Beneath the Bending Skies, an uplifting historical novel by Jane Kirkpatrick, is the story of Mary Catherine “Mollie” Sheehan Ronan (1852-1940) that takes place in the mid-to- late 1800s, mostly in Montana.
Mollie is only six years old when her mother passes away. Her father moves the family to Colorado and eventually remarries Anne, whom Mollie learns to love. The family moves to Montana as her father dabbles into several businesses, many involving different aspects of gold mining. Mollie strives to be a dutiful daughter, following his often quoted command to “honor thy father.”
When Mollie is 14 she meets her father’s best friend, Peter Ronan, 24 a journalist for a Helena, Montana newspaper. They fall in love and plan to marry. When her father learns of their relationship he is furious and feels deceived by both his daughter and friend. To thwart their relationship, he sends Mollie to a school in California. But being a dutiful daughter has its limits and even though separated, her love for Peter Ronan grows. They eventually reunite and when Mollie turns nineteen they marry, though her father strongly disapproves, causing a rift between them.
After some disasters with a fire at the newspaper building and a major theft in his mining claim, Peter accepts a job as supervisor at the Jocko Agency in Montana serving the Confederated Salish, Pend d’Oreille and Kootenai tribes. Mollie strives to be a gracious hostess to government dignitaries and tribal chiefs alike, to be a gracious wife and loving mother, and to keep a cheerful attitude. Above all, she aspires to be agile, to accept whatever comes her way and maintain a willingness to change.
I have read and enjoyed many books by Jane Kirkpatrick and this is one of my favorites. The author’s ability to capture the essence of time and place in this historical read is engaging, informative and told with dependable accuracy. Beneath the Bending Skies is an unforgettable journey of love, respect and duty.
