One Big Open Sky
Holiday House, 2024
Three women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free—or cost them everything they have—in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
★ "Cline-Ransome once again demonstrates her incredible literary skills. . . a deeply moving story that centers a distinctive part of the African American story." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
★ “This is a captivating story about African American homesteaders and their claims to land promised them after the Civil War.” —Horn Book, Starred Review
"[A] gripping historical verse novel. . . The meticulously layered intersections of each protagonist’s experience deftly captures the lengths to which Black people—particularly women—would go in pursuit of freedom in the post-Reconstruction era." —Publishers Weekly
"Lesa Cline-Ransome's historical novel in verse, 'One Big Open Sky,' is determined to fill in these archival silences. . . a mix of richly textured description and vibrant dialogue. . . meticulous research. . . ."—The New York Times
"This emotional look into an untold part of the Westward Expansion dives deep into Black self-emancipation and the strength of Black women."—School Library Journal
"The verses read smoothly and, although completely lacking in punctuation, will be accessible to young readers."—Booklist