It’s a nice day outside…a good day for a walk or sitting in the shade with a good book. Today’s book pick, Jane Kirkpatrick’s The Daughter’s Walk, combines both ideas.
In 1896, Clara Etsby and her mother accept a wager made by the fashion industry: walk across the country in seven months to promote the new “reform-style” dresses and win $10,000 to save their family farm. Along the way, Clara learns self-confidence, a new respect for her mother and a family secret that will change the direction of her future.
Believing that the book was about the walk itself, I found myself surprised and slightly disappointed when Kirkpatrick skimmed over large sections of their journey. About one third of the way into the book, I realized why she had done so. This story is less about the walk and more about a woman’s struggle to understand the sacrificial journey and its long-term impact on her family and her life.
Though I enjoyed the book–paticularly the close attention to historical detail and to Clara’s relationships with family and faith–I often found myself frustrated with the plot and characters. Kirkpatrick stays true to the historical facts of Clara’s life and I felt a little guilty wishing for a satisfying resolution–something we don’t always get in real life.
If you enjoy historical sagas that follow a character through the hills and valleys of their life, you will be delighted with The Daughter’s Walk. If you prefer gentle walk-in-the-park type stories, you’d be advised to look elsewhere.
If you would like to learn more about The Daughter’s Walk, you can view the book’s trailer on YouTube or read the first chapter, courtesy of WaterBrook Multnomah.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for the purpose of review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”