A highly emotional read!! I got so tense, angry and sad while reading this novel based on real characters! Emmaline was so young and not only did she have to endure poverty, but also she had been at 15 submitted to a plural marriage in the name of religion. Of course, men were in control, subduing so many women... Inconceivable but alas true. I liked Emmaline very much: her courage, resilience and her never giving up hope. I believed in her and I feel I know her. An excellent novel!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

My favorite book so far of 2026 and no doubt will be one of if not my favorite book of 2026 as a whole. This was beautiful and heartbreaking.

I was incredibly keen to read this debut as it promised all the ingredients that I love in a novel: historical themes (in 1860’s America - huge bonus!); explorations of adversity, family ties, determination, and a strong female lead. Wow, did this book deliver.

We meet Emmaline as an observant 14 year old girl, living in poverty first in Wiltshire then Liverpool, England, whose family decide to embark on the promise of a new life in America with fellow Brits enchanted by the beliefs of the Zionist movement. What follows is the arduous, harrowing and at times impossible journey to their new life in Utah.

Told by Emmaline in first person, I was drawn to her immediately. As soon as she was determined to fill her journal with ‘beautiful words for its lovely pages’ I loved her - the young girl just came off the page, and I could relate to her confused innocence so acutely. Sharing how she grows, as does her sheer bravery and determination, is a journey as encompassing as the pilgrimage itself.

This book has many journey themes: notably the huge challenge of migrating from the UK to Utah, on foot from Boston, with all the perilous moments along the way. It is also Emmaline’s journey of being forced to grow up way ahead of her time and navigating coercive, exploiting circumstances that were never expected, whilst all the while maintaining her integrity and knowing that her situation was not what she signed up for. The additional journeys of grief, family, friendships and motherhood are also explored as Emmaline faces her challenges.

I was captivated by the detailed descriptions of ‘tall prairie grasses’ and views that were ‘only broken by the deep blue sky.’ The landscape is a constant in Emmaline’s life, especially when all around her is unknown. I loved how she is so moved by the ‘inspiring’ mountains of Utah and it felt like they provided comfort as the one thing she could rely on that wouldn’t change or disappear. No matter what she endures, she remains ‘connected’ to the landscape which I found so powerful.

I am full of admiration for how the author has created a narrative which combines tangible characters with difficult themes of plural marriage, exploitation, coercion and loss. The historical significance provided at the end of the book really adds to the impact of the story - people from the past are brought to life and it is a joy to meet, know and root for them.

I would like to add my gratitude to Ashli O’Connell for providing me with the chance to read her first novel; this was my first ARC project and I could not have wished for a better story for the experience. I just hope that this is the first of many books, Ashli - huge congratulations on your achievement.

Emmaline was an absolutely breathtakingly beautiful piece of art in story form. The writing is wonderful and the story following Emmaline from England all the way to Colorado is full of heartbreak, joy, fear, sadness, loss, love, and family. What an incredible woman! She overcame enormous amounts of adversity in order to thrive and I was rooting for her the whole time.

The men in this story....the Utah men, I should say, just...made me sick. I had such an intensely awful reaction to them and seeing all the horrors they forced her to survive.

What an incredible story. 100% a recommended read!