One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick

Most of this is facts that the author found in research. One of the first wagon trains to travel this area.

In the epilogue Jane said she hoped that this story might celebrate the honor of self-sacrifice, the wisdom of working together, and the power of persevering through community and faith. She did that exactly. This story is set in 1844 as a wagon train is progressing across country towards Oregon first then changing to California, which was still Mexican at the time. A fairly easy trip for the first part, they didn't take into the account the high mountains and altitude around Lake Tahoe, and thought California only had warm temperatures. Never expecting the deep, deep snow in the mountains. These became tremendous obstacles for them. Most were Irish, some from Canada.  Good old Irish stubbornness, brains and tenacity came into play as they determined to live and move to their goal. Women were expected to follow without question or input, not expected to think. This group of Irish girls got tired of that and when left to themselves learned what they needed to and proved resourcefulness of their own,  as the men left and forged ahead without them. As with all of Jane's books, there are always lessons to be learned that will apply to women everywhere, anytime.

Quotes
“An old Indian once told me, ‘When you come to a wide chasm— jump. It’s not as wide as you think.’ We had no alternative but to jump and so we did.”

“Taking things apart to re-create them,” Mary said. “That’s happening to us too,” Sarah said. “We’re having to remake ourselves here.” And so they did.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#OneMoreRiverToCross #NetGalley #JaneKirkpatrick #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #5Stars #ChristianHistorical

My Reviews:
Goodreads
Amazon
Powells
BookFun
Pinterest
Twitter

Deepest Roots of the Heart by Chautona Havig

I hate to judge a book by it's cover, but I put off reading this one because of it. The description sounded good, but the cover made it look boring. Not so at all - it's an excellent read! This is a historical romance within a historical romance.  Very well written, you form a bond with each of the characters. You can feel the depth of family honor, tradition and history of Avelino Carrillo. He returns from fighting WW2 in the Philippines with the intention of getting back his home and vineyard that has been in the family for generations.  It was nearly lost by his brother and signed over to a landshark, but Avelino is able to make a deal with him to earn it back by working in the vineyards for no salary for seven years. A deal that may not be what it seems.

The property has been rented out by the landshark. Thinking to rub it in, he sends Avelino to live in the garage apartment instead of the house. But Avelino is able to make a connection with the renters, Amelia and her Grandfather, who have a great respect for the Carillos and have started to restore the vines and vineyard.

Avelino is a talented storyteller,and little by little tells the story of the first Avelino who fought in the Mexican-American war and made his way from Texas to found the Ranchero. And he tells the story of his Great-Great Grandmother, whom Amelia resembles.  Amelia becomes entranced with the history and with Avelino. Between the stories and the struggles with day to day life, love begins to take root and entwine itself around them. But prejudice seems to surround Avelino wherever he goes, and he does not want to expose her to that.  Also his family is traditionally Catholic, hers is Baptist.  There is strength and honor in both families. Things are not always what they seem and a great deal is revealed about the townspeople. This is book one in a new series. I can't wait to read the next!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterfall Press- Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”.

My reviews:
Goodreads
BooksAMillion
BookClubNetwork 
Pinterest
Twitter
GooglePlus
LibraryThing
Shelfari