“Under This Unbroken Sky is a dazzling novel. Shandi Mitchell’s depiction of Depression-era prairie life has a vividness and veracity that brings to mind Willa Cather’s fiction, but Mitchell’s voice and her rendering of the human heart’s complexities are completely her own. She is a writer of immense talent.” - Ron Rash, author of Serena
“A magnificent novel. . . . A powerhouse of a debut that grips from start to finish.” - Steven Galloway, author of the The Cellist of Sarajevo
“Unforgettable. . . . Mitchell’s extraordinary rendering of human suffering is matched by her ability to give powerful imaginative shape to the will to survive, to care for others, and to forgive the most brutal of trespasses.” - Janice Kulyk Keefer, author of The Ladies' Lending Library
“This ambitious novel, full of the minutiae of the savage existence of a frontier family, comprises a harsh picture of lives lived in an unforgiving landscape.” - Publishers Weekly
“Remarkable. . . . Mitchell’s harrowing story delivers an unforgettable literary tribute to an immigrant people and their struggle. The lyrical style, the riveting historical material, and the treatment of prejudice make the novel a great book-club choice.” - Booklist (starred review)
“[An] unflinching debut. . . . There’s a love for the land and the immigrant spirit throughout the book. This is one of the finest novels I have read this year—a lyrical, evocative tale of pioneer life from an immensely talented debut author.” - Historical Novels Review
“Utterly gripping. Epic in scope, this tale of family feuds, violence and hardship follows the fortunes of Theo Mykolayenko, a Ukrainian survivor of Stalin’s labour camps who starts a new life in the harsh Canadian Prairies. . . . Beautifully pitched and unsentimental in execution. Brilliant.” - Marie Claire (UK)