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 awakens the next morning to find herself utterly alone, in labor and wondering how she can to recover her son…especially when her second child is moments away from being born.
Clare will face the greatest fight of her life, as she struggles to reclaim her son from the Shawnee Indians now holding him captive. But with the battle lines sharply drawn, Jacob’s life might not be the only one at stake. When frontiersman Jeremiah Ring comes to her aid, can the stranger convince Clare that recovering her son will require the very thing her anguished heart is unwilling to do—be still, wait and let God fight this battle for them?
When I started the book, I should have known that Many Sparrows would take me a bit of time to read—and for good reason. First of all, though, if you are unfamiliar with Lori Benton’s novels, I would encourage you to acquaint yourself with them—and quickly! Benton’s novels, and this holds true with Many Sparrows, are so historically rich. With the scope of historical events that set up the backdrop to describing splendid scenery, her novels just immerse you in the frontier.
But beyond the historical richness of Many Sparrows, this is a book that is pretty hard on the heart. From the struggles of childbearing in the wilderness to trying to win her son back, Clare’s story in these pages took me on a crazy ride of emotional highs and lows. Her courage and stoicism is remarkable and inspiring. And then there are the characters like Jeremiah—caught between worlds and always trying to follow the right path when it is anything but clear.
Honestly, I could gush and gush about this book, but it will never do it justice. If you are interested in historical fiction set on the frontier… I highly suggest picking up one of Benton’s novels, and Many Sparrows probably is not all that bad of a place to start.
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