None Left to Tell – Book Review

Three women, connected by one of the most brutal mass slayings in US history.

Lucy is sick of turning the other cheek. Ten years ago, an anti-Mormon mob drove her family and friends from their homes in Illinois. But now, the tables have turned. Rumor has it, some of those same men are traveling through Utah on their way to California. And this time, Lucy won’t run.

Katrina knew the trek west would be difficult. But she had no idea she’d be walking straight into hell. The young mother of four is prepared to do whatever it takes to protect her family from the violence closing in, but the battle to survive will be more harrowing than anything she can imagine.

Sally has just been “gifted” to a man she barely knows—as his fourth wife. Trapped and lonely, she tries to make the best of her new life. But when her husband insists on joining a group of religious zealots’ plans for revenge, she’s forced to reconsider her loyalties. Even if it means putting her own life on the line.

Based on true events, None Left to Tell is the story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Though this is a work of fiction, the events and some of the characters in the book are real based on the real-life story of Mountain Meadows Massacre that happened in 1857. In fact, one of the main characters, Lucy Robison happened to be the great-great-great grandmother of the author.

I am not that familiar about Mormons in general and reading this book, despite being a work of fiction helped me learn some things about the US history and Mormons in general.

The Mormons have established themselves in Utah territory. Lucy Robison and her husband are Mormons. They had fled from New York and settled down in Utah to get away from the persecution they faced as Mormons. Then we have a Native Indian tribe the Paiutes who have allied with the Mormons to protect their territory from the gentiles–meaning the non-Mormons. And then we have this non-Mormons, the Huff and other families who are migrating to California for better life. And they had to pass through Utah territory for their journey to California.

The story starts when Lucy Robison’s son Procter dies from an apparently steer poisoning and so are the other Indians. Believing that the gentiles must have poisoned the steer, the Mormons come up with a plan to get rid of the gentiles who are passing through the Utah territory–and that begins the bloody Mountain Meadows Massacre where 120 people were slaughtered to death including women and children. Seventeen of those children survived but was forcibly taken in by Mormon families.

Noelle W Ihli had beautifully crafted this story making the readers feel interested about the story. The story is told in multiple POVs which include Lucy Robison who is thus the main character, Katrina Huff, who was on the journey to California, a Native Indian Sally and Katrina’s daughter Nancy who survived the massacre. The fact that this happened in real life also intrigued me. Not many people would have heard about this massacre, yet that 120 innocent people butchered were too emotional to read. Noelle somehow manages to captivate the audience with her brilliant style of writing. This to me felt more like a historical fiction than a thriller, and quiet emotional to read as well.

Overall I rate this book five stars.