Hardships on the frontier don't stop when someone dies... Murder, tragedy, and redemption...

This was an amazing story! I truly enjoyed the book! This is not your typical frontier story but one with added layers and a touch of forgiveness as well! Put this on your to read list now! Spend some time on the Wyoming wilderness, and survive the storm that is fast approaching...

This is definitely a book that will stay with you long after yo put it down. Olivia Hawker does an excellent job bringing the characters to life. Very beautifully written and powerful. You will get lost in "One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow". I definitely recommend this one!

3.5-4 stars

This was a beautifully written story about two families fighting to survive on the American frontier.

After Ernest Bemis catches his wife Cora cheating on him with their neighbor Substance Webber, he doesn’t think twice about killing him. But being the respectable man that he is, he turns himself in and must serve a two-year sentence in jail. Now Cora and the newly widowed Nettie Mae are left to fend for themselves and keep their farms running while raising their children. Working together is the last thing they want to do, but with the harsh winter soon approaching and much to be done to prepare, they are left with few options.

Nettie Mae’s son, Clyde, and Cora’s daughter, Beulah, handle most of the day-to-day chores around their families’ farms, so it comes as no surprise that they grow closer to one another too. But Nettie Mae still harbors a lot of resentment and anger toward the Bemis women and disapproves of the blossoming relationship. The struggles between these two families are bound to tear them apart, unless they can put aside their differences and learn to trust one another.

For the most part, I enjoyed reading this book. The writing was poetic and the message behind the story was powerful, but at times it was almost too wordy and dragged on. I was also underwhelmed by the ending and had hoped there would be a little more to bring the story full circle.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2922622778

I thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. This author was new to me and I was not let down. It was a great story and very well written. The characters were easy to relate to and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend this to everyone!!

a beautifully written historical fiction about two families that face a tragedy that first divides then brings together both wives when they have to survive without their husbands, a very good novel I highly recommend

Two families find themselves living together to exist in 1870 in Wyoming.
It is a story of love, faith, family, anger and fear.
We see Nettie Mae, her only living child Clyde, Cora, and her four children, merge as one family when they are without either husband to help take care of their farms and in desperate need of help.
Winters are harsh. Food is scarce and there are young children to care for.
Can the two ladies put aside their hatred to encourage their families to survive?
Can they come together as Clyde and Cora's oldest daughter Beulah work together to learn about life, death, and love?
Time will tell.
This is a beautiful story with details that make you to believe you have been transported back in time.
Excellent!

Set in Wyoming in 1870s, One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow tells the story of two neighbouring pioneering families, the Bemises and the Webbers. When Ernest Bemis finds his wife Cora with Substance Webber, he shots him and takes himself off to jail, leaving the homestead to his 13-year old daughter Beulah to look after. With three younger siblings and a grieving mother, Beulah struggles to prepare for the coming winter. On the Webber homestead, widowed Nettie Mae is closed off, having already lost three children and suffered continuous abuse by Substance, she worries about her one surviving son, 16-year old Clyde, left to look after the homestead by himself. With the onset of winter, the two families realise that they have a better chance of survival together.

I must admit being initially drawn to this novel by its great title and the setting more than by the family drama hinted at by the plot summary. At first, I found Nettie Mae and Cora’s characters somewhat stereotypical but I immediately liked Clyde, on the cusp of adulthood and trying so hard to be a good man, unlike his father. I also immediately liked Beulah’s narration and her connection to the land. Hawker’s writing about landscape, weather, nature and the seasons is luminous and deeply felt. At times it felt like reading Annie Dillard and not fiction. And the characters do develop as the seasons pass. Their experience of surviving the harsh winter brought back real life accounts of pioneering women I’d read, it rang true. About half way through the book, I was won over and by the end, thought One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow a deeply satisfying read. I could have easily read on and on. A final ‘note’ on the Author’s Note, which was just lovely.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for a great read.

loved this book. Highly recommend. Great character development. Interesting story. Didn't want it to end.

The author did a great job of writing about a period in our history that many do not know too much about. I found myself wanting to learn more after reading this book and spent time researching online. Definitely recommend this one!

