genre: historical fiction
For those who see their destiny across the plains to the west, the challenges of such a journey are worth the risk. For the Mae family, they have big dreams of land and open space. For John Lowry, he’ll be content caring for the mules he breeds and sells. Life on the trail isn’t real life though, and no one who survives it will be the same when they arrive at their new western home.
This had more of a slow burn romance than I anticipated and I definitely enjoyed it. I thought that the pacing worked well and while there was a lot that was deeply upsetting, it was handled with compassion. I did not like the foreshadowing at the beginning, though, I felt it was super unnecessary. Overall, the John Lowry character was probably my favorite, as well as the way that the native peoples of the plains were portrayed as well rounded and empathetic people who had their own unthinkable choices to make. I liked the male reader a bit better than the female but the dual points of view was great. A good listen for a long drive.
