Love the setting of the beautiful story of forgiveness between Cora and Nettie Mae, This story will totally make you cry. So well written and beautifully delivered. For sure a new favorite author.
Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGally for the ARC!

Yes. Yes. Yes. I loved it so much! What a dreamy story filled with drama and weird stuff that just brings two families closer together - Hawker nailed this one.

Set on the prairie in Wyoming in the late nineteenth century, One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow tells the story of two women who must learn to rely on one another for their families to survive in the wake of a terrible betrayal and tragedy. When Cora’s husband catches her having an affair with Nettie Mae’s husband, he shoots him and ends up in prison. Now, with no other neighbors around for miles, Nettie Mae and Cora will need to overcome their differences to make it through winter.

Olivia Hawker’s latest historical fiction novel is a quietly beautiful story of forgiveness.

Going in, I expected to find it hard to sympathize with Cora. Cora’s loneliness certainly led her to a decision that ultimately ruined the lives of many people. But I didn’t find Cora to be a bad person. In fact, I found the way she handled herself to be filled with a surprising amount of grace. I would like to have seen more about the before Cora. But the Cora we saw was someone who really just seemed to have lost their way.

Surprisingly, I found Nettie Mae harder to love, though as the book went on I really did appreciate her growth. Nettie Mae held a lot of bias. Her perception of Cora was understandable, but I struggled a bit with how she treated Cora’s children—especially Beulah. Nettie Mae has a very limited view of the world and others. This felt understandable given that the life she has known has been very isolated. I liked seeing her learn more about tolerance as the story evolved.

This is definitely a story about survival, tolerance, unrecognized bias, forgiveness, and community. The setting on the prairie was really wonderful, and we got a lot of story elements around how these family survive without the men of the house who had previously done the bulk of the work. I loved how real and flawed the characters were. I also loved the main protagonist Beulah. She was self-assured, smart, steady, and a tiny bit magical.

A beautiful and heartfelt novel that I really enjoyed. Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Lake Union Publishing for my copy.

ONE FOR THE BLACKBIRD, ONE FOR THE CROW by Olivia Hawker

I’ve read some books this year that absolutely took my breath away. THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger, WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens and now this beautiful book, ONE FOR THE BLACKBIRD, ONE FOR THE CROW by Olivia Hawker. All new authors for me.

This book will take you to a place where things are truly hard yet also simple. Hard work for everyone involved yet the beauty is so great you will fall deeply in love with the time and place. Things grow then die. It’s the circle of life truly.

Cora and Nettie Mae are neighbors. Cora has four children while. Nettie Mae has only one. They are not friends at all. Actually Nettie Mae despises Cora and with good reason. But as they decide that the only way to survive the winter is for them to merge families they get to know each other in different lights. In small ways. In ways that they both suffer yet thrive. From their families they learn how to get along. How to work together for the good of each and for the good of their land. With no husband around to help they rely on each other’s oldest children, Clyde, Nettie Mae’s son and Beulah, Cora’s daughter. They have to grow up on the fast time during these hard times and make the best of what life has granted them. Cora has three other smaller children while Nettie Mae only has the one son. She lost other children along the way and it made her hard. She hardened her heart in many ways because of what life dealt her. But through the laughter of children maybe she can learn to open up a bit. Even if it’s just a tiny bit.

This book is told from mainly Beulah’s POV but also from Clyde, Nettie Mae and Cora. Each has their own story or way of thinking. Beulah is a very sweet young girl of just thirteen who knows and loves the land in a way that no one can understand. She has a way about her that scares Nettie Mae but ultimately eases some of Nettie Mae’s harshness too. This young girl will get under your skin. She will make you believe in things you never thought about before. She just has a special way of telling things, of seeing things, of hearing things that no one else can. She can explain these things in such detail and liveliness that you can truly feel it. You will love this girl truly. Clyde is a young man who has to grow up quickly after his father’s death. He has to take on the running of no only his farm but of the Bemis’s farm also. He’s a hard worker and he never complains. He just does what he has to do. When him and Beulah start working together she helps him see things that he never saw. Helps him do the things that he finds very hard to do. Like when it’s time to kill the lambs for the meat they will all have to have to survive the winter. She has a way with all living creatures and with Clyde by her side they can do anything it seems. These to are a force of their own and no one will stop them from succeeding.

