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  • Not available at this site at this time. A circle of courageous women discovers the meaning of independence, forgiveness, and love.   Ruth Martin had a dream: to become an independent woman and build a life in southern Oregon for herself and her children. But when her friend Mazy's inaction results in a tragedy that shatters Ruth's dream, Ruth must start anew and try to heal her tender wounds. Her friends are also moving on. Mazy wrestles with her understanding of what faith and family really mean; Tipton discovers that marriage requires more than she's ready to give, and Suzanne's challenge is to keep seeing with new eyes. Together, the turnaround women travel to arenas of untested promise where they'll find a hope that sustains them and relationships they'll cherish all their days. The third book in the Kinship and Courage series. Based on a true story. Awards:
    • Bestseller List, 2002, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
    Other books in this series: #1) All Together in One Place, #2) No Eye Can See Reviews:  "Masterful storytelling continues in this real-as-rain portrayal of the Oregon-California 1850s frontier. A Compelling tale." —Craig Lesley, bestselling author "While Kirkpatrick's Kinship and Courage Series is set over 150 years ago, it speaks to contemporary issues of loss and hope, sorrow and regret. We are transported to another time and place, walking with women of depth through a journey of healing and hope." —St. Helen's Bookshop Price includes shipping and handling.
  • This video is designed to encourage the reluctant writer to take the next step. Is it to write more powerful letters? Is it to begin that family story? Is it to discover through writing what your life is all about? Novice to experienced writers will benefit from Jane who knows better than most what it takes to be a truly great writer. The Writers Classes Collection are recordings of Jane’s Beachside Writers Workshop presentations. Watch the trailer here. Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Nine essential ingredients to a novel that will keep pages turning, bring meaning to a reader’s life, and tell the stories of the human heart. Novice to experienced writers will benefit from Jane who knows better than most what it takes to be a truly great writer. The Writers Classes Collection are recordings of Jane’s Beachside Writers Workshop presentations. Watch the trailer here. Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Jane shares her own writing tips and those of several award-winning and best-selling authors hoping to help YOU find your path toward completing your writing goals. Novice to experienced writers will benefit from Jane who knows better than most what it takes to be a truly great writer. The Writers Classes Collection are recordings of Jane’s Beachside Writers Workshop presentations. Watch the trailer here. Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Jane offers questions to ask before beginning that family story and provides creative comments to share with other family members saying “What? That never happened?” Discover yourself inside your family story. Novice to experienced writers will benefit from Jane who knows better than most what it takes to be a truly great writer. The Writers Classes Collection are recordings of Jane’s Beachside Writers Workshop presentations. Watch the trailer here. Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Not available at this site at this time. In 1853, Abigail Scott was a 19-year-old school teacher in Oregon Territory when she married Ben Duniway. Marriage meant giving up on teaching, but Abigail always believed she was meant to be more than a good wife and mother. When Abigail becomes the primary breadwinner for her growing family, what she sees as a working woman appalls her - and prompts her to devote her life to fighting for the rights of women, including the right to vote. Based on a true story, Something Worth Doing will resonate strongly with modern women who still grapple with the pull between career and family, finding their place in the public sphere, and dealing with frustrations and prejudices when competing in male-dominated spaces.  Awards: 
    • Finalist, 2021, Will Rogers Medallion Award - Maverick (new category in 2021)
    • Bestseller List, 2020, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
    • Bestseller List, 2020, Library Journal, Christian Fiction
    Reviews:  “Kirkpatrick offers a powerful fictionalized version of the remarkable life of Abigail Scott Duniway, a fierce advocate for women’s rights.”—Booklist ** Starred Review** (See the review here) "A phenomenal read. The emotional journey immediately swept me up into the book."—Urban Lit Magazine "Kirkpatrick has a wonderful voice in historical fiction. The stories that she creates are out of this world! This book definitely deserves more than 5 stars!"—Interviews & Reviews "This is a moving account of a formidable woman... I found it both fascinating and inspiring and a joy to read."—Historical Novel Society Listen to the book trailer. Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Adversity can squelch the human spirit . . . or it can help us discover strength we never knew we had. In 1844, two years before the Donner Party, the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend company leaves Missouri to be the first wagons into California through the Sierra Nevada. They enjoy a safe journey--until October, when a fierce mountain snowstorm forces difficult decisions. The party separates in three directions. Some go overland around Lake Tahoe. Others stay to guard the heaviest wagons. The rest of the party, including eight women and seventeen children, huddle in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River awaiting rescue. The months ahead will be long and at times terrifying. But with friendship, family, and enough courage to overcome their fear, these intrepid pioneers will discover what truly matters in times of trial. Award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick plunges you deep into a landscape of challenge where fear and courage go hand in hand for a story of friendship, family, and hope that will remind you of what truly matters in times of trial. Awards:
    • Winner, 2021, Will Rogers Silver Medallion Award, Inspirational Western Fiction (Read more about this award here.)
