The Undaunted by Gerald Lund (published 2009) was a fun historical novel to read. It ostensibly was about the Mormon pioneers in 1879, when they migrated from one part of Southern Utah to another. They went to the Four Corners are of Utah (San Juan) that is mostly rock, such as the rocky terrain at nearby Arches and Canyonlands. They are thus called the Hole-in-the-Rock Saints because the only way to get to their destination was to literally dynamite holes in the rocks. As a frame for this mission to establish a new community, our young hero David Draper comes to rely on the Lord through this near impossible task.
David Draper has worked in the Yorkshire coal mines with his father since he was 5 years old. When they must flee the mining community, they join the church, in name only, in order to emigrate from England to the United States without the money they would otherwise need. Although he finds friendliness and comfort in the Mormon environment in Utah, David had never really converted to the faith, as his father had. This is then the story: the conversion process of David as he leads pioneers through unknown territory in the 1880s. As a cowboy and mail carrier, he’s traveled the unknown many times. But this time, it is with a group of faithful Saints. The miracles they experience through the process help him come to terms with his faith and he develops a testimony, just in time to get the girl.
Yes, as can be expected, much of the book is the developing relationships between David Draper and those in the McKenna family (young women!). It was not majorly focused on the Hole-in-the-Rock pioneers. In fact, probably about a quarter of the book was David Draper’s childhood in Yorkshire and how mining affected his life outlook. Then, the next quarter was David’s relationship with the gospel as well as with the McKenna’s in Cedar City.
About half-way through the book, the group gets the call to travel to the Four Corners area of Utah. It was expected to be a six-week journey, but it turned into six months. Getting to what is now Bluff, Utah was essentially an impossible task. And yet, even though it was not possible, they did it, by cutting through rock with dynamite and pickaxes. These pioneers did it only because they were called by the prophet to do so. There was no clear other reason. So, they had to rely on their faith in the Lord.
I liked the novel as a whole. I did, however, feel like the journey was just a small portion of the book. I kept wondering why we were in Yorkshire in the mines at first. And then as the relationships were drawn out — I could see where it was going, but I wondered. These scenes did develop our characters, but it made the book long and definitely not focused on the faithful pioneer journey.
