Tuesday, October 3, 2017

My Bookshelf: Many Sparrows by Lori Benton

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.
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?

 

Many Sparrows is a stand-alone novel, but isn’t the first book I’ve ever read by Lori Benton. A while back I read The Wood's Edge and absolutely loved it, so I was super excited once I found out I would be receiving this book. However, I have to say, it was not what I expected. Somehow, Many Sparrows was even better than I ever could have imagined! I knew Lori was an outstanding author, but this novel blew everything else out of the water. Many Sparrows is easily now one of my top ten favorite stories, and now I am desperate to read even more of Lori’s works.
Clare Inglesby is one of the strongest characters I have ever encountered. Although her faith isn’t exactly the strongest when we meet up with her at the beginning of this novel, she has so much strength and determination in so many other ways. Her love for Jacob is limitless, and the way she would do anything to get him back is just the perfect example of a mother’s devotion to her child. Besides that, I really loved being able to watch her emotions ebb and flow as she strived to get Jacob back, and the way that she was forced to learn patience and to trust in God was truly inspiring.
I also loved being able to watch the growth of many of the other characters. Jeremiah’s story tugged at my heart from the very beginning, and it broke me even more to finally read it in its entirety. I also really enjoyed getting to know his adopted family, especially Rain Crow and Wolf-Alone. The Shawnees’ stories were so intriguing, and I loved how realistic Lori made it all.
There were also a few unexpected twists and turns, and I definitely didn’t predict the way the story would end, which made this novel even better. All in all, I can’t imagine giving Many Sparrows any less than all five bookshelves, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a lover of historical fiction. Or even to anyone in general really. Lori has woven together a masterpiece of history, redemption, and the strength of a mother’s love, and I know I will definitely remember this story for years to come.
Happy reading!



I received a copy of this book through the Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for only my honest review.

To see where I’m linking up, check out my Where I Party page.


All credit for the italicized synopsis goes to Lori Benton and Waterbrook Publishing.

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