Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell

Set in 1937 Canada, Under This Unbroken Sky tells the story of two families at odds. Ukrainian immigrant Teodor Mykolayenko, his wife, and their five children are struggling to farm the prairie land they hope to someday own. Due to Teodor's recent incarceration (because of him "stealing" his own grain), he is uneligible to own land in his own name. Agreeing to help him out, his partially unhinged sister Anna buys the homestead, with the arrangement that after he pays her back the land will be his. Anna has troubles of her own, with a good-for-nothing alcoholic husband (Stefan) who has, once again, abandoned her and her two children. The trouble really starts when Stefan returns home, prepared to reap the rewards of "his" land.

When I first started this novel, I wasn't sure I would like it due to the writing style. It's written in the present tense, with short and sometimes simple sentences. To me, it almost read like a screen-play, and I found it jarring the first 50 pages. Once I got used to the style, however, this book completely sucked me in. By the end of the book, I appreciated the writer's style because it fits the tone of the story so well. This is an intense read; things start to spiral out of control for the characters and you can't help but really feel for them. This book will have you reading into the wee hours of the night to see what happens. I highly recommend it, and will be looking forward to the author's next book.