Litfuse Publicity Group: Many Sparrows by Lori Benton ~ My Review

The Story:
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?

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My Thoughts:
Growing up in southern Pennsylvania, the French and Indian War, Braddock's ill-fated trek through the mountains and the history of things like the National Road were ingrained from an early age! For someone like me, living in an area steeped in such a rich history is truly a dream come true. To read a fictional account set not far from the area and a few years prior to the Revolutionary War, is a true pleasure.

The world that Lori Benton has built for her characters in Many Sparrows is authentic. Just a trip off the beaten path in this area and one can easily imagine what it might have been like for those carving out a path in the wilderness of the Alleghenies. Ms. Benton's research into the area shines. I would never have guessed that she is not a native of the area. Wheeling, Pittsburgh, the Monongahela River, the Ohio, it all just shimmers with danger and unpredictability on the page. Is it okay for me to fangirl over all this? I can't help it!

Not only was I blown away by the beauty and danger of the world she created, but also by her characters. I am the world's biggest sucker for the noble hero riding in on a white horse in the nick of time and Benton delivered. Swooning over here, people!

Although there isn't a lot of dialogue at first, the strong, silent frontiersman Jeremiah won me over almost immediately. What's really crazy is that I can sometimes get really annoyed (aka bored) by a slow burn romance, but it so works in the story. The tragedies that Clare Inglesby and Jeremiah were working through would have made any other kind of romance seem shallow and trite and the entire book would have been ruined. Three cheers for slow and steady! Overall, the entire story gave me many feelings.

Many Sparrows has earned its spot on my shelf as a keeper. I will definitely be reading more from Lori Benton in the future. I am hoping that this story continues, because I kinda wanna know what happens next with Abigail and even Uncle Alphus! Definitely give this book a go if you're a Laura Frantz fan or just a fan of historical novels in general.

~My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ~

*I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*

Happy Reading!