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San Juan Pioneers #3
To Soar with Eagles
In the untamed and unforgiving desert of southeastern Utah, Mitch Westland and Edie Zimmer are among the Mormon settlers determined to make their homes amid the harshest of circumstances. Threatened by Indians, competing ranchers, and cattle rustlers, the young couple must prevail against man, nature, and their own fears in order to fulfill their dream of establishing a ranch and a family of their own. This sequel to the bestseller Only the Brave covers the time period of 1888 to 1919 and merges the story of Mitch and Edie with the author's continuing series Fire and Steel.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2016
36 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
Gerald N. Lund
86Ìýbooks731ÌýfollowersGerald N. Lund received his B.A. and M.S. degrees in sociology from Brigham Young University. He served for thirty-five years in the Church Educational System, and he served as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy from 2002 to 2008. He is a prolific and bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction and is best known for his historical novels, including The Work and the Glory series, Fire of the Covenant, The Kingdom and the Crown series, and The Undaunted. He and his late wife, Lynn, are the parents of seven children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 3, 2023
My least favorite in the series. It was still a good book and intense story, but it jumped around a lot and I was sometimes confused about what was happening and would have to listen again to make sure I knew what was going on.
June 12, 2019
I really enjoyed this book, better than "Only the Brave" and much better than "Undaunted." The characters are amazing, and the history of the area makes me want to travel down there and have a look around. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who has an interest in the history of Western US settlement.
August 29, 2016
It seemed to be a little condensed at the end when her daughter starts hearing the journal which has been the whole book up to this point. Still, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes Historical Fiction and Lund makes the characters seem very real as always.
December 1, 2024
I was much more satisfied with this introduction to the Westlands than Only the Brave. Mitch Westland is a Monticello rancher that is called to serve in Post WWII Germany in the Fire and Steel series. I was sad to know have his background so I went back and read this series. This one covers from 1888-1891 in Monticello. Mitch and Edie get married (I was surprised how they could take a train from Thompson Springs to Delta to get to the Manti temple), and get their ranch started. They struggle with infertility and miscarriage while the community grows. Grandma Zimmerman moves in with them and teaches Mitch German to fulfill her patriarchal blessing. Most of the real history seems quotidian, but I was surprised to find that the cowboys were a bigger problem than the Indians. Stealing water rights, drunken shootouts in town, and a murder at a Pioneer Day dance were all cowboy problems. The Indian issues in these years were less, but one story about an abandoned Indian girl being taken in by the pioneers, only to find out she was banished as the child of a witch. When the Utes found out they kidnapped her and threw her off a cliff.
The last few chapters of the book jump forward to 1919. Edie is recounting the history to her children. She eventually overcame the fertility issues and has a large family. In retrospect their desert life was built on the quotidian events Edie documented 30 years prior and her posterity is grateful. The interesting detail in this chapter is the cattle rustlers tried to move the Ute reservation to San Juan in 1894and a war almost started when the Utes showed up and tried to claim the homes. Eventually congress and DC correct this close call. At this point Mitch arrives home from his mission setting the stage for the rest of the Fire and Steel series. Good read but mostly setting the background on the Westlands and giving more background on the founding of Monticello.
The last few chapters of the book jump forward to 1919. Edie is recounting the history to her children. She eventually overcame the fertility issues and has a large family. In retrospect their desert life was built on the quotidian events Edie documented 30 years prior and her posterity is grateful. The interesting detail in this chapter is the cattle rustlers tried to move the Ute reservation to San Juan in 1894and a war almost started when the Utes showed up and tried to claim the homes. Eventually congress and DC correct this close call. At this point Mitch arrives home from his mission setting the stage for the rest of the Fire and Steel series. Good read but mostly setting the background on the Westlands and giving more background on the founding of Monticello.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2018
Excellent book! I love this author. The way he puts history with fiction interwoven into the story makes the story so exciting - I had a hard time putting it down once I started. I like how the author lists at the end of each chapter the references where the historical part came from. Easy to determine what was actual history and what was an embellishment on the part of the author. The pioneers who settled the San Juan area were hardworking, tough, strong women and men. The clashes with the cowboys were really something - that they had so much problems with their neighbors and the way they tried to settle everything with no guns, especially when they would be drunk. The run-in with the Indians were equally as nail biting. The story of Little Bird and how the Indians stole her back and then threw her over the cliff and shot her body to make sure she was dead because they thought she was a witch and could cast bad spells on them actually brought tears to my eyes. Edie's reaction was heart-wrenching. Life now is so different from that time period. Women worked hard cooking and doing laundry and taking care of children. Having babies was no easy thing. I also loved the story about Edie and her 2 friends who rode the horses straddled with their "limbs" showing (because it was improper to refer to them as legs) and their dresses pinned up was hilarious. And then to have to stand up in front of the church members and apologize - glad things like that don't happen now. But to think they actually did that in the church back in those days was interesting. Good book - look forward to reading his next series he writes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2019
Think of this as a connector book between Undaunted and Fire and Steel series and you'll like it more. It felt rushed especially at the end. Also it is not as well written as most of Lund's books. The storyline was just telling historical tidbits but jumped years way to quickly. Too rushed for such a time period covered. But it does make me love that area of Utah more.