Set in Wyoming in the 1870s, I wasn't initially sure if I"d love this one or not. It starts off with a murder, and goes into redemption, survival, love, family, and Beulah's magical personality which I loved. The depth to each character was wonderful and I quickly became attached to Beulah and Clyde as they worked through this time in their lives side by side. I have not read Olivia Hawker prior to this novel, but I will be checking out the rest of her work now. Her prose and style was deep and poetic drawing me in with every word. I felt like I was in Wyoming alongside these families!
I really enjoyed this book and would easily recommend adding it to your To Read shelf.

When Ermest Bemis finds his beautiful wife Cora, not quite in bed but down by the river, with his neighbour Substance, he shoots the neighbour and takes himself off to jail. This leaves Cora and Substance’s hate-filled wife Nettie Mae no choice but to unite their farms and survive the long Wyoming winter together in one house. When their teenage children, Beulah and Clyde, become close - working the land together and living under one roof - Cora and Nettie Mae’s most fragile of relationships is tested to its limits.

'One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow' is a pastoral tale of human weakness, strength and love, set against the epic backdrop of the Bighorn Mountains in late 19th century Wyoming Territory.

More than human drama however, this is a novel about the cycle of life and death - with the decomposing body of Substance, buried by Clyde at the start of the book and his grave tended by the mysterious Beulah, threading through the narrative. That might sound macabre but, actually, it is a surprisingly uplifting, life-affirming centrepiece to an extraordinary novel.

The author's preoccupation with this theme of life, death and the natural order of things sometimes overtakes the story itself. Although perhaps this makes sense when you consider that the human characters are vastly outnumbered by the multitude of animal species; from the humble cutworm to the magnificent horses, and the predatory wolves that remain unseen. The language Hawker uses to describe the natural world - weather, animals, plants - is more poetic, incisive and profound than that which narrates the drama, although there are some truly heart-in-mouth dramatic scenes. The writing is best when the two come together, such as when a violent storm rips through the prairie - I loved this line in particular:

"The jagged teeth of the Bighorns had caught the belly of the storm; black cloud ripped and sagged, bleeding a veil of charcoal gray and sickly, unnatural blue."

'One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow' has the feel of an epic novel yet it's told in the space of just a year. A connection with President Ulysses S. Grant threatens to move the action away from Wyoming and I wasn't sure if I wanted to leave or stay on the vast, inhospitable prairie (a conflict I shared with Cora).

I really enjoyed this book - mostly for the nature writing and the full immersion into an environment I've never been to. Even in literary terms, my closest reading experience is 'Little House on the Prairie', which bears little resemblance to Cora and Nettie Mae's prairie - the latter being a bit like a dysfunctional, or perhaps just more adult, version of Laura Ingalls Wilder's. Prairie Noir?

It's a slow and steady read, a book I easily relaxed into, punctuated with moments of high drama. And it has certainly enhanced my understanding of the meaning of death. The wilderness of Wyoming will stay with me longer than the characters do, but perhaps that's as it should be. Earth was here long before humans and will outlive us too - maybe I should read more novels that put nature centre stage. I would definitely read more books by Olivia Hawker.

A beautifully written story told from 4 different viewpoints of two interlinked families. I loved the imagery of this book and whilst it was a bit of a slow reader that was part of the enjoyment, you almost felt like you were living life on the prairie in real time.

Thanks for letting me review this book

Having loved 'The Ragged Edge of Night' I was delighted to have the opportunity to read another book by Olivia Hawker and again I was captivated. Olivia Hawker's descriptive writing is beautiful. She creates the most wonderfully vivid and detailed images, but without interrupting the flow of the narrative. It is a pleasure to read.

This book is a fictional story, but is once again is based loosely on events from the author's family history. At the end of the book she very generously shares with the reader the facts behind the story and some of the process of writing the book. In fact, this was where I had tears in my eyes!