This is the story of two families who have to survive a cold harsh winter that came way to soon. They have to get along in one home. Under one roof that is filled with some very tense moments. These two families will become a part of you. The land will become a part of you. You can feel the cold. The animals. The crops. The things these families endure. From hard times to happy times you can feel to your bones. This is a beautifully written book that will make you believe in a happy ever after and it’s by far not a fairytale. But a life of hardships, friendships, love both young and old. Of life on a farm. From death to new life. It will make you cry in places and feel full in others. I had so many feelings reading this book that it’s hard to describe. Just know you will feel it all if you give it a chance. It’s just a beautiful book. One that you will fall in love with. One that is so hard to put down for anything. It’s a story of hope when you thing all is lost.

I believe this is just about the most perfect book I have read in a very very long time. I felt it in my heart. The author’s notes at the end even made me cry. What a great author. I love cats to by the way!!

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Lakeunion and #AmazonPrime for this book. This is my complete and honest review.

It’s a huge 5 stars from me and so worth many many more. I highly recommend this book. I can’t say it enough. I highly recommend this book.

This book took me back to the prairie.. I haven’t really revisited since my days as a young girl when I read every single Little House book available!

This time it’s 1870, rugged and isolated Wyoming.
Two families who live on neighboring farms miles away from the closest town.
Cora who was raised in the city is lonely and has a dalliance with her neighbor Nettie Mae’s husband Substance.
Ernest, Cora’s husband comes across the pair at the river and in an act of passion, shoots Substance.
Substance dies and Ernest goes to jail.
The winter is coming and these women must unite their families to survive, and it is extremely difficult with all the anger and anguish to compound the situation.
I really enjoyed this story. It ended up pulling at my heart strings... it was scenic, a story of female survival on the frontier.. a story of forgiveness

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

This was a slow build and a beautiful story of characters inextricably interconnected to each other and to the land. Details of the farming life were rich, and I loved the explorations of the spirits of various creatures and the characters’ awareness of the spirals and cycles of nature and of life. Not full of plot surprises, but satisfying and very sweet. I loved Beulah!

I received an advance copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There was a lot of really beautiful writing in this one. While I loved the storyline it was way too slow for my tastes. So much of the book dragged on and I wished there was more of the characters interacting, maybe some more dialog.

I would only recommend this one for fans of pioneer/western types of stories like me.

One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow is the story of the Bemis's and the Webber's living on farm land in Wyoming during the Grant administration. After a mistake that can potentially destroy these two families the matriarchs need to join forces to survive winter. While these women do not like each other their oldest children grow close and teach their mother's how to be better.

At the being of the book these families find themselves without the male head and cannot survive the winter on their own. Cora Bemis and her four children move into Nettie Mae Webber's house with her teenage son Clyde. The story is told from four POV characters (Beulah Bemis, Clyde Webber, Cora, & Nettie Mae). Each character has a sub chapter for each main chapter so that you get a good idea of what each person feels and can experience their growth throughout the story.

I found the story a little sleepy but it is more character driven not plot driven. If you are a reader that prefers this type of book grab this one. It is a good story and I could see being very enjoyable.

I am in an utterly and hopeless book hangover after reading this book! Oh! My! Gosh! I am speechless! I Just had an "experience"! It was more than just reading a book. It was like going into the pages and becoming a part of the story. It was a complete bonding with the characters, the remote and endless landscape of the Wyoming territory and with the vegetation and animal life that dwelt within that habitat. It was an unbelievable and unforgettable encounter with an epic read.

I don't even know how I can write a review close to worthy of this book. There are so many emotions I felt that were as real as if I were dealing with them myself. This is the first book I've read by Olivia Hawker and I'm in awe of her talent to pull so much out of me with her extraordinary prose. Each page in this magnificent novel drew me deeper into the lives of the characters. I'm just mind boggled at the intimate and minute details that created a living journey for me to travel in the pages of this book.

