Beneath the Bending Skies by Jane Kirkpatrick is the beautiful, uplifting story of Mollie Ronan, that is so atmospheric – it will captivate your heart. Based on a true pioneer of the 1800s, Mary Catherine “Mollie” Sheehan Ronan was born in 1852 and died in 1940. Told in first person, Jane Kirkpatrick does a phenomenal job bringing Mollie’s story to life in the pages of this fascinating Christian historical fiction.

Lovers of historical fiction, prairie settings, the gold rush time period, details surrounding Native American culture and learning all about a notable historical woman will love this story!

We start the first half story off with Mollie at 6 years old in the year 1858 when her mother passes away. Mollie and her father move to Colorado, and he leaves her for long time with another family, with Mollie not knowing where he went or if he will return.

When he does return after some time, he has a new wife and child, Anne and Kate. Anne is a very kind and gentle woman that Mollie grows to love her as her “Ma Anne”. Just as they begin settling down as a family, they end up moving to Montana after dealing with some difficult times. Her father is following work during the gold rush period, so they continue to pack and move multiple times.

Mollie finds true love in Peter Ronan, however her father completely disapproves of their marriage as she is too young to marry him. Several years go by and Mollie ultimately defies her father’s wishes and realizes that the command to “honor thy father” truly has its limits. Mollie’s father lives in a fairytale – he never wants to let his daughter go and Mollie never feels like she is enough for him. She found her courage to stand up for herself and go her own way.

The remaining half of the book focuses on Mollie and Peter’s life together as husband and wife, as they start their family together in in the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana in the late 1800s.
This is a very character driven and engaging story filled with history and culture. I loved the characters, the different cultural backgrounds we got to see and how God moved in this family throughout everything they went through.

Mollie was my favorite character as she was such an inspiration to so many others and helped so many people in the community she lived it – she showed the love of God and I loved that about her. She didn’t back down in what she believed in and was such a strong-willed Christian character that I think we can all learn from. I loved seeing her as a teacher, mother, wife, daughter, and friend.

Overall, a beautiful historical filled story that kept me engaged and intrigued me to the very last page. Jane Kirkpatrick truly does her historical research in this story, and I can’t wait to read more of her books. If you love a very detailed historical read, you will enjoy this. Thank you to Baker Publishing and Revell for providing me with a copy of Beneath the Bending Skies to honestly read and review. I will be publishing a spoiler free review video on my YouTube channel this week, BookLoverAmanda, and will update my review with that link as soon as it is published.

I always love Jean Kirkpatrick books. You can always learn something, they're full of quotable quotes and words of wisdom. Especially for women. To make you stronger, understand yourself better, see the world in a clear light. This is based on the true story of Mollie Ronan set in the mid to late 1800s. I also had a blue-eyed Irish father that from my teenage years on I found nearly impossible to please. He did not give me his blessing when I married either. Mollie was a very interesting, strong woman who learned and grew all through her life. She went through difficult times, mostly in Montana. She and her husband ultimately ended up on an Indian reservation, he as the Agent, during turbulent times. She was such a solid person and with her family lived strong in faith, much loved by others. An important person in history. As always, an interesting and deeply enriching read. A biography that you live through with her.
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.
#BeneaththeBendingSkies #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #JaneKirkpatrik #Historical #FiveStarBooks

Such an excellent book! I read Girl from the Gulches back in 2003, which this book is based upon.
Mollie has lost a lot in her life, but has found love with Peter, except her father is opposed to the marriage.
I love the setting Of Montana! I have such great respect for Peter Ronan, who truly was a rare man, especially as a reservation agent and his respect for the Native Americans.
Kirkpatrick pens such great historical fiction, it’s a pleasure to read her stories.

I haven't read a Jane Kirkpatrick novel in quite some time, and this book definitely reminded me what a wonderful writer she is. With a great deal of historical research, she brings to life the time period of western expansion and the horrible treatment of the Indians by the whites as they confiscate property on the Indian reservations for their own settlement. But in the midst of all this appeared some Indian agents who had a true love for the native Americans and their plight. This story focuses on Mary "Mollie" Catherine Fitzgibbon and her husband, Peter Ronan, a strong Christian and Indian Agent.

