Category: book tour

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.

About Beneath the Bending Skies

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.

My Thoughts

I fell in love with this story of Mollie – who is the kindest, strongest and devoted young woman during a time that is not the kindest to women in general. She is constantly pitted between her life dreams and goals, and her Father’s.

Mollie’s Mother passes away at a young age and as we come to learn, she was the love of her Father’s life. This plays into the control and the behaviours of her Father throughout the novel. At a young age by today’s standards, she falls in love with a man slightly older than her but a well respected man. Her Father denies the two the opportunity for love and goes to such extremes as moving a great distance to keep the two apart.

Mollie grows in her confidence and wisdom apart from her love but her heart yearns for more. She yearns for love and children and she faces a tough decision – does she follow her heart and teachings from God, or continue to allow her Father to dictate her life.

This was a beautiful story from start to finish. My heart broke for Mollie many times throughout the story – she is a beautiful soul who has sacrificed so much for her family but her Father refuses to really ‘see’ her and let her live. You become proud of her resilience and strength – rooting for her but hoping that she finds peace in her heart and with her family. Mollie’s personal struggles takes place in the context of her move to Montana as the wife of an Agent for the Native American tribes. In this, we are exposed to the treatment of the Indigenous people and the struggles that they faced during this time (a very high level look at their struggles).

This is a definite must read novel this winter season and would make a great gift this holiday season.

You can purchase a copy of this book here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author of forty books, including Something Worth Doing, One More River to Cross, Everything She Didn’t Say, All Together in One Place, A Light in the Wilderness, The Memory Weaver, This Road We Traveled, 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. And been short-listed for the Christy, Spur, and Oregon Book Awards. Jane divides her time between Central Oregon and California with her husband, Jerry, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Caesar.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

More Than My Scars is a story of not just surviving impossible odds but thriving in a world that is too often caught up with how we look on the outside rather than seeing that our true value is within.

About More Than My Scars

More Than My Scars is her incredible story. A story of not just surviving impossible odds but thriving in a world that is too often caught up with how we look on the outside rather than seeing that our true value is within.

Now in her early 30s, Kechi has spent the last 16 years refusing to be defined by her trauma. Follow her as she decides for herself what role her scars will play in her life before society decides for her. Her strong sense of identity, rooted in seeing herself the way God sees her, has allowed her to live authentically in a world that constantly seeks to define us by its ever-changing (and ever-shallow) standards. Kechi’s story will inspire you to love and accept yourself as you are and confidently present your true self to the world.

My Thoughts

Kechi’s story is incredibly powerful and moving – it moved me to tears, made me smile and made my heart swell at the journey she was set upon after surviving a plane crash.

I can’t even begin to imagine the physical pain that Kechi would have experienced in the weeks, months and years following the accident. Combine the physical pain with the emotional and mental tool that recovery takes on you, she has incredible resiliency, belief and family support. My heart was sore at several times as she explained moments when those in the medical field did not listen to her despite her trying to advocate for herself and the pain (this is one of my biggest pet peeves with medicine – we should believe patients and we should never tell a patient what they should be experiencing and how they should be feeling based.

While it can be hard at times to hear her story, she teaches us many valuable lessons. While her faith may have been tested, it did help her through her journey – along with the strong outpouring of love and determination from her family. Both her and her family never saw her as different – and what caused her so much pain also brought blessings into her life. How? Her voice and singing. Kechi took something that happened to her that could have caused her to become full of negativity and turned it into motivation and became a beacon of hope.

I loved the personal tone Kechi takes with her story – I felt like we were chatting in the kitchen together over coffee. She lets you see the vulnerable side of her – not looking for sympathy but being honest and open. She has accomplished so much during such a short time and is an individual that you want to aspire to be like.

This was a touching and powerful story that you will not want to put down – a must read story.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About Kechi Okwuchi

Kechi Okwuchi is a Nigerian American recording artist and motivational speaker. One of two survivors in the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crash on December 10, 2005, she was a finalist on America’s Got Talent in 2017 and has put out her own original music since her appearance on the hit TV show. She hopes to use her story and her musical talents to ignite hope. Okwuchi lives in Texas.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review, all opinions expressed are my own.