Dee W. (dwolters) reviewed on 5/15/2011 + 61 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 5

The Daughters Walk is the new historical novel by Jane Kirkpatrick. Jane writes about women in history who are significant in their own way, and this book is no exception. 1896 Helga Estby and her daughter, Clara, undertake a risky challenge in an effort to save their family farm from foreclosure. They must walk from Seattle to New York. If they make it before the deadline, they will be awarded $5K, enough to pay off the farm.

The first half of the book is their walk including their struggles and triumphs. It is fascinating how they are able to make it, without all the modern conveniences we consider essential. They could not beg but were expected to work for their room and board. They found some compassionate along the way, but were also shunned by others.

The second half of the novel is where Kirkpatrick shines! She creates a story for Clara following the historical walk. While she is shunned by her family, she finds success with the help of others.

This book is very well written and is captivating. The story moves along well and the characters are come alive. As compared to A Gathering of Finches, Walk is easy to read. Clara is trying to find herself and her self assurance. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend this to others.

I received this book from Waterbrook Press by being a member of their Blogging for Books program. All opinions expressed are my own.

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