    • Bestseller List, 2019, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
    • Bestseller List, 2020, Christian Booksellers Association (CBA)
    • Finalist, 2020, Will Rogers Medallion Award, Inspirational Western Fiction
    Reviews:  “Kirkpatrick is a commanding innovator of the historical genre with her depth of research and lifelike characters.”—Booklist **Starred Review** "Jane Kirkpatrick has turned a scrap of history into a story of courageous women strong enough to meet the challenges of nature--and of men." —Sandra Dallas, New York Times bestselling author "What an incredible journey this novel is! It's moving and beautifully told, and I absolutely loved it." Molly Gloss, award-winning author of The Jump-Off Creek and The Hearts of Horses Listen to the book trailer. Price includes shipping and handling.
  • In 1911, Carrie Strahorn wrote a memoir sharing some of the most exciting events of 25 years of shaping the American West with her husband, railroad promoter and writer Robert Strahorn. Nearly ten years later, she’s finally ready to reveal the secrets she hadn’t told anyone – even herself. Certain that writings will be found only after her death, Carrie confronts the pain and disappointment of the pioneering life with startling honesty. She explores the danger a women faces of losing herself within a relationship with a strong-willed man. She reaches for the courage to accept her own worth. Most of all she wonders, Can she ever feel truly at home in this rootless life? New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick draws out the emotions of living--the laughter and pain, the love and loss--to give readers a window not only into the past, but into their own conflicted hearts. Based on a true story. Reviews:  “Kirkpatrick seamlessly blends fact and fiction such that readers cannot tell where historical accounts end and the brilliance of her imagination begins. Kirkpatrick illuminates the subtext of Strahorn’s work with incredible spirit, depth, and creativity, illustrating the compelling ways in which people of the past filtered their lives and experiences.” — Booklist **Starred Review** “In Everything She Didn’t Say, bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick expertly captures the indomitable spirit of a woman who is just as comfortable reveling in her pioneering adventures as she is maintaining the composure of a Victorian lady.” —BookPage “In this enjoyable historical novel set on the 19th-century American frontier, Kirkpatrick fleshes out the story of real-life pioneer Carrie Strahorn.”—Publishers Weekly Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Already well-versed in the natural healing properties of herbs and oils, Jennie Pickett longs to become a doctor. But the Oregon frontier of the 1870s is an unforgiving place--especially for a single mother. To support herself and her young son, Jennie finds work caring for an older woman. When her patient dies, Jennie discovers that her heart has become entangled with the woman's widowed husband, a man many years her senior. Their unlikely romance may lead her to her ultimate goal--but the road forward is uncertain. New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick invites you to leave behind your preconceived notions about love and life as you, along with Jennie, discover that dreams may be deferred--but they never really die. Based on a true story Awards: 
    • Finalist, 2017, WILLA Literary Award, Original Softcover Fiction, Women Writing the West
