"THE DAUGHTER'S WALK," by Jane Kirkpatrick, Water Brook Press, $16.99, 400 pages (f)
In 1896, Helga Estby and her 18-year-old daughter Clara accepted the challenge to walk from Spokane, Wash., to New York City within seven months. If they succeeded they would win $10,000, enough to save the family farm. In "The Daughter's Walk" by Jane Kirkpatrick, the story continues after the women return home, when the daughter Clara decides she must find her own way in the world.
The journey and plight of these women is adventurous and intriguing. Clara Estby is not immediately an engaging character, and however, her perseverance and need to be independent draws the reader in. In an age when the value of women was confined to the home, and the female mind was considered incapable of making sound business decisions, Clara Estby demonstrated an unconquerable spirit.
Award-winning novelist Jane Kirkpatrick weaves history with fiction to create an incredible journey of a young woman at the turn of the 20th century. The Estby’s journey briefly touches on Salt Lake City, where they donned the “reform dress” as part of the wager from the fashion industry. Kirkpatrick’s own family history has ties to Utah and the Mormon faith. She speaks highly of genealogical research, not just for her stories, but also for life perspective.
“I think the study of genealogy gives us a measure of the lives of those who went before us, the way-makers, offering us a glimpse into our own future through the eyes of the past,” Kirkpatrick said in an email to the Deseret News.
Today women are praised for their independence, their bold and outspoken natures. People often look back at our female pioneers and suffragists with admiration and gratitude, but the Estby’s story shows the towering obstacles and emotional strains, not just with politics, but in society and especially family. There was a curious viewpoint during this age that when a man fails it is because he is human, but when a woman fails is because she is a woman. In “The Daughter’s Walk,” even the women have a hard time freeing themselves of this philosophy.
Many women desire independence and the strength to make it on their own, but Clara’s story shows that female independence is not glamour, but a lonely and difficult life, and it’s never clear if she believes she’s chosen the right path. Females deserve their rights, but at the end of the day, and certainly in Clara’s story, it is our family ties that bring us individual identity and purpose.
IF YOU GO ...
What: Jane Kirkpatrick book signing
When: Friday, June 3, 7 p.m.
Where: The King's English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City
Web: kingsenglish.com
Liesl Shurtliff holds a Bachelor's degree in music, dance and theater and writes middle-grade and young adult fiction. She blogs at writerropes.blogspot.com