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thephdivabooks's review against another edition
3.0
Set on the prairie in Wyoming in the late nineteenth century, One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow tells the story of two women who must learn to rely on one another for their families to survive in the wake of a terrible betrayal and tragedy. When Cora’s husband catches her having an affair with Nettie Mae’s husband, he shoots him and ends up in prison. Now, with no other neighbors around for miles, Nettie Mae and Cora will need to overcome their differences to make it through winter.
Olivia Hawker’s latest historical fiction novel is a quietly beautiful story of forgiveness.
Going in, I expected to find it hard to sympathize with Cora. Cora’s loneliness certainly led her to a decision that ultimately ruined the lives of many people. But I didn’t find Cora to be a bad person. In fact, I found the way she handled herself to be filled with a surprising amount of grace. I would like to have seen more about the before Cora. But the Cora we saw was someone who really just seemed to have lost their way.
Surprisingly, I found Nettie Mae harder to love, though as the book went on I really did appreciate her growth. Nettie Mae held a lot of bias. Her perception of Cora was understandable, but I struggled a bit with how she treated Cora’s children—especially Beulah. Nettie Mae has a very limited view of the world and others. This felt understandable given that the life she has known has been very isolated. I liked seeing her learn more about tolerance as the story evolved.
This is definitely a story about survival, tolerance, unrecognized bias, forgiveness, and community. The setting on the prairie was really wonderful, and we got a lot of story elements around how these family survive without the men of the house who had previously done the bulk of the work. I loved how real and flawed the characters were. I also loved the main protagonist Beulah. She was self-assured, smart, steady, and a tiny bit magical.
A beautiful and heartfelt novel that I really enjoyed. Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Lake Union Publishing for my copy.
Olivia Hawker’s latest historical fiction novel is a quietly beautiful story of forgiveness.
Going in, I expected to find it hard to sympathize with Cora. Cora’s loneliness certainly led her to a decision that ultimately ruined the lives of many people. But I didn’t find Cora to be a bad person. In fact, I found the way she handled herself to be filled with a surprising amount of grace. I would like to have seen more about the before Cora. But the Cora we saw was someone who really just seemed to have lost their way.
Surprisingly, I found Nettie Mae harder to love, though as the book went on I really did appreciate her growth. Nettie Mae held a lot of bias. Her perception of Cora was understandable, but I struggled a bit with how she treated Cora’s children—especially Beulah. Nettie Mae has a very limited view of the world and others. This felt understandable given that the life she has known has been very isolated. I liked seeing her learn more about tolerance as the story evolved.
This is definitely a story about survival, tolerance, unrecognized bias, forgiveness, and community. The setting on the prairie was really wonderful, and we got a lot of story elements around how these family survive without the men of the house who had previously done the bulk of the work. I loved how real and flawed the characters were. I also loved the main protagonist Beulah. She was self-assured, smart, steady, and a tiny bit magical.
A beautiful and heartfelt novel that I really enjoyed. Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Lake Union Publishing for my copy.
gwalt118's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Beautiful writing, a strong sense of place, well-developed and incredible characters, a sense of mysticism and spirituality, a coming-of-age love story amidst family drama, and found family between strong women make for a phenomenal novel that will likely be a top read of 2024 for me.
This novel is an experience. The pace is slow, but I never cared because the writing is beautiful. The descriptions of nature and the prairie blew me away. Hawker is an extremely gifted writer, and I've made it a goal to be a completest of her work.
The four main characters - Cora, Nettie Mae, Clyde, and Beulah - are incredibly well-developed. Beulah is sort of a one-of-a-kind character. I'm fairly certain I've never met a character like her, and she will stay in my heart, mind, and soul for a long time. Her mysterious nature, her poignant thoughts, her exploration of the macabre, and her connection to the prairie fascinated me.
The ways in which Hawker explores death in this novel are powerful. There are a myriad of symbols, and they all mean something different. Truthfully, I'm not even sure I've put my finger on all of their meanings yet, and I finished this book a week ago.
There is both too much and not enough to say. This book was a beautiful, wondrous, inspirational surprise.
This novel is an experience. The pace is slow, but I never cared because the writing is beautiful. The descriptions of nature and the prairie blew me away. Hawker is an extremely gifted writer, and I've made it a goal to be a completest of her work.
The four main characters - Cora, Nettie Mae, Clyde, and Beulah - are incredibly well-developed. Beulah is sort of a one-of-a-kind character. I'm fairly certain I've never met a character like her, and she will stay in my heart, mind, and soul for a long time. Her mysterious nature, her poignant thoughts, her exploration of the macabre, and her connection to the prairie fascinated me.
The ways in which Hawker explores death in this novel are powerful. There are a myriad of symbols, and they all mean something different. Truthfully, I'm not even sure I've put my finger on all of their meanings yet, and I finished this book a week ago.
There is both too much and not enough to say. This book was a beautiful, wondrous, inspirational surprise.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Child death
sh00bs's review against another edition
4.0
Man, I loved this book so much. I knew I would at least like it, since I am sucker for historical fiction and especially stories that put me in the shoes of my pioneer ancestors. “One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow” simply blew me away.
Where do I even start, the beautiful imagery? The complex relationships? The character growth? The existential questions it evoked in me? The warm feels? The drama?
It’s all so incredible. My only caution for readers is that the author is heavy handed with the metaphors and that could turn some people off. But I would recommend this book to most people, and I am dying for someone else to read it.
Where do I even start, the beautiful imagery? The complex relationships? The character growth? The existential questions it evoked in me? The warm feels? The drama?
It’s all so incredible. My only caution for readers is that the author is heavy handed with the metaphors and that could turn some people off. But I would recommend this book to most people, and I am dying for someone else to read it.
rizzykaye's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
duchessofreadin's review against another edition
5.0
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 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...
librariansrule's review against another edition
5.0
Best literary characters of the decade. Every phrase, beautiful and evocative.
nsr4fun's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
machster9's review against another edition
4.0
I can see why some people wouldn't like this book - it is not fast moving, there isn't a lot of action... but it is beautifully written and brings to light the hardships people faced living in the prairies. I liked the characters, although it was hard at first to see any redeeming qualities in Nettie Mae. Two adult women living together can be tough under any circumstances, but under those of Cora & Nettie Mae, it's particularly hard to imagine. The simple wonderment in which Beulah views nature and the world around her was very appealing to me. It was one of those books that I was sad to come to the end of.
mykeyendres's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hannxm's review against another edition
This book is beautifully written but it's overly descriptive. Everything is just really slow for me.