☁️🍂🍁 “Beneath the Bending Skies” (2022) 🍁🍂 ☁️ – Book Review
MY REVIEW
Language: English
ISBN: 0800736125
ISBN-13: 978-0800736125
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information
“Mollie Sheehan has spent much of her life striving to be a dutiful daughter and honor her father's wishes, even when doing so has led to one heartbreak after another. After all, what options does she truly have in 1860s Montana? But providing for her stepfamily during her father's long absences doesn't keep her from wishing for more.
When romance blooms between her and Peter Ronan, Mollie finally allows herself to hope for a brighter future--until her father voices his disapproval of the match and moves her to California to ensure the breakup. Still, time and providence are at work, even when circumstances are at their bleakest. Mollie may soon find that someone far greater than her father is in control of the course of her life--and that even the command to "honor thy father" has its limits.
New from New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick, Beneath the Bending Skies is a sweeping story of hospitality, destiny, and the bonds of family.”
Thank you in advance to the publisher, Revell (a division of Baker Books), for providing a complimentary review copy through their Revell Reads blogger program. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.
While this is only the second book I’ve read by the author, it is clear that she has a beautiful way of bringing obscure and lesser-known historical people to life and weaving a story that can capture the minds of the reader and hold their interest, even for a moment.
Like The Healing of Natalie Curtis, which I read last year; Beneath the Bending Skies highlights another young and strong woman, this time set between 1869-1885 (approximately given the epilogue). Most of Kirkpatrick’s books are standalone reads so that reading the book before or after isn’t needed.
One draw for me was the cover. But, what lurks beneath the beautiful, stunning, and picturesque cover is a story based off of Girl from the Gulches -The story of Mary Ronan as told to Margaret Ronan. An interesting tale from teen to adulthood, to motherhood of a woman who’d experienced almost every aspect on the plains and in her travels.
In fact, the passage about Mary/Mollie returning the items to Peter in Beneath the Bending Skies chapter eleven (11) NO MAGIC WAND, was taken from the LAST CHANCE GULCH chapter of Ronan’s book.
As a result, spoilers are inherent with books based off of real people. Going into a book like this means you already KNOW what is going to happen so it isn’t a surprise.
The main characters are:
🏠 Mary/Mollie (called Mollie in the book)
🛤️ James (Mollie’s father)
🏠 Ma Anne (James’ second wife Anne)
🎀 Kate (James & Anne’s daughter)
📰 Peter (Mollie’s first love and eventual husband)
Along with various major and minor characters from Montana, Utah, and California.
As this is Mollie’s story, it is told solely from her POV in first person.
With books – particularly those centered in certain periods – there are going to be refences (while accurate) of outdated terms, ideologies, as well as actions that considered offensive. These become more so deeper into the book when Peter becomes an Indian agent at the Flathead agency.
The book begins with Mollie recounting some words her dying mother told her, and recounting how her father often left her behind, starting at age 10, to find work. She deeply loves her father, but doesn’t understand him – a theme that will continue even past when she has children of her own and up until his death.
On one of his trips, he remarries – another Irish woman by the name of Anne. Mollie learns she has a baby sister, Kate.
Despite wanting to cling to the memory of her birth mother, Mollie finds Anne more of a fairy godmother as opposed to the wicked step-mom. In fact, Anne will be the glue that holds the family together, and in some ways, Mollie is closer to Anne than her own father.
As told in her “journal” – the family ends up in Alder Gulch, then Last Chance Gulch (later Helena). It is here that 14-year-old Mollie meets Peter Ronan – her father’s friend.
Mollie connects with Peter to place an ad in a paper about her missing puppy (which is never found). The two begin courting as her dad is away working. Anne gives her blessing for the two. There is a remark about the age difference. As Mollie states that when she is 30 and he is 40 that no one will think of it. And, for the time period – women married younger due to the lower age mortality.
When Mollie’s father is home, it seems more like a burden to her. Another baby joins the family – James. Still, his attention is focused on Mollie.
Peter proposes to Mollie when she is 16 which her father is vehemently against. So much so, that combined with another situation – James Sheehan moves the family towards California. This effectively ends the engagement with James forbidding any kind of correspondence between the two.
Mollie’s cousin Mary stays behind.
From there, the family visits Ellen. Mollie wants to stay, but her father doesn’t. The family heads to Utah. There Mollie begins rebelling against her father – acting like some of the men served by her and Ma Anne. Mollie even cuts her famously long hair. (If you’ve seen a picture of her – you’d definitely understand). [The picture is Mary/Mollie when she got married].
After a stint in Utah, the family – though heading for San Diego – make their home in San Juan Capistrano. There, as stated, she makes friends with some of the locals, even learning their language.
She eventually goes to school in Los Angeles. Her father wants her to become a teacher to help the family.
While at the convent school, she is put back in contact with Peter. The sisters there are praying for the two. Of course, her family is facing a legal issue when it comes to land ownership.
