With more than 1.5 million copies sold, award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick has become well known for her historical novels based upon real-life events. Her latest novel, One More River to Cross (Revell), is another compelling reconstruction of the true survival story of the Stevens-Murphy wagon train which had to endure storms, bad timing, and desperate decisions to outlast the winter in the untamed Sierra Nevadas. The author plunges readers deep into a landscape of challenge where eight women, seventeen children, and the men of the journey discover that fear and courage go hand in hand. In this interview, Jane shares the research behind the novel, offers some details of the harrowing historical record, and reveals the themes woven throughout the book…
You are well known for your thoroughly researched novels based upon true-life events. In One More River to Cross, you write about the Stevens-Murphy company. What motivated you to research and write about this group?
I stumbled across a footnote referencing a cabin in the Sierra Nevadas, where eight women, seventeen children, and two men spent the winter of 1844. I wondered how this happened, who they were, and what they were doing there.
When did you first find out about the Stevens-Murphy company?
I first learned about the Stevens-Murphy company in 2014, while I was doing research for my book A Light in the Wilderness. That book tells the amazing story of the first African American woman to cross the Oregon Trail.
The Murphys had emigrated from Ireland to Canada and then to Missouri. But there were few religious schools available to them in Missouri. They traveled west to find a place that would accept their Catholic faith, which was often discriminated against on the frontier. Their company was joined by others from Missouri who were also seeking a new start in the West.
In One More River to Cross, you relay how the Stevens-Murphy company was experiencing success with their move out west until October 1844. What event occurred that severely affected their progress?
The Stevens-Murphy company experienced great progress in their journey until an early snowfall hindered their advance. The snow continued, with later estimates indicating eight feet fell that winter.
The Horseback Party consisted of two women, one of whom was ill; four men; and a dog named Chica. It was meant to be an easier route, so that they could get the ill woman to California quickly. They dealt with near drowning, injuries, and dwindling food supplies.
The next group, Wagon Guards, was comprised of three men. They remained at the lake to guard the supplies, which were in the three heaviest wagons. They dealt with starvation and eventually attempted to walk out when game became scarce.
The third group, Wintering Women, included eight women, seventeen children, and two men. They built a cabin near the mountain and would remain there throughout the winter.
The remaining men, the Sutter Fort party, believed they could reach Sutter’s Fort quickly and would then bring back rescue parties. Ultimately, the Wagon Guards and Wintering Women faced starvation and, for some, a crisis of faith that took them on a journey of forgiveness.
One More River to Cross has several underlying themes. Can you explain what those are?
One of the main themes in One More River to Cross is that, even in dire circumstances, love wins when we shelter each other and share generous hearts. This book also touches upon the themes of leadership, faith, courage, selflessness, forgiveness, abandonment, and the importance of decision-making.
All of these elements played a key role in the survival story of the Stephens-Murphy company. This company’s outcome was very different than what the well-known Donner Party experienced two years later in the very same location.
What do you hope readers will gain from reading One More River to Cross?
I hope readers will be encouraged to see how pioneering people worked together to manage challenging situations. My desire is that readers might find community in their own contemporary lives and know that love wins.
Visit Jane Kirkpatrick’s author page:
https://www.familyfiction.com/authors/jane-kirkpatrick/
One More River to Cross
Jane Kirkpatrick
Revell