Review: Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell

Teodor Mykolayenko spent two years in prison for stealing his own grain. After serving his time he returns to his struggling family on the tundra of northwestern Canada. His son Myron has worked the land under Teodor's sister Anna's care. Her husband Stefan has all but abandoned the family in preference of town life over that of the farm. Teodor strives to take back his land and grow the farm and his family.

The family works hard to secure their farm and raise enough money to be able to sustain through the cruel fall and winter. They face many obstacles including a raging fire and social tension when Stefan returns and attempts to reclaim the land and crops as his own. The family is tested and some fail as others grow.

I was not really sure about this book as I started it. I had a vague understanding of what the plot covered, but I had no idea how much I would love this book. The writing is good, however, there were many places where the tense changed unexpectedly. The atmosphere Shandi Mitchell created was amazing. I had no problem picturing the vast tundra and the openness of the land during the 1930s.

The subtle mini plot lines between the various family members were intricately delightful. I enjoyed the competitive, loving, disastrous relationship between the cousins Petro and Ivan. The fact that the characters had aspirations to behave a certain way yet were driven off course at times by their emotions gave the book meaning.

Believe it or not, this was a fast read for me. Normally, historical fiction reads are somewhat slower for me because I like to take my time and not miss any of the period ambiance. But this book read almost like a thriller for me. There was not a lot of violence or fast action scenes but I had to keep reading to find out what would happen for the family next. Would they survive?

I received this book as part of the Barnes and Noble First Look Book Club. I will be participating in a month long discussion on their site that will include the author for a significant portion of the time. I cannot recommend this book enough. It will most likely be my favorite read of the year.