    Reviews:  “Kirkpatrick is wonderful with historical detail and recreating the life of this inspiring woman and other female doctors of that period.”—Publishers Weekly **Starred Review**  “Strong characters, exceptional settings, and a tender romance make this a story most readers will appreciate.”—Library Journal “The stories found in these pages are heartbreaking, poignant, and uplifting. Readers who enjoy romance and character building will find this to be pleasing…”—Compass Book Ratings Listen to the book trailer: Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Drama, Adventure, and Family Struggles Abound as Three Generations Head West on the Oregon Trail Tabitha Brown refuses to be left behind in Missouri when her son makes the decision to strike out for Oregon – even if she has to hire her own wagon to join the party. After all, family ties are stronger than fear. Along with her reluctant daughter and her ever-hopeful granddaughter, the intrepid Tabitha has her misgivings. The trials they face along the way will severely test her faith, courage, and ability to hope. With her family's survival on the line, she must make the ultimate sacrifice, plunging deeper into the wilderness to seek aid. What she couldn't know was how this frightening journey would impact how she understood her own life--and the greater part she had to play in history. With her signature attention to detail and epic style, New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick invites readers to travel the deadly and enticing Oregon Trail. Based on actual events, This Road We Traveled will inspire the pioneer in all of us. Awards:
    • Bestseller List, 2016, Christian Booksellers Association (CBA)
    • Finalist, 2017, Will Rogers Medallion Award, Inspirational Fiction
    • Finalist, 2017, WILLA Literary Award, Original Softcover Fiction, Women Writing the West 
    • Nominee, 2017, Book Award, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
    Reviews:  "Kirkpatrick's vivid, rich prose will keep readers in awe and on the edges of their seats." —Publishers Weekly, **Starred Review** "Kirkpatrick's novel embodies a true pioneering spirit."—Booklist **Starred Review** "An unforgettable story of hardship, survival, and the bonds of family, based on true events. Tabby's indomitable spirit proves that women, as well as men, helped to tame the West." —Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of Anna's Crossing Listen to the book trailer: Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Eliza Spalding Warren was just a child when she was taken hostage by the Cayuse Indians during a massacre in 1847. Now a mother of two, Eliza faces a new kind of dislocation; her impulsive husband wants to make a new start in another territory, which will mean leaving her beloved home and her mother's grave--and returning to the land of her captivity. Haunted by memories and hounded by struggle, Eliza longs to know how her mother dealt with the trauma of their ordeal. As she searches the pages of her mother's diary, Eliza is stunned to find that her own recollections tell only part of the story. Based on true events, The Memory Weaver is New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick's literary journey which will take readers into the past, where threads of western landscapes, family, and faith weave a tapestry of hope inside every pioneering woman's heart. Get swept up in this emotional story of the memories that entangle us and the healing that awaits us when we bravely unravel the threads of the past. Awards:
    • Bestseller List, 2015, Christian Booksellers Association (CBA)
    • Winner, 2016, Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award, Inspirational Fiction
    • Finalist, 2016, Spur Award, Best Western Historical Fiction, Western Writers of America
    Reviews:  "Kirkpatrick exercises her considerable gift for making history come alive."—Publishers Weekly "This heart-stirring new historical novel has romance, mystery, and adventure." — RT Book Reviews Listen to the book trailer. Price includes shipping and handling.