February 4, 2021
I like this story, I like the Westland family. But, this book was so unnecessarily long. There were so many details that led to the point of distraction and could have been left out of the story altogether. I’m looking forward to reading the companion series to this series, but I hope they aren’t as tedious.
May 17, 2019
Wonderful...both books. Only The Brave and To Soar with Eagles. I feel like crying when a book come to the end.
Thank you, Brother Lund for writing books full of history and the people who become my friends! Karen Stoddard 77 years of age
Thank you, Brother Lund for writing books full of history and the people who become my friends! Karen Stoddard 77 years of age
May 28, 2017
I really enjoyed this story (and the previous volume) - even more than Undaunted. Some of the stories and
miracles of these people are absolutely incredible!
miracles of these people are absolutely incredible!
July 3, 2017
Seguel to only the brave. San Juan county.
October 14, 2017
An excellent sequel! The true stories are jaw-dropping. I have so much love for these people who settled the San Juan area!
November 12, 2017
I� enjoyed learning more about this area of Utah.
December 24, 2018
Fun plot
January 23, 2019
I found this one to be a bit too slow for my liking.
July 19, 2019
A wonderful conclusion to the only the brave series. I’m glad the characters pick up in the fire and steel series. 😊
September 4, 2019
A great third book in this series. These San Juan pioneers suffered Indian attacks, drunk cowboys, water rights fights, and harsh conditions. The whole series is worth reading.
December 3, 2019
I enjoyed the story. I also like that it is based on history. It was interesting to learn more of how the San Juan area in Utah was settled.
February 3, 2021
I liked it.
February 6, 2021
I liked it.
July 15, 2021
Interesting reading about the founding of the Monticello, Utah area.
February 8, 2022
I enjoyed this story of the San Juan pioneers. It helps me to appreciate all the challenges these people went through as they settled this State.
March 11, 2017
Another great book from Gerald N. Lund and the final saga of the Hole in the Rock series. In depth description of what it was like for those early colonies asked to settle in difficult places.
July 3, 2016
The sequel (and sadly, concluding volume for this series) to Only the Brave, this book follows all the characters previously introduced in the last book so read that first before starting this one.
Young, single adult Mormon and cowboy protagonist, Mitch Westland, is goin courtin' building himself a cabin and looking forward to married life with Edna Rae Zimmer. He also has his community duties: helping keep the peace between cowboys and Indians, church socials and meetings to attend, with cattle of his own to look after.
Edie also gets a turn in telling the story. Fiercely independent, but wholly dedicated to her family and Mitch, Edie defies 19th Century "Maidenly Modesty" by doing something so shocking, 21st century Mormon Feminists like Kate Kelly would stand up and cheer. Really, it's so scandalous you'll wonder how women ever survived before throwing off the shackles of evil patriarchy while single, female readers will wish there were more good men like Mitch available today.
Once again, award winning LDS author Gerald Lund paints another exciting tale of historical fiction with plenty of family friendly fun and adventure. Recommended for all readers ages twelve and up.
Young, single adult Mormon and cowboy protagonist, Mitch Westland, is goin courtin' building himself a cabin and looking forward to married life with Edna Rae Zimmer. He also has his community duties: helping keep the peace between cowboys and Indians, church socials and meetings to attend, with cattle of his own to look after.
Edie also gets a turn in telling the story. Fiercely independent, but wholly dedicated to her family and Mitch, Edie defies 19th Century "Maidenly Modesty" by doing something so shocking, 21st century Mormon Feminists like Kate Kelly would stand up and cheer. Really, it's so scandalous you'll wonder how women ever survived before throwing off the shackles of evil patriarchy while single, female readers will wish there were more good men like Mitch available today.
Once again, award winning LDS author Gerald Lund paints another exciting tale of historical fiction with plenty of family friendly fun and adventure. Recommended for all readers ages twelve and up.
August 23, 2016
Excellent story about the settlements in south east UT - Monticello, Verdure, Bluff - and the experiences of the fictional family Mitch and Edie mixed with real families and stories of that time period - I loved the challenges they faced regarding their lives, their faith, dealing with Indians and wild cowboys. I loved the love story between Mitch and Edie and the love of the other families in these settlements. I did have a hard time with the transition at the end of the story - it end with Edie finally giving birth to their son and then we jump to about 20 years later with Edie telling her children and grandchildren the rest of the story of their lives after their son was born. Mitch is on a mission in Germany which then ties the story in to the other series Gerald Lund is writing - Fire and Steel, Vol 2, The Storm Descends where he writes about Mitch. Even though I enjoyed the story telling of Edie to her family, I felt like there wasn't any closure with the other families that were with them through all these tragedies and experiences, after the Indian incident the rest of their friends just story of dropped off. Really enjoyed this book though. I love historical fiction.