There are passages that blew me away with the depth and meanings they held. Passages that made me stop and ponder. This is one that is particularly profound:
This is a dream Beulah is having about a worm eating the leaf of a beanstalk...."The worm moved its terrible jaws and spoke. God is said to be great, the worm told me, So great you cannot see Him. But God is small, with hands like threads, and they reach for you everywhere you go. The hands touch everything-even you, even me. What falls never falls; what grows has grown a thousand times, and will live a thousand times more. Wherever hand touches hand, the Oneness comes to stay. Once God has made a thing whole, it cannot be broken again."

The characters are unforgettable people. They are based after the author's ancestors and are truly unique and memorable. I so appreciated the Author's Notes and Acknowledgement added at the end of the book. It was so interesting how she developed and came to write this amazing novel. This is a very lengthy novel but so worth every word that's written in it. I truly didn't want it to end. I want to thank Lake Union and Olivia Hawker for the extreme privilege I had of reading this book! This is my honest and heartfelt review of a book that ranks as one of my top 5 this year.

Two families living together in harsh winter in 1870’s Wyoming.. About two woman and the hardships they face. Can they put aside their hatred to help their families survive?
A really good book. Well written and very interesting.
Well worth the read.. I found myself drawn into the lives of these two woman.
Many thanks to NetGallery for Arc and my honest review.

ONE FOR THE BLACKBIRD, ONE FOR THE CROW follows the Bemis and Webber families in Wyoming, 1876. When Ernest Bemis finds his wife - Cora - in a compromising situation with his neighbor, he kills the man and he is off to prison. The women are left on their own to survive the harsh winter.

With poetic writing, Hawker transports us into the wilderness of Wyoming - I was mesmerized by the vivid descriptions of nature and animals. The author does a fantastic job bringing everything's alive - I felt like Pocahontas, connecting with the stunning nature and almost humanized animals. The setting is atmospheric with a touch of magic.

Beyond the setting, the focus was definitely on the characters. They were realistically developed with layers of depth. I felt every emotion while Hawker was exploring themes like grief over loss, motherhood, hope, forgiveness, redemption and family. The analysis of each character's emotions made me absorbed in the story, which I found myself empathizing with them.

I enjoyed Nettie Mae's journey from being resentful to finding freedom and relief. Having her hidden weaknesses brought to the surface and overcoming them was completely liberating. Furthermore, Cora's secrets and inner fears made me want to root for her. Both women were strong in a particular way, even when expressing maternal love. I personally loved Beulah - her confidence, authority and the ability to see through things had my affection. Without losing her innocence, she could sense the world with a sensitivity and wisdom beyond her age. Lastly, the romance was the cherry on the top of the cake.

I applaud Hawker for her precision in exploring the human spirit at harsh times. The fact that this story was based on the author's family history is even more interesting. That being said, the ending was kind of open and I wanted more of the story, plus the plot was slow sometimes. BLACKBIRD is perfect for readers seeking an atmospheric setting and character-driven story.

As a family historian, I love learning about ancestral lives. Delving deep into the decades, I experience (albeit vicariously) my predecessors' ups, downs, and moments between. I then take their stories and share them with others, hoping that with each word I write, a part of them lives again (at least in our hearts).

Author Olivia Hawker does the same when she wrote One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow. Based on her own family history, this novel tells the tale of the Bemis and Webber families, the only settlers living within miles.

The book begins in the summer of 1876 when father Ernest Bemis shoots his neighbor Substance Webber for fooling around with his wife.  Remorseful, Ernest then mounts his horse and rides to town, several hours away, to turn himself in for murder.

With Substance in the grave and Ernest behind bars, Nellie Mae Webber and Cora Bemis must save themselves and their children by banding together to survive the harsh Wyoming winter. But will these women be able to overcome their anger and shame to team up or will their emotions tear them apart?

Caught in the middle are teenagers Clyde Webber and Beulah Beamis, who are forced to grow up fast to ensure their families' survival and help forge forgiveness.

Told from the varying perspectives of the four main characters, One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow dives so deeply into the world around them that something as insignificant as a speck of dust suddenly seems much, much more. Through their eyes, I could almost sense the formidable frontier, sprawling endlessly beyond the page. A hidden gem, One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow is engrossing and eloquent... a must-read for history lovers, genealogy aficionados, or anyone who enjoys a great story.

