Burning Sky: A Novel of the American Frontier

Written by Lori Benton

Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

"I remember the borders of our land, though I have been gone from them nearly half the moons of my life. But who there will remember me? What I have seen, what I have done, it has changed me. I am the place where two rivers meet, silted with upheaval and loss. Yet memory of our land is a clear stream. I shall know it as a mother knows the faces of her children. It may be I will find me there." Abducted by Mohawk Indians at fourteen and renamed Burning Sky, Willa Obenchain is driven to return to her family's New York frontier homestead after many years building a life with the People. At the boundary of her father's property, Willa discovers a wounded Scotsman lying in her path. Feeling obliged to nurse his injuries, the two quickly find much has changed during her twelve-year absence-her childhood home is in disrepair, her missing parents are rumored to be Tories, and the young Richard Waring she once admired is now grown into a man twisted by the horrors of war and claiming ownership of the Obenchain land. When her Mohawk brother arrives and questions her place in the white world, the cultural divide blurs Willa's vision. Can she follow Tames-His-Horse back to the People now that she is no longer Burning Sky? And what about Neil MacGregor, the kind and loyal botanist who does not fit into in her plan for a solitary life, yet is now helping her revive her farm? In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, strong feelings against "savages" abound in the nearby village of Shiloh, leaving Willa's safety unsure. Willa is a woman caught between two worlds. As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, the woman called Burning Sky must find a new courage--the courage to again risk embracing the blessings the Almighty wants to bestow. Is she brave enough to love again? Show less

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490662251

Reviews for Burning Sky

[gincam · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Burning Sky: A Novel of the American Frontier" is a stunning debut from author Lori Benton. Emotionally powerful, and historically rich, this ultimately uplifting story of survival is one you will long remember. Willa Obenchain and her family live on the New York frontier of the 1700's. At age fourteen, Willa is taken captive by Mohawk Indians, who rename her "Burning Sky". She must adapt to her forced existence or perish. Eventually, she becomes a wife and mother, blending into her Mohawk family, thinking she will never see her birth family again. The loss of her husband and children sends her on a sad journey to her homeplace. During the twelve years that Willa was gone, the Revolutionary War had been fought, and many tragic changes had occurred on the New York frontier. Just when Willa gets close to her family's land, she finds an injured Scotsman, Neil MacGregor, and his dog, Cap. She comes to their aide, and brings them both along with her to the cabin her father had built. Her family is nowhere to be found, and the home and land are both long-neglected. Soon after she arrives, she is greeted by an old friend and neighbor, Anni, whose brother, Richard Waring, had meant to marry Willa when she came of age. While Anni embraces Willa, and welcomes her home, Richard is cruel and denigrating of Will's time of captivity. Anni tells Willa that her parents and grandmother disappeared after being accused of loyalty to the Tory Party. Her home and land are to be auctioned, but Willa determines to fight for her land and find out what happened to her family. Neil MacGregor is a gentle man of deep faith, and he shows great care for Willa. She had planned a solitary life, and she tries to guard her heart from emotional attachment. Political unrest and the hatred and fear between settlers and Indians continue to threaten Willa's future and her chance of keeping her homeplace. Perhaps the biggest threat of all to Willa is Richard Waring--the youth who had hoped to marry Willa is now a vengeful and twisted man, scarred by the atrocities of war. As Willa struggles with her new life, her past returns in the form of her Mohawk "brother", Tames-His-Horse, who beckons her to return to his people. Where is Willa's true home? She has lived in two worlds, yet she now belongs fully to neither place. Can she find a way to open her heart and embrace both cultures, creating a whole-new, happier way of life? Will she allow herself to love and be loved in return? "Burning Sky" is stirring, poignant, and unforgettable, a beautiful example of historical fiction at its best. Highly recommended.Book Copy Gratis WaterBrook Press

[sonya.contreras · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Historical Fiction.
A good read portraying courage, determination, and love inspite of its pain.
Burning Sky by Lori Benton

Willa returning from being captured by Indians struggles to find where she belongs. As the Indians are forced to lands, she returns to her white family's farm and lifestyle. Willa doesn't find acceptance

[lexistar08 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The novel Burning Sky by Lori Benton is a fantastic novel. I was thoroughly impressed by the historical accuracy, and how much the author researched into the American Revolution and what actually took place after the fact. The novel tells the story of Willa Obenchain, who abducted by Mohawk Indians before the war began at the young age of fourteen, felt compelled to return to her home in the New York frontier where she lived before the kidnapping. While the Revolutionary War is over, she returns to find things have greatly changed. Her parents are no where to be found, and her world seems to be falling apart. She becomes determined to live a single solitary life, dependent on only herself. Then, on the border of her father's lands meets a wounded Scotsman, and her idea of a solitary life starts changing.