  • "We were old enough to know better, yet still young enough to dream.”  I wrote those words in 1984 as we prepared to leave suburbia and move to 160 acres of rattlesnake and rock along Oregon’s wild and scenic John Day River.   While my husband, Jerry, had long hoped to make this transition to the land, I struggled with the leap of faith.  My skills as a mental health professional would have little place on property seven miles from the mailbox and eleven miles from a paved road.  For nearly five years, I resisted the move. But one day when I asked, “What will I do there?” a still, small voice said, “Trust. Go to the land and write.” Jane Kirkpatrick Awards:
    • Bestseller List, 1991, Christian Booksellers Association (CBA)
    • Word Book Guild Choice, 1992, Word Publishers
    Reviews:  Homestead is one of my all-time favorite works of nonfiction. It literally makes me laugh and cry. Jane’s experiences amaze me, her gift of writing inspires me, and the way she lives her life gives me real courage to face the challenges in my own. Homestead is a must-read for anyone who wants to embrace the realities and rewards of a well-lived life. Well done, Jane!” —Melody Carlson, author of Crystal Lies and Finding Alice Homestead is a moving adventure story of modern pioneers, full of courage, hard work, tender moments, and life-changing experiences.”—Barbara Jenkins, co-author of The Walk West and The Road Unseen “Homestead is a rich, compelling story that combines the spirit of adventure with the warmth and humor of a James Herriot tale..” ..it's an uplifting testimony to love, hope, family, friends and faith —Oregon Historical Quarterly Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Three very different women. One dangerous journey. And a future that seems just out of reach. Letitia holds nothing more dear than the papers that prove she is no longer a slave. They may not cause most white folks to treat her like a human being, but at least they show she is free. She trusts in those words she cannot read--as she is beginning to trust in Davey Carson, an Irish immigrant cattleman who wants her to come west with him. Nancy Hawkins is loathe to leave her settled life for the treacherous journey by wagon train, but she is so deeply in love with her husband and she knows she will follow him anywhere--even when the trek exacts a terrible cost. Betsy is a Kalapuya Indian, the last remnant of a once proud tribe in the Willamette Valley in Oregon territory. She spends her time trying to impart the wisdom and ways of her people to her grandson. But she will soon have another person to care for. As season turns to season, suspicion turns to friendship, and fear turns to courage, three spirited women will discover what it means to be truly free in a land that makes promises it cannot fulfill. This multilayered story from bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick will grip your heart and mind as you travel on the dusty and dangerous Oregon Trail into the boundless American West. Based on a true story. Awards:
    • Bestseller List, 2012, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
    • Bestseller List, 2014,  Christian Booksellers Association (CBA)
    • Winner, 2015, WILLA Literary Award, Original Softcover Fiction, Women Writing the West 
    • Finalist, 2015, Spur Award, Best Western Historical Novel, Western Writers of America
    Reviews: Kirkpatrick exercises her considerable gift for making history come alive in this real-life tale of a freed slave who travels across the country to Oregon Territory in the late 1840s. Kirkpatrick draws an indelible and intriguing portrait of Letitia Carson, an African-American woman who obtains her freedom and then determinedly makes her own way in a unsympathetic society. Kirkpatrick’s historical homework is thorough, and her realization of a little-known African-American pioneer is persuasive and poignant. Publisher's Weekly In January 2022, The Letitia Carson Legacy Project began. The project will use Letitia Carson’s land, and transfer it into a 21st century version of her Soap Creek homestead to inspire, educate, and nurture Oregon’s future generations of Black and Indigenous growers, gatherers, foragers, entrepreneurs, and leaders Listen to the book trailer. Price includes shipping and handling.
  • In this insightful devotional, New York Times best-selling author Jane Kirkpatrick provides comfort and inspiration for those in the midst of life's challenges. Promises of Hope for Difficult Times is a personal yet universal journey to find new beginnings in the face of loss or unwelcome change. Jane offers a needed reminder that God longs to show compassion and care, rest and refuge to those who hurt.  The 140 Scripture-based reflections bring hope and encouragement in the wilderness places of our lives and remind us all that in the midst of life's winters, there remains the promise of spring. A Scripture reading accompanies each of Jane's personal reflections, making this a comforting gift for those who need a daily dose of encouragement to face their pressures and problems. Reviews: There are some things that only people who have lived through them can understand. She has lived and is living through them now. The more I read of her stories, the more I appreciate how she processes and shares the challenges of life. Kate, GoodReads Reader  Every page will inspire you or challenge you to look at your own imperfect life and persevere. The author's observations about life are insightful, such as giving value indiscriminately to others, or learning not to judge a life by its productivity but “just because they exist.”  