Just before the turn on the 20th century, when woman's suffrage was at its infancy, Clara Estby must join her mother to walk from Spokane, Washington to New York City in order to save her family's farm. Her father has recovered from diphrheria but he cannot find enough work to pay the mortgage. Clara's mother, Helga, agrees to make the walk, advertising the new reform dress for the sponsors which shows a woman's ankles, for the sum of $10,000. In leaving with her mother, Clara must resign her position at Stapleton home and will most likely not be able to find employment once she returns. Several poor decisions and illnesses prolong their arrival to NYC but the Estby women are not typicaly women of their day. Will they make it in time to save their family?
Returning to their home in Spokane, they find that tragedy has struck. Plans for the future hang in limbo and Clara must find work. Through her job as a secretary and her employers, Clara seeks to find a place of belonging and to fill the emptiness in her heart.
Based on a true story, The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick tells the story of an independent woman paving the way for women today and her time away from her family after she is told some of the family "secrets". The end of each chapter leaves the reader wondering what is going to happen to Clara next. I literally flew through the almost four hundred pages. I grieved with her mother and felt like I was right there with Clara every step of the way. The author does an excellent job breathing life into the historical characters and making the history come to life during a time of American history I know very little about. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. However, don't expect a story that is filled with examples of the family's faith in God. You won't find it. God is mentioned in the book but almost as a brief afterthought which was somewhat of a disappointment.
This book is available on Amazon.com and christianbooks.com.
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