Beneath The Bending Skies by Jane Kirkpatrick – a review

I have always like Jane’s writings, but I am truly a fan of her truly historical fiction. Her latest book, Beneath a Bending Sky, does not disappoint!

Mollie Sheehan has faced so much loss in her young life, but most life changing was the death of her mother when Mollie was almost ten. Her father moves the family from their home in Kentucky to live with a cousin in Missouri. He then determines that he must leave her there when he takes a job as a freighter, requiring him to be away a lot. Years later, he comes back and pulls Mollie away from all she knows. They arrive in Denver to another new home, and this time there is another woman. Her father has remarried.

Mollie’s father is still gone most of the time, earning a living for his family, and thankfully, Mollie has a good relationship with her stepmother. She lives her life to please her father, but doesn’t ever feel successful in this, instead she is sure that she is a constant disappointment to him. When Mollie is courted by a younger friend of her father’s, her stepmother approves of the match. However, when her father returns, he is so opposed to the match, that he moves the family to California.

Years pass and Mollie arrives in Montana. She find herself living closely to the Native Americans in the area. She builds a life and relationships with these people whom she comes to cherish. She has practiced what her mother taught her long ago…to be kind and to be brave. As a result, she gains treasure beyond comparison.

I’m so glad I read the author’s notes at the end of the book. She explains that her book is based on a real person – Mary Ronan – and her travels throughout the West during the late 1800s. She also explains where she discovered information about Mary and her travels and what characters and events in the story are based in reality.

Fans for history, especially Western American history will appreciate this offering. It will be an excellent addition to our library at the church. “Book has been provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”