This story had a great many characters, and Kirkpatrick's cast of characters prior to the first chapter definitely helped keep them straight although I felt they were introduced slowly enough throughout the novel that I didn't have that much trouble. Everyone of the characters, especially Mary and her family were brought vividly to life, along with Peter. The plot line flowed beautifully from Mary's young life through her marriage and later life. Peter was such a strong main character that even after all his early mishaps in life you saw how he grew as a man, a leader, and a husband. Peter and Mary played such an incredible role in helping the 3 tribes that were under Peter's jurisdiction as an Indian Agent in Montana. Their love, care, and connection with Indians went above and beyond most Indian agents and their spouses.

Kirkpatrick's faith thread wound its way beautifully throughout the entire story particularly in the dissension between Mary and her father with his possessive control of her life.

Overall, a wonderful read for anyone who likes historical fiction that focuses on the time period of western expansion and the plight of the Native Americans.

Beneath the Bending Skies was a delight to behold. My first book that I have read by Jane Kirkpatrick and it won't be the last.

The author did an excellent job with the settings and character development, I loved having a story where we follow a significant part of one person's life.

Molly is left on the doorstep of strangers as her father travels for his business, leaving her for months at a time. He finally comes to bring her to a home he has made, but he has made it with a new wife and a new baby sister.

As they move from town to town together they finally settle in the small town of Helena, where Molly meets one of her fathers friends Peter. Peter and Molly end up falling in love, even though her father forbids it.

Peter and Molly wait years to be reunited and Peter gets a job being the liaison between the Indians and government. Where new friends and new family is found, and struggles abound.

I loved the character of Molly and how through it all she really stayed true to her heart and prayed and thought out each step. She wanted to obey her father, but learned that she needed to take her own path as well.

A demanding father and a dutiful daughter. No matter how hard Mollie Sheehan tries she never seems to meet his criteria. Not a lot of options are available to a girl in 1860s Montana. Her father is gone for long periods of time and her stepmother keeps the family together by doing what must be done.

When Peter Ronan and Mollie fall in love, her father forbids the marriage and moves the family to California forbidding them from having *any* contact. But love prevails despite her father’s determination to control her life — for the rest of her life.

My review …
Who should NOT read this book?
⋇ If the reader had a parent who controlled their lives not only growing up but into adulthood, that reader will find this a difficult story as it churns up difficult memories.
⋇ If the reader tried for years to “please” their parent, especially a father, and/or wanted to hear positive phrases such as “you did good” or “I’m proud of you” — but never did. Mollie’s interaction with her father can also bring up bad memories.

I have never started a review with the above but Mollie’s father just infuriated me! And yes, some memories that rarely come to mind. Not only did he constantly require Mollie to “honor thy father” which meant doing only what HE wanted her to do. He also never thanked his second wife, Mollie called Ma Anne, for anything she did. Right in front of her, he would glorify his beloved first wife. Ma Anne kept that family glued together while he was supposedly gone making money.

Research, research, research.
The author, Jane Kirkpatrick, put hours and hours into the research of Beneath the Bending Skies which is based on a real person. Be sure to read the “Author’s Notes” at the end of the book.

The “history” covered in the book was interesting. The book wasn’t, at least not for me. The most engaging character was Shows No Anger, a Salish Kootenai woman who became Mollie’s good friend when they lived at the Jocko (Indian) Agency in Montana.

Ms. Kirkpatrick is a prolific author of historical novels. And this book is already receiving high praise. Some readers will love it. Not only the historic aspects but the characters. The book just wasn’t a good fit for this reviewer. I sympathized with Mollie. I liked Peter. But Mollie never quite felt “real” to me. I give the book a three-star rating.

SO… if you do not fit the two bullets, you might find this to be a perfect book for you.