***
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing, courtesy of a NetGalley giveaway. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

4.5 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this beautifully written story where the vast Wyoming prairie is the main character, as well as the setting in the late 1800s for two families who, torn apart by a violent act, must come together to survive the harsh and long winter. Characters evolve, deep rooted feelings thaw and like spring, hope and love are renewed. A slow and quiet moving, but incredibly lyrical story. Be sure to read author’s note at the end as the story is loosely based on her family history.

An original story line written in an original style. Two plains families, neighbors, are drawn together when both families lose their fathers. The "event" of their loss, which should have destroyed a family in 1876 Wyoming, instead teaches them to lean on each other as they must face the challenges of winter without preparation. The story is told from differing point of views, you learn how the common threads of their lives are seen so differently by each of them. A very good read that will give you a vivid picture of life as these characters lived it.

If you liked Inland by Tea Obreht (which I did!) then you may also enjoy One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker.

Set in 1876, on the harshly beautiful Wyoming frontier, this love story is loosely based on that of the author’s ancestors.

The story shifts between the viewpoints of Beulah, a mystically wise thirteen-year-old daughter of the prairie, Clyde, the strong, responsible neighbor who is learning what kind of man he will grow to be, and their mothers, Cora and Nettie Mae.

The women are polar opposites. Cora is a soft city woman who cannot adapt to life on the isolated farm. Nettie Mae is a battle-hardened prairie wife, who wields her bitterness as a sword and shield.

Although Cora has four healthy children and a devoted husband, she is desperately lonely. For no other reason, she commits adultery with her neighbor, Substance Weber, Nettie Mae’s husband. Her own husband discovers them in the act. In the heat of passion, he shoots to kill. Instantly regretful, he turns himself in to the sheriff.

Nettie Mae has lost four children and, now, her husband. The man was a brute. Nettie Mae would consider herself well rid of him, except she needs his strength to survive the coming winter. Her sole remaining child, Clyde, is a sturdy young man and a hard worker, but it’s all too much for him to take on alone. Even so, they’re better off than their neighbors. When Cora’s husband is sentenced to two years in prison, she’s left alone with four children. Clyde takes it upon himself to help them–against his embittered mother’s express orders.

Beulah is the true heart of the story. Calm, resilient, accepting, with the ability to see glimpses of the future, to commune with nature, and to speak to the dead, she helps the two older women realize that the only way they will survive is to combine their resources. Cora’s guilt and Nettie Mae’s hatred make this a bitter pill, but Cora moves her family to Nettie Mae’s farm and they try to make it work. Beulah and Clyde, drawn together by circumstance, develop an unbreakable bond, which unnerves Nettie Mae all the more, nearly leading her to undo everything Beulah has striven for.

The novel shows prairie life in all its hardness, danger, and beauty. The stark realism of the day-to-day life is undercut somewhat by Beulah’s mystical powers, which made the novel float between magical realism and historical fiction. Yet it’s a beautifully written story that tugs at the heartstrings.

This is such a special book! The writing is amazing. You can hear, smell, feel, see so much of the prairie through Beulah's thoughts. The characters are so real and the events can be imagined in 1876. I loved reading this and it will stick with me for a long time. Thank you, Olivia Hawker for this wonderful gift!

Boy, did I LOVE this book. The prose was so deliciously descriptive that I could feel and smell exactly what it must have been like living in the prairies of Wyoming is 1876. Loved the characters, and enjoyed watching each of them evolve. Thank you for letting me read this book!! Couldn't put it down!!

Two families at odds with each other forcefully drawn together by tragedy must work together to survive winter in the wilderness. Readers who loved Hannah’s the Great Alone will love this book.

Wow! This book will stick with me for a long time. Really, really liked it Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow is a story full of love, betrayal, survival and unlikely friendship. Hawker expertly crafts a narrative that captivated me from the first chapter. I was immediately immersed into life on this isolated prairie. I cheered on the characters as they fought their way through a harsh winter and an even harsher emotional landscape. This is character driven story at its finest. I was able to deeply connect with each of them because Hawker did an incredible job of crafting characters that were real and memorable. I will say this isn’t the fastest moving book. I enjoyed the slow pace because it allowed each character time to grow. I will be eagerly seeking out more books by this author.