June 29, 2016
I LOVE this great book! I love the way that it ties the Mitch and Edie Zimmer family into the rest of the series. I loved learning more about how life would have been for the pioneers living in the Monticello area during the late 1800's.
I was kind of surprised when I started reading that this book went back in time from the last one I finished, The Storm Descends. I had just finished that one and was just a little confused as I started reading this one. But as soon as I realized that it was just continuing the story started in Only the Brave, I was okay.
I loved reading more about Mitch and Edie. They are great characters, I loved the way the author lets us see more about their life together and the things that they would have done.
One of my very favorite parts is where the young ladies are riding horses and they get caught by their church leaders. The public apology had me laughing so hard.
This is a great book that you'll love reading! I can't wait for more of this series!
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was kind of surprised when I started reading that this book went back in time from the last one I finished, The Storm Descends. I had just finished that one and was just a little confused as I started reading this one. But as soon as I realized that it was just continuing the story started in Only the Brave, I was okay.
I loved reading more about Mitch and Edie. They are great characters, I loved the way the author lets us see more about their life together and the things that they would have done.
One of my very favorite parts is where the young ladies are riding horses and they get caught by their church leaders. The public apology had me laughing so hard.
This is a great book that you'll love reading! I can't wait for more of this series!
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2017
I surprisingly had a hard time putting this book down. It's been a long time since I read a historical fiction book, although it's probably my favorite genre. The stories in this book made me very grateful for the conveniences we have--an abundance of water, spacious shelters (that don't have sod roofs!), convenient travel and communication, etc. It also made me grateful for the things I don't have to deal with--lawlessness that makes me fearful of my children playing outside or going to school, unpredictable relations with neighbors, etc.
Many of the stories were very touching. The story of Little Bird is tragic, and I'm sure is only a small taste of the rough and hard realities many of the pioneers had to face while living close to the Indians. The cowboys shooting at the feet of the children was horrific. And I cried (probably because I deal with birth and life and death so much) as I read how the Westland's baby was gray and then slowly turned pink and took it's first breath. It was a great book to read to start of the new year.
Many of the stories were very touching. The story of Little Bird is tragic, and I'm sure is only a small taste of the rough and hard realities many of the pioneers had to face while living close to the Indians. The cowboys shooting at the feet of the children was horrific. And I cried (probably because I deal with birth and life and death so much) as I read how the Westland's baby was gray and then slowly turned pink and took it's first breath. It was a great book to read to start of the new year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2016
In the previous novel, several Mormon families in the 1880s traveled to southeastern Utah to tame the land and befriend the Native Americans. Now, a few years later, there are ongoing problems with land and water rights as cattlemen move into the area and new problems arise with the indigent people and conflicts erupt with the Mormons.
It was a hard-scrabble life on the frontier, and there are some stories here that are meaningful, and it is a nice bridge between the “Hole in the Rock� series and the World War I series that Lund writes.
It was an interesting book, and it filled in much of the gaps between the two series, but it kind of seemed like an afterthought � just some interesting stories in the “between� years, and Lund is the master of telling these kinds of stories, but it was also a book that wasn’t essential to either series but it was nice to have a bridge to connect them.
It was a hard-scrabble life on the frontier, and there are some stories here that are meaningful, and it is a nice bridge between the “Hole in the Rock� series and the World War I series that Lund writes.
It was an interesting book, and it filled in much of the gaps between the two series, but it kind of seemed like an afterthought � just some interesting stories in the “between� years, and Lund is the master of telling these kinds of stories, but it was also a book that wasn’t essential to either series but it was nice to have a bridge to connect them.
May 25, 2016
I am a huge Gerald Lund fan, and "To Soar With Eagles" is up to par with his other stories. I am always amazed at how he masterfully teaches the reader historical facts as he leads you along through fictional characters. My favorite parts of his novels are always at the end of the chapters where he educated the reader with his notes at the end of each chapter annotating where the historical sources were discovered. This story of the San Juan pioneers is so very inspiring as he unfolds their tale of trials, tenacity, and perseverance. I was giddy when I discovered that there was a third novel in this series. It does not disappoint!
October 1, 2016
I actually listened to this book while I was driving in my car. I loved it. I really enjoyed the descriptions and narrative of the book. Gerald Lund does a good job of taking you right into the story and lets you know the people in the book and doesn't waste much time letting you try and figure out what is going on. I like that. I also enjoyed the reading of the book by Kirby Heyborne. He was excellent. I give him an A++++++++ etc. He is so good at voices and seem to have no problem at all switching voices for all the many different characters. The narration flows seamlessly. It would be a big plus to me to listen to more books he narrates.
May 23, 2016
I enjoyed having this book to pick up and read. I was a little disconcerted at first, when really getting into the story, finishing a chapter, eager to move on to the next, and then having to stop the momentum by reading the notes which would sometimes come at the end of the chapter. I eventually got used to this method and began to look forward to more information about the actual incidents which occurred to these early southern Utah pioneers, culled from journals and newspapers. All in all, a good book which motivated me to purchase the other books in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
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