Many Sparrows Book Review

SUMMARY:  Either she and her children would emerge from that wilderness together, or none of them would ........
     In 1774, the Ohio-Kentucky frontier pulses with rising tension and brutal conflicts as Colonists push westward and encroach upon Native American territories.  The young Inglesby family is making the perilous journey west when an accident sends Philip back to Redstone Fort for help, forcing him to leave his pregnant wife, Clare, and their four-year-old son, Jacob, on a remote mountain trail.
     When Philip does not return and Jacob disappears from the wagon under the cover of darkness, Clare finds herself utterly alone, in labor and wondering how she can recover her son ... especially when her second child is moments away from being born.
 
REVIEW:  This book was amazing, as all of Lori Benton's books are.  She delves into emotions, situations and events that make you think long and hard about the characters and how you might act if you were put in the same position.
     This story is not an easy one.  I can't even being to imagine how I would have reacted if I was in Clare's position: pregnant, and in labor, with only her small son to keep her company.  Then, at the apex of her precarious situation, her son disappears into the wilderness.  After Jeremiah and Clare locate Jacob, they cannot simply walk into the Shawnee camp and take him home.  The time it takes and the way Jeremiah and Clare maneuver around the obstacles they face is mind boggling.  It is a development of patience, love, endurance, and understanding.  I love how the author weaves Clare's faith and the struggles she has with God into the story.
     This is a wonderful novel that everyone should read.

This book was provided by the author for review without any compensation.

Lori Benton was raised eat of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years.  Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history.  When she isn't writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring and photographing the Oregon wilderness with her husband.  She is the author of Burning Sky, recipient of three Christy Awards, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, Christy nominee The Wood's Edge, and A Flight of Arrows.

A Flight of Arrows Book Review

Pathfinders Series

Book Two

SUMMARY:  Hearts are divided.  Loyalties will be tested.  The fates of two families hang in the balance.
     Twenty years ago, during the devastating fall of Fort William Henry in 1757, a young Redcoat named Reginald Aubrey stole a newborn boy - the lighter-skinned of Oneida twins - and raised him as his own.
      No one connected to Reginald escaped unscathed from this crime.  Not his adopted daughter Anna.  Not Stone Thrower, the Native American father determined to get his son back.  Not Two Hawks, William's twin brother separated since birth, living in the shadow of his absence and hoping to build a future with Anna.  Nor Lydia, who longs for Reginald to be free from his self-imposed emotional prison and embrace God's forgiveness - and her love.
     Now William, whose identity has been shattered after discovering the truth of his birth, hides in the ranks of an increasingly aggressive British army.  The Redcoats prepare to attack frontier New York, and the Continentals, aided by Two Hawks and the Oneida warriors, rally to defend it.  As the Revolutionary War penetrates the Mohawk Valley, two families separated by culture but united by love and faith must find a way to reclaim the son marching toward them in the ranks of their enemies.

REVIEW:  Lori Benton does it again and knocks the ball out of the park with this novel.  Having read all her other novels except for Book One in this series, The Wood's Edge, she carries on her distinct style and, with it, her readers.  The research she puts into each one comes out as you read about the battles, locations, lifestyles of both Native Americans and colonialists and the mindset of times.  I felt like I was right there beside the characters and could feel the depth of hurt, love, anger and other emotions each one went through.  There were times I was so caught up in the story that I had a hard time adjusting when I had to set my book down.  This is a novel you will want to read.
     This is the second book in this series.  I did not have the opportunity to read the first one.  The author did a great job explaining the first novel as she went along so that I did not feel I missed anything.  Some time in the future, I hope to read the first just to fill in the gaps and have a complete understanding of the events.
    This is one author that you need to keep on your radar.

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah and Blogging for Books 

for review without compensation.

 Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, where she was surrounded by three hundred years of American history.  Now her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of our nation's history.  She is the multiple award-winning author of numerous books including Burning Sky, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, and The Wood's Edge (Book one in the Pathfinders series).  Lori makes her home in Oregon.

