- Bestseller List, 2011, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
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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:
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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
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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
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A remarkable story of God's constancy and provision for all lovers of history, romance and faith... Based on historical characters and events, Love to Water My Soul recounts the dramatic story of an abandoned white child rescued by Indians. Among Oregon's Paiute people, Shell Flower seeks love and a pace of belonging...only to be cast away from her home. In the years that follow, she faces a new life in the world of the white man--a life filled with both attachment and loss--yet finds that God faithfully unites her with a love that fills all longing in this heartwarming sequel to Jane Kirkpatrick's award-winner, A Sweetness to the Soul. Awards:
- Guideposts Condensed Books, 1998
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Based on the life of Marie Dorion, the first mother to cross the Rocky Mountains and remain in the Northwest, A Name of Her Own is the fictionalized adventure account of a real woman's fight to settle in a new landscape, survive in a nation at war, protect her sons and raise them well and, despite an abusive, alcoholic husband, keep her marriage together. With two rambunctious young sons to raise, Marie Dorion refuses to be left behind in St. Louis when her husband heads West with the Wilson Hunt Astoria expedition of 1811. Faced with hostile landscapes, an untried expedition leader, and her volatile husband, Marie finds that the daring act she hoped would bind her family together may in the end tear them apart. On the journey, Marie meets up with the famous Lewis and Clark interpreter, Sacagawea. Both are Indian women married to mixed-blood men of French Canadian and Indian descent, both are pregnant, both traveled with expeditions led by white men, and both are raising sons in a white world. Together, the women forge a friendship that will strengthen and uphold Marie long after they part, even as she faces the greatest crisis of her life, and as she fights for her family's very survival with the courage and gritty determination that can only be fueled by a mother's love. Based on a true story. The first book in the Tender Ties series. Awards:
- Bestseller List, 2003, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
- Independent Bookstore Pick, 2003, National Booksense (now known as IndieBound)
- Caldera Achievement Award, 2006, Nature of Words
- Distinguished Northwest Writer Award, 2005, Willamette Writers
- Finalist, 2004, Oregon Book Award, Portland Literary Arts Organization
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Her desire was to have a life worth living. Her hope was to survive. Following a family tragedy, a battle for survival, and a test of faith, Marie Dorion begins again in the rugged northwest landscape known as the Okanogan settlement, By 1814, the Astor expedition she has joined to cross the Rocky mountains has disintegrated. New trials confront Marie with an abrupt ending to love, separation from friends, the disappearance of one child, a puzzling, painful division from another. Through it all, she struggles to know her purpose and worth. What could this God of the stars care for the survival of a mere woman? Fed by memories of her distant friend, Sacagawea, Maries discovers that inside every challenge is a gift to be treasured. Based on a true story. The second book in the Tender Ties series. Awards: none Other books in this series: #1) A Name of Her Own #3) Hold Tight the Thread Reviews: "A complex novel with strong characterization and an authentic Native American voice." —Romantic Times, **Four-Star Review** “Jane Kirkpatrick has a rare gift, for her novels touch both the emotions and the intellect. Every Fixed Star is the moving, heartfelt story of one woman’s journey toward accepting herself. Like all of Jane’s novels, it’s more than a ‘good read’; it’s a life-altering experience.” —Liz Curtis Higgs, bestselling author of Thorns in My Heart and Bad Girls of the Bible Price includes shipping and handling.
