Book Review: Many Sparrows

“What is there?” she asked.

“The way forward. It’ll be shown to us.”

–Many Sparrows

About the Book…

Clare is following her husband along the trail to the Ohio territory, with their young son and soon to be born child, when her nightmare becomes reality. All in one night, her husband is killed, her son disappears, and she goes into labor. Alone, in the wilderness. What follows is the story of one mother’s desperate search for her son among Indians, her fight to leave him in the hands of the Almighty when she cannot have him in her own, and the beauty of forgiveness, redemption, and compassion when she is forced to befriend the woman behind the greatest pain she has ever felt. Walking right beside Clare all along, is the mysterious Jeremiah Ring, who seems to want every one taken care of, yet doesn’t try to do it on his own.

About the Author…

Lori Benton was raised in the Appalachian mountains. She is a cancer survivor, and author of several books. She currently resides in Oregon, with her husband where she enjoys nature photography and writing. You can read more about her and her work here.

Some Personal Thoughts…

Many Sparrows was captivating. I read it in one week, and not just any week either, it was my last week of high school. C-R-A-Z-Y. But once I was welcomed into Clare’s world on the Ohio frontier, there was no coming back to my own until the last page had been turned.

Jeremiah’s development throughout the story was one of my favorite elements of this book. With each chapter, another layer of his deep character was revealed. Often in historical fiction, I find that female characters are well done, but all of the men seem to be very shallow and uninteresting when it comes to their personality. This was not the case with Many Sparrows. 

Throughout the story, Clare wrestles with trusting God when she can’t understand His ways. It’s easy to believe He is good when things around us are good. The real challenge with faith comes when the things around us look bad, and we must choose to believe that even then, He is still good. This message was one I needed to be reminded of, and Lori Benton did a spectacular job with it.

The real challenge with faith comes when the things around us look bad, and we must choose to believe that even then, He is still good.

It’s an emotional story. I cried several times (although, according to my family that doesn’t take much). I laughed. It was engaging and encouraging. The characters were relatable and distinct, the plot twists were delightful and the ending better than I could’ve imagined. In case you hadn’t picked up on what I’m trying to say, I’ll go ahead and lay it out clearly: I LOVED THIS BOOK.

Things Worth Mentioning…

I would say this is a girl’s book. I’m not going to say guys shouldn’t read it, but I will say I wouldn’t recommend it to a brother or guy friend. In the beginning, there is a pretty intense/detailed birth scene. There are several other times where characters in the story talk about or experience personal feminine issues. Nothing graphic, just some things I would consider best suited for female readers.

It deals with a lot of pain and death. Several characters die, past deaths that have affected certain main characters are discussed and key events in the storyline.

There are things you’d expect to find in a story of war amongst Indians on the early American frontier. Scalping’s and massacres not excluded.

I really enjoyed the accurate portrayal of life in the circumstances that Clare and Jeremiah find themselves in that Lori excellently wove together. I think its a masterpiece and cannot wait to reread it. In the meantime, check back next Wednesday for an exclusive interview and surprise with Lori Benton.

I’m going to say it again, I loved Many Sparrows and here at The Corner Shelf, you’ll need to look up to the Top Shelf to find it.