She speaks of  “word wounds” and the time and energy needed to heal those kinds of wounds. Kirkpatrick believes in giving hope and she does it with grace and dignity. “Giving is the yeast of life,” she writes, “it always rises more than expected and gives us more than imagined.”  You will receive the precious gift of hope as you read this beautiful devotional.  (5 Star)-Lela Buchanan for Readers' Favorite Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Not available on this site at this time. Please visit the Mental Health Museum in Salem, OR to purchase.  Born to an unavailable mother and an abusive father, Dorothea Dix longs simply to protect and care for her younger brothers, Charles and Joseph. But at just fourteen, she is separated from them and sent to live with relatives to be raised properly. Lonely and uncertain, Dorothea discovers that she does not possess the ability to accept the social expectations imposed on her gender and she desires to accomplish something more than finding a suitable mate. Yearning to fulfill her God-given purpose, Dorothea finds she has a gift for teaching and writing. Her pupils become a kind of family, hearts to nurture, but long bouts of illness end her teaching and Dorothea is adrift again. It’s an unexpected visit to a prison housing the mentally ill that ignites an unending fire in Dorothea’s heart—and sets her on a journey that will take her across the nation, into the halls of the Capitol, befriending presidents and lawmakers, always fighting to relieve the suffering of what Scripture deems, the least of these. In bringing nineteenth-century, historical reformer Dorothea Dix to life, author Jane Kirkpatrick combines historical accuracy with the gripping narrative of a woman who recognized suffering when others turned away, and the call she heeded to change the world. Reviews:  “Jane Kirkpatrick has the rare ability to use what’s known about historical women as the foundation for compelling historical fiction. Here, Kirkpatrick shines her light on the remarkable life of Dorothea Dix, seamlessly blending fact and fiction to illuminate Dix’s journey from a girl struggling to save her family to a woman championing all those in need. Dorothea Dix can still inform and inspire modern readers, and One Glorious Ambition is a story to be treasured.” —Kathleen Ernst, award-winning author of the Chloe Ellefson Mysteries “Read this book and have Dorothea Dix transform your life. Be uplifted not simply by the grand trajectory of Dix’s singular journey but by the irresistible voice that Jane Kirkpatrick compels you to hear. A deeply sensitive and intelligent young woman overcomes trenchant pain and social barriers to fight tirelessly for those who have neither a voice nor an advocate. Her impossible life is unraveled and liberated in this novel. And read with a sense of urgency, for the battles fought by Dorothea Dix more than a century ago are very much in need of being waged again.” Charles Kiselyak, producer and director of award-winning films including Completely Cuckoo, Fearful Symmetry, and A Constant Forge “A must-read! I was moved to tears by the sense of history, tragedy, and hope of Dorothea’s life work accomplished on behalf of people with mental health challenges. Every human being should know Dorothea Dix’s story. Jane Kirkpatrick captures it magnificently!” Gina Firman Nikkel, PhD, president and CEO, Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care Price includes shipping and handling.
  • One woman, an impossible dream, and the faith it took to see it through, inspired by the life of Hulda Klager German immigrant and farm wife Hulda Klager possesses only an eighth-grade education—and a burning desire to create something beautiful. What begins as a hobby to create an easy-peeling apple for her pies becomes Hulda’s driving purpose: a time-consuming interest in plant hybridization that puts her at odds with family and community, as she challenges the early twentieth-century expectations for a simple housewife.   Through the years, seasonal floods continually threaten to erase her Woodland, Washington garden and a series of family tragedies cause even Hulda to question her focus. In a time of practicality, can one person’s simple gifts of beauty make a difference?   Based on the life of Hulda Klager, Where Lilacs Still Bloom is a story of triumph over an impossible dream and the power of a generous heart. Awards:
    • Bestseller List, 2012, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
    • Winner, 2013, Carol Award, American Christian Fiction Writers (AFCW)
    Reviews: I have enjoyed Jane Kirkpatrick's gift of "enhanced biography"--her true stories of women of the northwest enhanced by her gift of fiction and storytelling. This lovely book is no exception. I am not a gardener but this story made me wish I was! I now understand why people pour themselves into creating beauty from dirt. And I will never look at lilacs the same way again. Hulda Klager's gift was truly remarkable...and inspiring! - Wynn, Amazon Reviewer This book will inspire your dreams and refresh your soul. Hulda's simple life belies her incredible gifts as a gardener. Her thoughts and words reached deep into my heart and soul. Her German heritage mirrors my mother's, as does her indomitable spirit and deep abiding Faith. Thank you Jane Kirkpatrick for sharing the realities of Hulda's amazing story by making it personal in its fictionalization. - Janet, Amazon Reviewer Price includes shipping and handling.
