages I was pulled into this novel. The depth of characterization and the scope of the story had me re-thinking generalizations I had made of those pioneers who made the choice to leave so late in the season and attempt the trek across the plains against all odds.

I love how the author brought the historical figures to life. Some historical novelists shy away from being so direct, writing about family or friends who were acquainted with the historical figure. In this manner, the reader is kept at arms-length from the story. But I really appreciated Farland’s human study, the chance to see and experience emotions from the character’s viewpoint, and essentially liken the character more closely to myself.

Farland’s insights are fascinating, thought-provoking, and at times even uncomfortable—like all truth. But it made me think, consider, and turn to the stories of my own ancestors to study the well of faith and devotion they had. The sacrifices these people made reminded me of the blessings that I have today.

What would I do in this situation, I asked myself many times. How would I handle such severe trials? This story affected me in ways that I didn’t expect, and I’m truly grateful for the time and energy Farland put into creating this fascinating novel.

[Ted Gambles · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Company of Angels> follows three people from the Willie Handcart Company on their trek to get to Salt Lake City during the fall of 1856. Capt. James Willie is the leader of the company. Baline Mortenson is a 10 year old Danish girl traveling with another family to meet up with her sister in Salt Lake City. Eliza Gadd is not a member of the LDS church but is going with her husband and children, all converts to the LDS church. The story follows the trials and tribulations of the Pioneers as they walked their way to Zion.

I actually had a difficult time reading the story, although it was well written. The trek was hard and painful. Many died and the story reflects the misery of trodding along while people are dying. However, since it was a historical fiction, I had to keep reading even though I knew how the story would end.

One aspect of the book puzzled me. As I stated, the story was told from three different viewpoints. However, at the critical time of the book, the author wrote a historical narrative that was not from any of the three characters viewpoints. It felt a little out of place. Also, I felt the story ended too soon. It did not follow the company into Salt Lake City. It would have been interesting to read what could have been a happier, yet conflicted, ending.

All in all, I would recommend it, but not if you want some lighthearted reading.

[Jasmyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book. The fact that it was written by the dad of one of our missionaries that lives downstairs just makes it that much cooler. :)

I loved Farland's portrayal of the events of the Willie Handcart Company. Not sugar-coated or too many overly mushy moments. There were plenty who thought it was a bad idea to leave so late in the season, and I had no idea Franklin D Richards was chastised so thoroughly by Brigham Young. That makes me feel a little better about the overall story of these handcart pioneers--it wasn't necessarily God telling them to go forward to their deaths.

I also liked hearing about two of my ancestors mentioned in the book: Wild Bill Hickman (not that he's painted in such a great light here, but then I don't know how good of a guy he was anyway...) and the Oakey family. The mother, Ann Oakey, was a sister to Daniel Collett and their daughter Rhoda Oakey died in early November, one day before they reached the Salt Lake Valley. She was 11. Ann Oakey took her family to Daniel Collett's home and they helped nurse the survivors back to health and Rhoda was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. We need to go look her up!

A great read--sad, of course, but so interesting.