One more river to cross, p.32
One More River to Cross, page 32
With gratitude,
Jane Kirkpatrick
For more information about Jane and her books visit www.jkbooks.com and sign up for her monthly e-newsletter, Story Sparks.
Discussion Questions for Book Groups
If her schedule allows, Jane is available for Skype book group visits or in person if she is in the area for research or other speaking engagements. Contact her at www.jkbooks.com to schedule.
Which characters on this journey resonated with your struggles? Mary Sullivan, haunted by choices and wanting to be herself, though it wasn’t part of the usual woman’s path? Sarah and her fear of abandonment? Ellen, hoping to put a hard past behind her to make a better choice in love? Maolisa Murphy and the challenge of keeping order in a chaotic world? Ailbe Miller and her premonitions and fears? Beth Townsend, seeking healing and finding it by standing up for herself? Isabella Patterson, who hoped to transform herself in a wilderness without her husband?
Where did each of these women draw their strength from?
How do you suppose the Wintering Women made sense of the decision the men made to go to battle rather than send the rescue party for them? Have you ever felt betrayed by a decision someone else made? What helped you or do you still struggle?
Moses Schallenberger demonstrated remarkable resilience. What helped him continue to hope for rescue? Do you think he harbored any ill will toward Joe Foster and Allen Montgomery? Why or why not?
Mary tells us that the word family comes from the Latin word famalus, meaning “servant.” How did Mary act as a servant? Sarah? Beth? Were other travelers servants to each other? What role did family play in this unfolding story? Is family only bloodline or did others find a family within the trials they faced?
Decisions, forks in the road, which way to turn, are themes of this story. How does memory help us put poor choices aside so we can move forward?
Isabella came to find a new meaning for the words “fare thee well.” Do you think of that phrase as a way of saying goodbye or as a hope for the future?
When Capt Stephens explores leadership, what qualities do you think he demonstrated himself? What role did leadership play in this effort to bring wagons into California and keep people alive?
The author hoped to convey the importance of giving shelter to each other and accepting it from others in a time of trial or hard decision-making. Did she make her case? Would you agree? Why or why not?
Moses remembers his mother saying, “Adversity can destroy or redefine.” What do you think about this view of challenge and trial?
Tell a story of when you were strong. Are having courage and being strong the same? What do you think of the poet’s words that “courage is a small voice saying ‘I will try again tomorrow’”?
Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author of more than thirty books, with nearly two million copies sold, including Everything She Didn’t Say, All She Left Behind, 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 Medallion Award, among others. She speaks around the world about the power of story in our lives. Jane lives in Central Oregon with her husband, Jerry, and their cavalier King Charles spaniel. Learn more at www.jkbooks.com and sign up for her Story Sparks newsletter.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Endorsements
Also by Jane Kirkpatrick
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Route of the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend Party
Epigraphs
Contents
The Stephens-Murphy-Townsend Overland Party
Prologue
Part 1 1. Sanctuary
2. Consideration
3. Decision Points
4. Judging
5. Separation
6. Departure
7. The Language of Snow
8. Assessments
9. Protecting Treasures
10. Faith and Forward
11. We Are Here, I Am Here
12. Settling
13. Little Gifts
14. Bonjour and Farewell
15. Yuba
16. Landscape Hurdles
17. Strength of Spirit
18. She Stays at Home
19. To Carry On
Part 2 20. Forward
21. Plans
22. Where the Shoes Take Us
23. Confession
24. A Way Out
25. Filling Up
26. Contemplating Reunions
27. Character
28. Hello and Goodbye
29. Doing What We Can
30. Warmth
31. Now My Friends Are Here to Help
32. Breaking Bread
33. Food, Clothing, Shelter, and Love
34. One More River to Cross
35. Homecoming
Epilogue
Author’s Notes and Acknowledgments
Discussion Questions for Book Groups
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
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Jane Kirkpatrick, One More River to Cross