  • A mother's tragedy, a daughter's desire and the 7000 mile journey that changed their lives.    In 1896 Norwegian American Helga Estby accepted a wager from the fashion industry to walk from Spokane, Washington to New York City within seven months in an effort to earn $10,000. Bringing along her nineteen year-old daughter Clara, the two made their way on the 3500-mile trek by following the railroad tracks and motivated by the money they needed to save the family farm.  After returning home to the Estby farm more than a year later, Clara chose to walk on alone by leaving the family and changing her name. Her decisions initiated a more than 20-year separation from the only life she had known.   Historical fiction writer Jane Kirkpatrick picks up where the fact of the Estbys’ walk leaves off to explore Clara's continued journey. What motivated Clara to take such a risk in an era when many women struggled with the issues of rights and independence? And what personal revelations brought Clara to the end of her lonely road?  The Daughter's Walk weaves personal history and fiction together to invite readers to consider their own journeys and family separations, to help determine what exile and forgiveness are truly about. Awards:
    • Bestseller List, 2011, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
    Reviews:  “Kirkpatrick has done impeccable homework, and what she recreates and what she imagines are wonderfully seamless. Readers see the times, the motives, the relationships that produce a chain of decisions and actions, all rendered with understatement. Kirkpatrick is a master at using fiction to illuminate history’s truths. This beautiful and compelling work of historical fiction deserves the widest possible audience.”Publishers Weekly**Starred Review** "Jane Kirkpatrick brings immense integrity to historical imagination, using her consummate skills as a historian sleuth and psychologist. A compelling portrait of Clara's own bold entrepreneurial spirit gives readers believable insight on how a mother and daughter's love survives financial hardship a courageous thirty-five-hundred-mile walk, family tragedy, and estrangement. Bravo!." Linda L. Hunt, award-winning author of Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America "Jane Kirkpatrick's attention to detail and ability to craft living, breathing characters immerses the reader into her story world. I come away entranced, enlightened, and enriched after losing myself in one of her novels." Kim Vogel Sawyer, best-selling author of My Heart Remembers Watch the book trailer here. Price includes shipping and handling.
  • She took exquisite photographs, but her heart was the true image exposed. Fifteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele loves nothing more than capturing a gorgeous Minnesota landscape when the sunlight casts its most mesmerizing shadows. So when F.J. Bauer hires her in 1907 to assist in his studio and darkroom, her dreams for a career in photography appear to find root in reality. With the infamous hazards of the explosive powder used for lighting and the toxic darkroom chemicals, photography is considered a man's profession. Yet Jessie shows remarkable talent in both the artistry and business of running a studio. She proves less skillful, however, at managing her growing attraction to the very married Mr. Bauer. This luminous coming-of-age tale deftly exposes the intricate shadows that play across every dream worth pursuing–and the irresistible light that beckons the dreamer on. Based on the author’s grandmother’s life as a turn of the century photographer in Winona, Minnesota.  This coming of age series of two books captures the interplay between temptation and faith that marks a woman’s pursuit of her dreams.  Actual historical photos from the collection of Jessie Ann Gaebele are included. Awards:
    • Best Book (top 10) List, 2009, Library Journal
    • Winner, 2010, WILLA Literary Award, Original Softcover Fiction (Trade or Mass Market), Women Writing the West 
    • Finalist, 2010, Christy Award, Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
    • Finalist, 2011, Oregon Book Award, Portland Literary Arts Organization