I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of Beneath the Bending Skies via NetGalley from the publisher, Revell. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: 3 stars.
#BeneaththeBendingSkies #NetGalley #JaneKirkpatrick

When Mollies's mother passes away, Mollie does everything in her power to live up to her mother's hope that Mollie be a dutiful daughter and take care of her father. Even through her father's long absences, remarriage, new family, and hurt upon hurt. She finally finds love and hope, but her father blocks that too. But can love find a way, and can Mollie finally realize that even her duty to her father can only go so far?

What a heartbreaking story, in so many ways. Life was rough in the 1860's anywhere in the world, not the least of which the frontier that was invaded and annexed by the United States. I found myself urging Mollie over and over to see her intrinsic value and past the control and manipulation her father had over her and their family. And the real life stories that this was based on are no less fascinating.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this read, based on real people and real happenings. Be sure to read the author's notes at the end!

A story of love, for a parent, and for a spouse, and then your children. A romance between a young girl and a man that is ten years older, and soon forbidden. How does this work out? Well, we are there for the bumpy ride, and the crossing of many states, the hardships and and the trials of life.

This is Mollie Sheehan and Peter Ronan's story, their journey to win her father's approval. We are also treated to some US history, and spend time with Indigenous Peoples, and are there with as they try to survive.

A read you don't want to miss!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

“Beneath Bending Skies” is the second book I read by Jane Kilpatrick. With her previous book, I gave what seemed to me to be a rather harsh review. I decided to give her a second chance as an author with this new book. The premise once again intrigued me.

The book is based on the true story of Mary “Mollie” Sheehan Ronan and her husband Peter, who ran the Jocko Agency in Montana for various Native American tribes in the area. We get her background moving around the country prior to marriage with a domineering father who breaks up her courtship for basically no reason and commands her to “honor her father.” The book careens from event to event, fires, births, deaths, momentary fears during the Nez Pearce war, and so forth. Each little segment is joined together with platitudes of Mollie “being agile” or longing for her father’s acceptance of whatever she did.

Once again I found myself completely unable to connect with the characters because they have no emotional depth. It is just one series of events after the other. People float in and out of the narrative, and you don’t miss them. They barely make an impression. The role of the Irish and the Catholic Church, a substantial force behind many of the events, especially in a time period of great prejudice against both groups, goes completely unexplored. I found myself wondering if I would be better off reading the source text.

Equally disturbing was the relationship between Mollie and her father that bordered on emotional incest. The father is obsessed with her hair. He buys presents for her and fails to do so for new wife. He orders everything she does and moves the family anytime they connect with the people around them. He prevents her marriage for years to keep her beside him. Even the little explanation of possible motivation for it comes across incredibly creepy. Whether or not this was actually a part of Mollie’s life, I do not know as there was no clarification on this in the notes at the end of the book.

I was interested in the book because I knew nothing about the history of Montana. While this book offered a peek into its founding, it offered little nuance. I walked away deeply disappointed again in what could have fascinating, entertaining, and stimulating story of this amazing woman’s life.

Beneath the Bending Skies is another wonderful novel written by Jane Kirkpatrick. I always love reading her historical fiction and this one is one of my top favorites she has released to date. I enjoyed reading Mollie and Peter’s story so much. It is a beautiful story of faith, forbidden love, and hope. It is one of the books that kept me engaged from start to finish.

I am giving Beneath the Bending Skies a very well deserved five plus stars. I believe readers who enjoy clean historical fiction. I am eagerly awaiting Jane Kirkpatrick’s next release.

Beneath the Bending Skies is a very well written inspirational book. Great plot and character dynamics. If you enjoy historical fiction I would recommend this book.

Very enjoyable when it comes to writing Historical fiction books Jane Kirkpatrick really does a awesome job. I loved the different cultures and backgrounds in this book. The characters were great. in this book. This was the story of Mollie Sheehan and her love Peter Rowan. Mollie's mother died when she was a child and her father traveled for his work. He leaves her with strangers and then comes back to her with a new wife. Mollie's father loved her but was very controlling. When she meets Peter who is her fathers friend and falls in love her father forbids her to marry Peter Rowan. He said she's to young and forces her to give back the ring and things they gave each other. This is a beautiful story of love and faith. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. This is my true opinion of this story.

