The Daughter's Walk

The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick

About The Book:

A mother's tragedy, a daughter's desire and the 7,000 mile journey that changed their lives. In 1896, Norwegian American Helga Estby accepted a wager from the fashion industry to walk from Spokane, Washington to New York City within seven months in an effort to earn $10,000. Bringing along her nineteen year-old daughter Clara, the two made their way on the 3,500-mile trek by following the railroad tracks and motivated by the money they needed to save the family farm. After returning home to the Estby farm more than a year later, Clara chose to walk on alone by leaving the family and changing her name. Her decisions initiated a more than 20-year separation from the only life she had known. Historical fiction writer Jane Kirkpatrick picks up where the fact of the Estbys’ walk leaves off to explore Clara's continued journey. What motivated Clara to take such a risk in an era when many women struggled with the issues of rights and independence? And what personal revelations brought Clara to the end of her lonely road? The Daughter's Walk weaves personal history and fiction together to invite readers to consider their own journeys and family separations, to help determine what exile and forgiveness are truly about.

My Thoughts:

This is a fascinating story and it really makes you think of your own life, and your path. The writing and the history in this book are amazing. The book does tend to get a bit long, but it is a story worth reading. I find it amazing that this is based on a true story. It just goes to show what strong women there are in the world. A great read, if you can get through the tough parts.

About The Author:

If you'd like more information about me, please come visit my website at www.jkbooks.com and click on the monthly memos. You'll find out more about me than you probably ever wanted to know! One item not listed on my lists of books is my selection included in an anthology called "Crazy Woman Creek: Women Rewrite the American West" published by Houghton Mifflin. I also have a piece in Storytellers II, a book published a few years ago by Multnomah Press and a few short selections in Daily Guideposts of a few years back. The rest of my writing, as they say, is history.

Buy this book on Amazon HERE.

I received a complementary review copy of this book from Blogging For Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.