The story is set in Wyoming in 1870. At the very start of the book Ernest Bemis shoots his neighbour Substance Webber in a moment of rage and ends up in prison. Both families find themselves without their men-folk, facing the oncoming harsh winter on the prairie. The farms are isolated and the snowdrifts will pile up to the windows of the houses. Somehow, Cora Bemis and her neighbour Nettie Mae Webber must find a way to put aside their hatred of each other and survive the winter.

The narrative is cleverly moved forward through four characters, Cora and her 13-year old daughter Beulah and Nettie Mae and her 16-year old son, Clyde. Each chapter opens in the first person, with Beulah's insight and then there are sections in the third person for each of the other characters. We may see the same event from each character's point of view, and the narrative in each chapter is linked, for example by each character waking from dreams. As a result we see how each of the characters develops though events in the book.

The story is about people and creating relationships, but it is also about the land and how people respond to it. The land is always there, it needs to be tended if the families are to grow food and survive. Cora is a natural town dweller and fears the vast, open, empty prairie while Beulah is at home in the wilderness and sees that it is full of life and wonders. Meanwhile Nettie Mae shuts herself in a world of pain and loss, fearing the inevitable loss of her little boy as she watches him take on the work of the farm and grow from a child to a man.

This book completely transported me to the prairie and I felt I had lived through the winter with the families. I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for a review copy of this book.

Oh my goodness I SO loved this book. It's absolutely lyrical in the lavish and haunting descriptiveness of the wildness of the vast prairie, the aloneness, the nature and the lifestyle of the homesteaders. I cried real tears (Ohhhh the LAMB)!!
I devoured the tale of 2 families torn apart by a rash act with repercussions and the bringing together of the two womens families when their menfolk are absent one dead the other his killer. The 2 women are the main characters but its really the story of young Beulah with her strange perceptiveness and mystical qualities and Clyde, learning to be a man as little like his late Pa as he can possibly be, I adored both these youngsters.

To read the book and love it so much and then at the end I discover its based on true characters and events from the authors own family history.

I'd really love to read what happens next.

This has to be one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. Every page was an ode to nature, animals, love, friendship, and forgiveness. Two families who are neighbors on the prairie of Wyoming become enemies when one husband shoots the other husband dead for having an affair with his wife. The wives realize however, that they will need each other for their families to survive the long winter months so they must swallow their pride and work together. The main character, Beulah is very connected to the prairie and the animals around her by communicating with them and them with her. Additionally, Beulah helps the neighbor boy, Clyde, run the two farms, deal with the death of his father, and see the beauty in the prairie around him. Clyde and Beulah become friends even though their families are enemies. This book was reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet and The Scarlet Letter. The author based this story off of true events that happened in her family history which for me, made the story even more interesting.

This book was written so beautifully. The author makes you feel you are part of the landscape. That you are planting and harvesting the land yourself.
Told from four different points of view, all different people with different circumstances but yet tied together by one tragic event and all trying to survive the brutal wilderness winter .
Clyde and Beulah are teenagers when the tragedy strikes and while both are innocent , it’s their friendship that holds these two families together not only at this tragic time but through the rough winter .
A very good read by this author

Genre : Historical Fiction, Family Drama

Book Cover : 2 **

Ratng : 3 **
I chose this book after reading its very intriguing synopsis on NetGalley - also, I loved that name. The story is set in late 1800’s Wyoming and tells the story of the Bemis and Webber families who reside in adjoining homesteads trying to etch out a living from the land. One day Ernest Bemis finds his wife Cora in a compromising position with their neighbor and proceeds to shoot him dead. He goes to prison and both families are left to fend for themselves in the winter with just the two wives in the two houses and their children to help them.
This is a slow book and moves at a leisurely pace as it takes you on a journey of the Wyoming countryside, which seems extraordinary. One can almost imagine the vistas spread out as far as the eye can see, with not a soul in sight. The author’s narrative transports one to a time and place that seem otherworldly in their conception.
The story of the two women who must put aside their very obvious differences in order to survive the harsh winter and to save their children from certain death and their farms from ruin was an absolutely great premise. The author then introduces an element of psychic mysticism into this dark family drama which seemed like an entirely unnecessary addition  made solely to create more talking points maybe. The mysticism just tends to lend an air of mystery to the Bemis daughter and to cause the Webber’s teenage son a lot of teenage angst. Having said that, the love story angle between the two young people was artfully done, only if there was bit more passion and a bit more romanticism instead of the almost cold-blooded premonitions of being 'together forever'.
Overall, the book was alright for me and would do better with people who adore nature reads and slow-paced romances and possibly tarot readings ( the book does have those kinds of vibes to it).