    Other books in this series: An Absence So Great Reviews:  "...exceptionally authentic...exquisite nuance...compelling portrait...aching and hopeful…,"—Publishers Weekly **Starred Review** “… Jessie Ann Gaebele is talented and shows great promise; however, she begins to dream of more than photographs when she falls for her married boss. Inspired by the life of the author's grandmother, this is a beautifully told story of temptation and God's redeeming grace. Highly recommended for CF and historical fiction collections.”—School Library Journal **Starred Review** Watch the book trailer here. Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Did photography replace an absence in her life or expose the truth of her heart’s emptiness?   While growing in confidence as a photographer, eighteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele’s personal life is at a crossroads. Hoping she’s put an unfortunate romantic longing behind her as “water under the bridge,” she exiles herself to Milwaukee to operate photographic studios for those owners who have fallen ill with mercury poisoning.    Jessie gains footing in her dream to one day operate her own studio and soon finds herself in other Midwest towns, pursuing her profession. But even a job she loves can’t keep painful memories from seeping into her heart when the shadows of a forbidden love threaten to darken the portrait of her life. Based on the author’s grandmother’s life as a turn of the century photographer in Winona, Minnesota.  This coming of age series of two books captures the interplay between temptation and faith that marks a woman’s pursuit of her dreams.  Actual historical photos from the collection of Jessie Ann Gaebele are included.  Awards:
    • Finalist, 2011, WILLA Literary Award, Original Softcover Fiction, Women Writing the West 
    Other books in this series: A Flickering of Light Reviews:  “Life is really made of:  the settings, props, and poses we encounter, then put aside so we can cherish family and faith,” writes Jane Kirkpatrick in An Absence So Great.  Jane embraces the finest qualities of the human spirit in all her writing, including this absorbing story of an early 20th century photographer, based on the life of her own grandmother. In An Absence So Great, Jane’s readers—and I am one of her most faithful of them—will be swept up in Jessie Gaebele’s struggle for independence against a backdrop of prejudice and forbidden love, beautifully written by one of America’s favorite storytellers.—    Sandra Dallas, author of Prayers for Sale “Jane Kirkpatrick has written a gentle and captivating account of people caught between reality and desire, taken from her own ancestry. Her depiction of photography during the early 1900s is fascinating. It filled my senses like delicious aromas permeate a home during the holidays.”—Cindy Woodsmall, best-selling author of The Hope of Refuge and the Sisters of the Quilt series Watch the book trailer here. Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Not Available At This Time. Based on historical characters and events, A Sweetness to the Soul recounts the captivating story of young, spirited Oregon pioneer Jane Herbert who at the age of twelve faces a tragedy that begins a life-long search for forgiveness and love.  In the years that follow, young Jane finds herself involved in an unusual and touching romance with a dreamer sixteen years her senior, struggles to make peace with an emotionally distant mother, and fights to build a family of her own. Filled with heart-warming insight and glimpses of real-life pain, A Sweetness to the Soul paints a brilliant picture of love that conquers all obstacles and offers a powerful testimony to the miracle of God's healing power. Awards:
    • Bestseller List, 1995-1996, Christian Booksellers Association (CBA)
    • Winner, 1996, Western Heritage Wrangler Award, Western Novel, National Cowboy Museum
    • Oregon Humanities Award: Oregon 100 (one of the best books about Oregon published between 1800-2000), Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission
    • Oregon 150, (one of the best books about Oregon for 150th anniversary of statehood), State Library of Oregon
    Other books in this series:  Love to Water My Soul, A Gathering of Finches, Mystic Sweet Communion Reviews: “Jane Kirkpatrick’s particular gift is for capturing the authentic feel and flavor of frontier life; A Sweetness to the Soul is absolutely true to the people and the land as they once were. This is a novel that calls up a period early in the history of Oregon marked not only by hardship, sudden death, spiritual fortitude, and physical endurance but also by community, one person reaching out to help another so that they might all survive.” Molly Gloss, winner of the Whiting Writers Award and author of The Hearts of Horses “This book portrays a love that conquers all obstacles and offers testimony to the miracle of God’s healing power.” —Bookstore Journal “In A Sweetness to the Soul, Kirkpatrick offers a testimony to God’s ability to fulfill our dreams, in spite of our human propensity to question the why and how of situations. Through the eyes of Jane Sherar, readers come to recognize that blessings are hidden in the midst of everyday life and often only understood within the context of the passing of time.” —Cascades East Magazine Price includes shipping and handling.

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