Blogging for Books-The Daughter's Walk

This is now my 4th book in my blogging for books adventure.
I love this program and I'm thankful that I've been included to participate. The book I chose to read, A Daughter's Walk, is written in one of my favorite genre styles - Historical Fiction. I love how an author intertwines fact with fiction. And (bonus) I feel like I'm actually learning a bit about History when I'm finished. I hope you enjoy my review of A Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick.

What would it be like to walk across the country from Spokane, WA to New York City? In the book The Daughter’s Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick, the author begins the novel with this amazing feat. The fact that it was done by two women (a mother & daughter duo), that it was accomplished in 1896, and that it is an actual historical event all make this part of the story fascinating.

Part one of the novel takes the reader on the walk that changed both of their lives. The reason for the journey is to try and save the family’s farm by earning money for their walk. The mom Helga Estby and the daughter Clara Estby Doré must make it to New York (7,000 miles) within the allotted time if they want to claim their earnings. I can’t imagine making that trek before all modern conveniences and with little to no money. They endured many hardships, but it brought the two women closer together – and they forever shared this unique bond. Kirkpatrick’s writing of this journey is very descriptive and engaging. I cheered for their triumphs and mourned for their losses.

Woven throughout this part of the story is the beginning of the fight for women’s rights. There were many who supported the two women and celebrated in their accomplishments (think suffrage movement), but most opposed this outright feminist act, including their family. In fact, without giving too much of the story away, this walk ultimately divided the Etsbys for many decades.

The women’s walk across the United States was only the beginning. For the second part of the novel, Kirkpatrick wrote about the rest of the journey because of her curiosity of the main character Clara Estby Doré. What happened to her after she was exiled from the family farm? Where did she go and what did she do?

Clara’s story after the walk is largely fictional, but it does not feel that way. The amount of research that Kirkpatrick does to tell the story is really remarkable. She talked with many, if not all, of the known living relatives of the Estby family to get the story right. Even though Clara is an interesting woman and character to read about, especially after learning of all her accomplishments financially as an independent woman in the early 1900s, it was the minor characters that I was really drawn to – which to me is a sign of a good writer.

The Daughter’s Walk did not necessarily end how I thought it would/should. But because the story was historically based, the author didn’t have a much of a choice. I also thought that there were parts of the book that were a bit boring and I found myself stopping at times to do other things (as a big reader this doesn’t happen much). However, Kirkpatrick provides great details of the setting and in describing what life was like before the great depression in an era when many people still struggled for survival.

The fact that Jane Kirkpatrick sparked my curiosity about the Estbys and the women who made the remarkable journey, means that Kirkpatrick did her job as a historical fiction writer. She told a good story.

*FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

If you get a chance, check out my review at Blogging for Books. There you will find information on how to purchase the book, as well as rank my review.

Also, as a side note, this book has discussion questions at the end of the book - so it would be a good Book Club book to read.