It's a very long time indeed since I have been as enthralled by a book as I have been by "One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow". The title of Chapter One grabbed my attention immediately and then I could hardly bear to put the book down until I had finished it. In the right hands, I think it would make a wonderful film. It would certainly be a good choice for a book club, offering much for discussion.

That said, this is not a quick read. The prose is beautiful with evocative descriptions of landscape and the weather, and of the ecosystem at work - well worth taking the time to read carefully and savour. The characters (human and animal) are crafted sympathetically and are believable. As for the plot, the author's afterword informs us that it is almost wholly based on facts in her own family's history, and who can argue with that?

The novel is set at the edge of the Great Plains near the foothills of the Wyoming Bighorns around mid-1870s, about a decade before my great-grandmother's brother arrived to farm a bit further south in Wyoming. I was very interested to read the author's description of the sort of conditions he might have faced.

Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for giving me a copy of this unforgettable book in exchange for an honest review.

When I pick up a book written by Olivia Hawker, I know I'm going to be experiencing something special. The sense of harsh reality and intrigue begin on page one of this unusual novel, and they never let up. Through the eyes of two strong women thrust together due to circumstances, we experience what life must have been like in the almost barren landscape of frontier-era Wyoming.

Hawker has a wonderful way with words, and sometimes I feel as if I'm reading poetry. She's also able to develop characters with entirely different voices who come alive on the page. There are no typical or stereotypical characters here, and the plot is not predictable. I never saw many things coming. Most fascinating is how she slowly but surely develops relationships that will pass the test of time, despite it all.

Great for fans of historical fiction and anyone who simply loves a beautiful story.

One for the blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker

The Bemis and the Webbers have been Neighbours on the Wyoming prairie for years. They are cordial but not close - helping each other out should the need arise. But when Ernest Bemis shoots Substance Webber for trifling with his wife Cora resulting in him being jailed for two years, the families face the prospect of a long cold winter that they may not survive.

Nettie Mae Webber and Cora Bemis begrudgingly decide to combine their households for their own survival. So Cora and her brood - Beulah, Benjamin, Charles and Matilda move in with Nettie Mae and Clyde. Nettie Mae is a seemingly cold woman who makes it clear she is accepting Cora in her home under sufferance - doing this only for the children. Cora, the seemingly weaker woman appears subservient given her role in Substance’s death.

And Clyde - Clyde is determined to make a success of both the farms now that he is the man of the Webber household. He is also determined avoid becoming a carbon copy of his father. He works side by side with Beulah, an unusual dreamy girl, prone to wandering and strange ways. But Clyde finds a confidant and hard worker in Beulah, and she shows herself to be a knowing and insightful girl, who is in tune with nature’s creatures, and the prairie. She has a ‘way’ about her that as the novel unfolds, is slowly appreciated though not quite understood.

As the families ride out the winter they become close and their shared experiences serve to build emotional capital amongst them, at least as far as Nettie Mae and the younger Bemis children are concerned. Nettie Mae can’t abide Beulah and her ways. She insists that Clyde and Beulah are never alone together and fears Beulah has inherited ‘tendencies’ from her mother.

One for the Blackbird is a lengthy novel, of over 500 pages. It’s set in 1876. It is an engrossing read about life on the prairie, relationships, spirits of the past, friendships, redemption and love. It’s a masterpiece of historical fiction and incredibly descriptive in terms of the landscape and characters.

Thank you to Olivia Hawker, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is for publication 8 October 2019.

This was a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read for me.

Here’s to embracing the Beulah’s of our world!

This review will be posted to goodreads and on my Instagram page @aplace_inthesun.