Fiction / Historical
362 Pages
5 Stars
Legalities: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for
an honest review.
Jane Kirkpatrick is the only Christian author I've found,
whose books I consistently pick up, read, and enjoy. Normally her books are,
for me, one-sit reads. I'm not sure why this one was easier to put down and
wait a while before picking up again. Which does not detract from the story,
just an observation. Sometimes it's nice to have a book one can read a chapter
or two at a time, put it down for work, or sleep, and pick it up again later.
Kirkpatrick writes historical fiction, which I love, and she
writes about the early women in the Oregon Country, which I also love. She is a
Christian author, and her characters are, of course, also Christian (which they
were in real life). She does not use the books to proselytize; she shows how
important their faith was to the women. And trust me, to those early women—it
was a lifesaver on more than one occasion!
The Road We Traveled tells the story of Tabitha Brown
(Tabby), a grandmother, whose adult children were headed from Missouri to
Oregon, and were going to leave her home with the one son who wasn't making the
trek. The boys assumed (typical) she wouldn't want to go. Boy, Howdy were they
ever wrong! Tabby (a widow), her husband's brother, and an orphan boy hired as
driver, said they would be no problem, and would not slow them down, and made
the trek.
This is a coming of age story for all characters involved,
it is delightfully told, and gives marvelous insight into the lives of our
early pioneers—especially the women. They often had no real choice in whether
they made the trek or not, and it was wonderful to read a story about a real
woman who, against all odds, made the trek on her own terms. With her usual
style, she tells a detailed and rich story.
If you enjoy the history of early settlers to the Oregon
Country (including what is now Washington State), read this book.
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