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn Book Review

SUMMARY:  Frontier dangers cannot compare to the risks one woman takes by falling in love.
     In an act of brave defiance, Tamsen Littlejohn escapes the life of her harsh stepfather has forced upon her.  Forsaking security and an arranged marriage, she enlists frontiersman Jesse Bird to guide her to the Watagua settlement in western North Carolina.  But shedding her old life doesn't come without cost.  As the two cross a vast mountain wilderness, Tamsen faces hardships that test the limits of her faith and endurance.
     Convinced that Tamsen has been kidnapped, wealthy suitor Ambrose Kincaid follows after her, in company with her equally determined stepfather.  With trouble headed their way, Tamsen and Jesse find themselves thrust into the conflict of a divided community of Overmountain settlers.  The State of Franklin has been declared, but many remain loyal to North Carolina.  With chaos on the horizon, Tamsen struggles to adapt to a life for which she was never prepared.  But could these challenges, this relationship, be what her soul has longed for, what God has been leading her toward?  As her pursuers draw ever nearer, will her faith see her through the greatest danger of all - loving a man who has risked everything for her?

REVIEW:  Lori Benton goes into great detail about the conflicts of this time period: the treatment of slaves, how American's were affected after the Revolutionary War, the creation of a new state, The State of Franklin., and the interactions of American citizens with Native Americans.  Even though at times I wish Jesse and Tamsen would have confessed their interest and, later love, to each other and would have gotten married sooner than they did, I was pleased to see how the author let the characters learn more about themselves and each other before committing themselves to each other.  I hated putting the book down to do chores, run errands and feed my family because it was so good.  I really enjoyed this book and really look forward to more novels from this author.

This book was provided by Blogging for Books (Waterbrook Multnomah) for review without compensation.

Lori Benton, author of the acclaimed Burning Sky, was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back three hundred years.  Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history.  When she isn't writing, Lori enjoys exploring beautiful Oregon with her husband.

Burning Sky Book Review

SUMMARY:  I remember the borders of our land, though I have been gone from them nearly half the moons of my life.  But who there will remember me?  What I have seen, what I have done, it has changed me.
     Abducted by Mohawk Indians at fourteen and renamed Burning Sky, Willa Obenchain is driven to return to her family's New York frontier homestead after many years building a life with the People.  At the boundary of her father's property, Willa discovers a wounded Scotsman lying in her path and she feels obliged to nurse his injuries.  The two quickly find much has changed during her twelve-year absence - her childhood home is in disrepair, her missing parents are rumored to be Tories, and the young Richard Waring she once admired is now grown into a man twisted by the horrors or war and claiming ownership of the Obenchain land.
     When her Mohawk brother arrives and questions her place in the white world, the cultural divide blurs Willa's vision.  Can she follow Tames-His-Horse back to the People now that she is no longer Burning Sky?  And what about Neil MacGregor, the kind and loyal botanist who does not fit into her plan for a solitary life, yet is now helping her revive her farm?  In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, strong feelings against "savages" abound in the nearby village of Shiloh, leaving Willa's safety unsure.
     Willa is a woman caught between two worlds.  As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, the woman called Burning Sky must find a new courage - the courage to again risk embracing the blessings the Almighty wants to bestow.  Is she brave enough to love again?

REVIEW:  This book is impressive and extraordinary.  The author does a wonderful job describing the difficulties Willa faced in returning to her former home after living with the Mohawk tribe.  The struggles are not only with trying to recover her parents' land and reputation but with herself.  When Tames-A-Horse brings Willa two children who are half-Mohawk/half-white to care for, Willa is forced to deal with the memory of the death of her own children.  She also struggles with loving again.  Her Mohawk husband had died but her heart had gone to her Mohawk brother many years ago but was forbidden.  Neil MacGregor shows Willa that she can love again, not just him but the people around her too.  Forgiveness and acceptance also abounds throughout this book.
     This is Lori Benton's first book and I think she did an excellent job.  She set the bar pretty high but I look forward to reading any future novels from her.

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah for review without compensation.

Lori Benton spent her late teens and early twenties pursuing a career as a wildlife artist, attending the Maryland College of Art & Design before she began painting professionally.  When not writing or researching, Lori can be found exploring the mountains of southern Oregon with her husband, Brian.  Burning Sky is her first novel.