Wyoming – 1979 to the Present

DOUBLE M: THE JENNINGS is the fourth in this saga of the family living on the Double M Ranch in Wyoming. Started by Texas transplants Mike Mallon and Nevada Jennings in the 1870s, the ranch is now a large private corporation that has made the family rich. On the day the family matriarch, Suzanna Kendricks Parkhurst Jennings, is laid to rest in 1979, her second husband dies at her graveside, ending an era. In her will, Suzanna leaves the estate to her grandchildren, JP Jennings and his sister Kenlyn, and her grandniece, Anne. These young adults will take the Double M into the future, and it is around their stories of discovering love, having children and enduring losses that the story revolves.

Don't read DOUBLE M: THE JENNINGS without having read the other books in the series first. You will get lost in the characters and what history has gone before. There are just too many family connections and friends to keep straight. However, it is a series well worth reading from the start because you just can't help but become engrossed in this family’s story. They are the epitome of the independent, hard working, faith-driven Western family who used generosity and community spirit to tame a continent. In this volume, the emphasis is on how the family changes as the world evolves.

Author Sherry Derr-Wille does an excellent job of threading the lives of her characters through recent history. They also deal with past issues and discover a lost part of the family. There is a strong romance element through the story and an interesting, almost paranormal, thread as certain family members hear the voices of their ancestors advising them. This is not distracting and fits the strong religious faith of the characters involved. The magnitude of the story may be too large for the actual number of pages. Covering too much history in a relatively short novel leads to some choppy passages, but the characters are interesting, the situations often emotional, and the pace is one to keep your interest glued to the story. If you enjoy historical fiction, buy this series.

Book One: DOUBLE M: THE MALLONS
Book Two: DOUBLE M: THE KENDRICKS – RRT 2007 Historical Fiction Review
Book Three: DOUBLE M: THE PARKHURSTS – RRT 2007 Historical Fiction Review

Robin Lee