Book Review: The Daughter's Walk

I am finally back into blogging about books, and my first read of the summer is a historical fiction coming from the wonderful writer Jane Kirkpatrick. Anyone that talks to me for a bit will understand how much of a history buff I am and that is the reason I chose this novel. For the most part, the events of the novel are historically accurate with a few minor characters thrown in here and there to give the plot some more depth.

The book spans a larger period of time, beginning with 19 year old Clara, a young woman on a walk across the United States, from Spokane, Wash., to New York in the last 1890s. The first half of the novel details the 3,500 mile journey of Clara and her mother, Helga. The family needs money, and they walk across the country on a wager, hoping to save their farm. I do have to admit that the walking was a bit tiresome in some parts...I did skim at some points. Other times there was a lot happening, and it was difficult to put down for the night.

The second half of the novel describes Clara's venture into the business world. She exiles herself from her family and lives an independent life, something unheard of during the time.

It is supposed to be a spiritual novel, but I found that there really was little mention of God. If I hadn't known that before hand, I probably wouldn't have noticed much of the references. This is one of the lose ends that really bothered me. There is no spiritual conclusion in Clara's life. God exists, but no major mention of Him later in the novel kind of spoils that plot point.

Overall, a good read. If you have some time, pick it up, especially if you are a history buff. 3 1/2-4 stars from me!



I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review and received no monetary compensation. I just do this for my own enjoyment. If you feel you might be interested, visit their website, Blogging for Books.