Eventually, she lets her father know about the reconnection. He is not pleased, using the “honor thy father commandment” against her, leaving Mollie to wonder when she will be old enough and how much she has to endure before she can move on with her own life. And, she is wondering if she still loves Peter.
Eventually, she and Peter get together. While her father gives consent – he never blesses the union (even at the end of his life).
On their way from California to Montana, Mollie is also hoping that moving away will cause her father to see the good that Anne has done for the family.
After losing yet another newspaper office, Peter takes it as a sign to move on and eventually becomes an agent with the Indian office of the Flathead area.
Throughout the years, Mollie’s father tries to get her to come out for a visit – but she and Peter both know her father’s true intentions. Despite the issues on the agency, Mollie truly loves her life there and their growing family – kids, friends, and even the local tribes.
She, along with Peter see the trials and tribulations of the people who are trying to make due with what they’re given. She, along with Peter, do what they can to make it easier.
As some have noted, this read like a diary. It is a story from a diary. The short chapters move it along which helped me continue reading it. I honestly loved the back blurb and thought it would be a compelling read. The overuse of the term “agile” got to me after a while and it became a bit “cringey”.
It is sad due to certain themes, it is brutally realistic and honest, yet also rich with history that interconnects itself. This is also the second book which highlights the hardships faced by the Native people. She even writes in the law that is challenged in her previous book – The Healing of Natalie Curtis. It is a law Peter refuses to enforce, and his tenure as an agent (18 years, until his death) is one of the longest. Even the Native people spoke highly of him and Mollie.
In this story, there is a tragic moment in Montana regarding a little boy, his missing toy, and his eventual death. I don’t know if this was a real incident, but it is definitely one of the most heart-breaking moments in the story and highlights the troubles that settlers faced..
As previously stated, Patrick has a wonderful gift in bringing these stories to light. They are definitely NOT for everyone.
While this did hold my attention, I more or less felt like I was reading this for a history class as a supplement. This is best suited for fans of the author; or those who enjoy seeing historical people brought to life. Reading this did cause me to research Mary/Mollie and found that many people found her and her life interesting, especially her own attention to detail and vivid recall. This had a more “grown-up” and mature vibe of Laura Ingalls-Wilder and her Little House on the Prairie tales.
Some have noted the “questionable” relationship between Mollie and her father. Given that I’ve read parts of her book and read through this one – there are is no sexual relationship between the two, nor inappropriate contact. Given that he gives gifts to her and rarely Anne, suggests something that Mollie mentioned is true – her father still loves her mother. Perhaps his attachment to Mollie is in his mind having a part of his wife close to him.
I am really torn between giving this a fair 3-star rating based on my personal feelings and my lack of connection, and a well-deserved 4-star “criteria”-based rating. It is, personally a 3.5 star read, but I rounded up to four stars.
While distributed by Revell, a primarily Christian-themed publisher, this only has slight references to God and faith. This is limited by the characters, who are of Irish-Catholic heritage. This doesn’t come off as preachy and their faith doesn’t really connect to the story in its entirety.
This is also a clean read and as a result there is limited intimacy and the language is clean.
HISTORICAL NOTES:
According to the website FindAGrave – Peter Ronan was about 14 years older than Mary/Mollie. According to the website, Mary/Mollie was born in July 1852 and Peter was born June 1, 1838.
Book that inspired Beneath the Bending Skies:
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0917298977
ISBN-13: 978-0917298974
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information
“A covered wagon on a dim road, the promise of a long journey, and the wonder of what lay ahead filled the shadowy spaces of Mary Sheehan Ronan's earliest memories. By the time she was a married woman in her twenties, she was a well-seasoned pioneer, having crossed most of the country and retraced her steps back across a third of it. In this highly readable, entertaining account, Ronan tells the story of one woman's life in the West during the second half of the nineteenth century.
This detailed memoir recalls the young girl's journey across the Great Plains, her childhood on the Colorado and Montana mining frontiers, her ascent to young womanhood on a farm in southern California, her experiences as a student in a Los Angeles convent school, her return to Montana as a bride, and her life on the Flathead Indian Reservation as wife of the Indian agent. The exhilaration of a forbidden sled ride, the creaking of the hangman's rope, her father giving the last of their water to his dying mule--these things Ronan describes with vivid clarity. Ably edited and annotated, Girl from the Gulches offers a unique perspective that is a joy to read.”
Additional Blog for Reading: https://southwestmt.com/blog/girl-from-the-gulches/
RATING:
4 (3.5) ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
4 (3.5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
4 (3.5) ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html; update https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and award-winning author of forty books, including The Healing of Natalie Curtis, Something Worth Doing, and A Sweetness to the Soul, which won the prestigious Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center. Her works have won the WILLA Literary Award, the Carol Award for Historical Fiction, and the 2016 Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award. Jane divides her time between Central Oregon and California. Learn more at www.jkbooks.com.
You can find her on the following social media accounts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theauthorjanekirkpatrick
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaneKirkpatrick
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