This is a beautiful story filled with romance, pain and heart tugging moments that made it hard to put down. I remember reading a story when I was a child about a young girl who was also abducted by Indians as a child, and I was super excited to read another novel along the same lines and about early America. I was slightly disappointing that there was not more Native American culture and lifestyle added to the story line. However, this did not change my opinion of the book in the least. I loved that while romance was a big part of the story, there was a lot more going on. There is violence and hate and struggles that Willa and the other characters have to contend with, as well as other side stories that added to the overall plot. I highly recommend this book, but readers should know that it is not a gooey romance, but a complex novel filled with love, forgiveness and of course healing from the past's trials.
Note: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my honest review.

[vintagebeckie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Burning Sky is Lori Benton’s debut novel. If I had not known that, I would never have suspected that Benton was not an author with several novels to her credit. This novel is just sooo good! Great sense of place, lyrical writing, complex characters, wonderful plot, thought-provoking themes — you just can’t get any better than this. And while Burning Sky is labeled an historical novel, it easily transcends the genre. If you have to categorize it, I would say it is literary fiction. Interested yet? Then go out and get it! You won’t be disappointed.Willa Obenchain was abducted by the Mohawk Indians at the age of fourteen. Twelve years later she returns to her former home as changed as the settlement of Shiloh is. The Revolutionary War is over, her parents are missing and the status of their homestead is to be determined by a magistrate. Having faced loss repeatedly over almost half her life, Willa is determined to live alone, without any chance of getting hurt again. But of course life takes over — a wounded naturalist lays across her path, as do two orphaned half-breed children, and her Mohawk brother. There are also those who cannot let the past remain in the past and are determined to drive Willa from her land.Burning Sky is a novel with many strengths. Benton has created a world long past, but very real to the reader. The frontier of New York in the 1780s is depicted with historical accuracy. The characters, major as well as minor, are well-drawn, having a complexity that adds depth to their motives and actions. Willa is perhaps the strongest female character I have experienced this year. Benton’s writing style is beautiful, especially in the conversation of Neil MacGregor. Who wouldn’t fall in love with a man who talked like that!There is a lot to discuss with Burning Sky as well. My book club meets tonight, and I anticipate great conversation to come from this novel. Is love without loss possible? How does God shape families? Is a gentle spirit more desirable than physical strength in times of crisis? And then there is the whole topic of slavery vs Indian abduction — is there any difference?Burning Sky is one of those books I will think about for a long time. And one I will recommend over and over.Very Highly Recommended.Great for Book Clubs.(Thanks to Waterbrook for an ARC of this novel. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

[debs4jc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“I am the place where two rivers meet, stilted with upheaval and loss“. So begins the narrative of Willa Obenchain–also known as Burning Sky–with these words spoken to herself as she is on her way to her first home. Taken from that home when she was 14 by Mohawk Indians, she learned to live contentedly among them until war and disease forced her to return. Yet she is not sure what she has to return to–after 12 years the Revolutionary war has changed everything and her parents may not even be alive. Surprisingly, Willa does not return alone–for she encounters a wounded man and his dog along the way. She drags him to her parents cabin, which turns out to be deserted, and nurses his wounds. She soon discovers that her neighbors are hostile, and that she may not even be permitted to stay–for they suspect her parents of having been Tories, and they plan to auction off their land. Still she is determined to survive, to plant a crop and keep the only thing that is left to her. Yet her neighbors will not let her forget her tainted past, nor will her Mohawk brother, Joseph Tames-His-Horse. And then there is the matter of the man she rescued, the Scotsman Neil MacGregor, who wants to lead her in a different direction. Above all, she must learn to trust the Almighty to direct her to the right path.Lori Benton is a new author (this is her first book published by Waterbrook Press, a Christian publisher) and I am so glad I picked up the advance reading copy of this book! It was a delightful read and I was drawn in by Willa’s courage and the difficult choices she had to make. Her journey was a much one of the heart as it was one of survival, as she learned to overcome the emotional trauma she had endured and decide whether or not to risk opening up her heart to others again. The tension of seeing which man would win her affections–Joseph Tames-His-Horse or Neil MacGregor–made me keep turning the pages, along with wondering how she was going to overcome the many obstacles that threatened her survival. Neil MacGregor was also a quite intriguing character as he faced his own decisions about what course he would take–and often spoke to the Almighty with his Scottish burr in quite amusing and remarkable ways.I would definitely suggest this book to lovers of thoughtful historical romances, especially if they enjoy stories which explore a person’s relationship with the Almighty along with their relationships with others and personal growth. It also has some suggested questions for those that might want to use it for a book discussion group–for which I think it would work well. I will look forward to more books from this author!

[mware1961 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely love this beautiful story of Burning Sky/Willa,Lori Benton put alot of heart and research into her book as it leads us into the life of Burning sky, her sorrows and finally happiness is a very powerful story. I love the Scottish dialect she has put into this and the Revolutionary war is greatly depicted in this. I truely hope she makes a second story of Burning Sky, carry it on into a new story Lori!!