Beneath the Bending Skies is an excellent book. It started out slow for me but as Mollie matured, even as a sixteen year old ready for marriage, the story really drew my interest. Mollie and her husband, Peter Ronan, struggle through many trials keeping their love for each other and the Flathead people strong. They had an amazing life crossing trails with many famous, historical people of the nineteenth century. For everyone who enjoys history, this book is a great read.

Thank you to Revell and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

History comes alive in this moving story of Mollie Sheehan. Based on historical events and life as described by Mollie, the author does a wonderful job telling her story. The friction between father and daughter as she strove to honor her father was unsettling. Mollie and her husband Peter's love for their family and the Flathead people shone through. Faith was a very important message. Highly recommended for history lovers!

I have not read very many Jane Kirkpatrick books before, but I enjoyed Beneath the Bending Skies very much. It made me want to visit Montana! The author does an excellent job of describing the characters and settings.

Beneath the Bending Skies is about Mollie Sheehan's amazing life in 1800's American West. After her mother passes, Mollie is left to the care of different strangers while her father is off hauling freight for miners. He turns up unexpectedly to take her with him to meet his new wife and child. Mollie is afraid her stepmother will be like the ones she has read about in fairy tales. Thankfully, Ma Anne is a good woman with a sweet spirit who welcomes Mollie with open arms.

The book continues with Mollie's growing up years and eventually falling in love. Her father forbids the match and demands she sever ties with the man forever. She obeys her father for four long years. When she turns 20, she decides that she has to follow her heart and marry the man she thinks God has for her. After many ups and downs, Mollie and her husband Peter, find a permanent place among the Native Americans in Montana. They have many happy years and many struggles along the way, but their faith always sustained them.

I was happy to read at the end that this is based on a true story. You can even find the lake and State Park named for Mollie on Google maps, Lake Mary Ronan!

We are currently reading about the struggles of the Indigenous Peoples in our homeschool and this book really complimented the story. It is so necessary for us to read the history of what happened and how the white people treated the people that were on the land first. This was such an interesting story and the writing is beyond amazing. I really enjoyed the characters of Mollie and Peter and loved how Mollie opened up her home to so many people and showed them God's love.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

Jane Kirkpatrick has a special talent for writing historical fiction. Her most recent novel is about Mary Catherine “Mollie” Sheehan Ronan. In the 1800's Mollie lived in Montana with her family. The story starts just after Mollie's mom dies. Her father has placed her in a home with a German couple while he travels off to start his business. When he returns to pick Mollie up, he takes her to a new town and new home where she learns she has a new step mother. She is treated very well by this new Mama and learns to love her greatly. I was very uncomfortable with the relationship between Mollie and her dad and she was also and expressed this to her step-mom. She is trying hard to be a God honoring daughter and to obey her father. But there comes a time when she has to chose between what she feels God is leading her to do or give up her one true love and obey her father. Mollie is a very strong Christian woman trying to find her place in the world, following the path that God has for her.
I want to thank Fleming Publishers and along with NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Beneath the Bending Skies was the first book I've read by Jane Kirkpatrick. This book was based on the life of Mollie Ronan, who's life's journey was nothing short of extraordinary. I was captivated by the many places she'd lived, the ups and downs of her life and God's hand moving over her, protecting her and her family through it all. The story was chocked full of history, cultures from all different backgrounds, triumphs and sorrows and one of my favorites: family. The family ties pulled me in most of all. God gave her an amazing family, not just in blood but in the heartstrings that bound her to friends, no matter race or culture. It was hard to put down this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves seeing God's grace moving through even the worst circumstances to bring hope to people's lives.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jane Kirkpatrick’s Beneath the Bending Skies is the story Mollie Sheehan who has to decide whether to honor her father’s wishes or follow her heart. On her life’s journey, Mollie lives a life she never could have imagined. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this well-written, uplifting book about loyalty, friendship, romance, family, and heartbreak. If you love Christian Historical Fiction, this book is for you!

2.5 -3 stars
This book started of so strong and grabbed my attention. I was utterly gripped by the book until about half way through and then ugh.
This book became trite and so predictable. I barely finished it