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As the 1840s bring conflict to the Pacific Northwest's rugged Columbia Country, new challenges face Marie Dorion Venier Toupin: the wife, mother, and Ioway Indian woman who crossed the Rocky Mountains with the Astor Expedition, the first big fur trapping expedition after Lewis and Clark's. On French Prairie in the newly forming Oregon Territory, Marie strives to meet the needs of her conflict-ridden neighbors: British settlers and Americans, missionaries and disease-stricken natives, fur trappers, and French Canadian farming families, and the surviving natives of the region. At the same time, as a mother, Marie must weave together the threads of an unraveling family. One daughter compares and judges as she seeks to find her place; another reaches for elusive evidence of her mother's love. Marie's memories are threatened with the emergence of a figure from the past. In the midst of this turmoil, Marie discovers an empowering spiritual truth: Unconditional love can shed light on even the darkest places in the heart. The third book in the Tender Ties series. Based on a true story. Awards: Other books in this series: #1) A Name of Her Own, #2) Every Fixed Star Reviews: "...when these and other characters commit such offenses, they are neither demonized nor tidily redeemed. In combining historical authenticity with an exceptional ability to render poetic the thoughts of her characters, Kirkpatrick achieves a novel that enchants as it educates." —Publishers Weekly "…Thorough research backs Kirkpatrick's compelling fiction. Her description and much of the language are poetic and imaginative...This book will appeal to mothers who are raising children and grandmothers watching their grandchildren grow. It provides a realistic scene of the time period which history bugs will enjoy, and Christians will appreciate the insights Dorion gains as she learns about her faith."— Esprit, the Magazine of Evangelical Lutheran Women Inc. Price includes shipping and handling.
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Jane speaks about the qualities of power and the historical women she has researched and written about. Those qualities are found in each of us today too. Enjoy this bookstore presentation with laughter and hope. Watch the trailer here. Price includes shipping and handling.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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When blind and widowed Suzanne Cullver reaches California with a group of women who have survived tragedy on the Oregon Trail, she sets her mind on doing for herself all that must be done. Though she cannot see, she rejects offers of assistance, unwittingly risking her children’s safety – and her own. Her companions blindly falter as well, held hostage by their own pasts. As Suzanne attempts to control her life in Shasta City, Ruth defends against past errors, failing to see how she limits love. Meanwhile, Mazy’s vision seems to be permanently clouded by her late husband’s betrayal. But when a young stage-driver risks all for a Wintu Indian, his life becomes entangled with the turnaround women – and together they are changed forever as they discover that No Eye Can See all the good God has in store for those who love Him. The second 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, #3) What Once We Loved
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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
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Classically trained pianist and singer Natalie Curtis isolated herself for five years after a breakdown just before she was to debut with the New York Philharmonic. Guilt-ridden and songless, Natalie can't seem to recapture the joy music once brought her. In 1902, her brother invites her to join him in the West to search for healing. What she finds are songs she'd never before encountered—the haunting melodies, rhythms, and stories of Native Americans. But their music is under attack. The US government's Code of Offenses prohibits American's indigenous people from singing, dancing, or speaking their own languages as the powers that be insist on assimilation. Natalie makes it her mission not only to document these songs before they disappear but to appeal to President Teddy Roosevelt himself, who is the only man with the power to repeal the unjust law. Will she succeed and step into a new song . . . and a new future? Award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick weaves yet another lyrical tale based on a true story that will keep readers captivated to the very end. Reviews: "Another enthralling work of historical fiction inspired by real events. Kirkpatrick's portrayal of Natalie's fight for equality and cultural preservation will resonate with readers." —Publishers Weekly "A very interesting and informative story about a little known but very important author and champion of indigenous people."—Evangelical Church Library Association (more here) “A fascinating, expertly researched and vividly presented period piece, The Healing of Natalie Curtis is highly recommended.” —Midwest Book Reviews (more here) "This tale focuses on resiliency ... Reflective and informative."—Booklist Endorsements: "You will find yourself drawn in by the story of Natalie Curtis, an early twentieth-century musical prodigy nearly broken by the rigid conventions of her era, who leaves her loving but somewhat smothering New York family to travel with her brother through the wild expanses of the American Southwest. Curtis finds her health, her voice, and her calling in recording the music of the Southwest’s Native cultures, and determinedly fighting for their rights. Fair warning: once you begin this compelling tale, you won’t be able to put it down." - Susan J. Tweit, author of Bless the Birds: Living with Love in a Time of Dying "Jane Kirkpatrick presents us with talented musician Natalie Curtis, a woman broken by the very thing she loved, in search of hope and healing yet extending both to those Native singers her path inevitably crosses. Natalie grows across these pages to be a heroine worth rooting for—all the more because this story is true.” - Lori Benton, award-winning author of Burning Sky, Mountain Laurel, and Shiloh Awards:
- Winner, 2022, Will Rodgers Gold Medallion, Western Fiction - Modern
- Finalist, 2022, Western Writers of America Spur Awards, Best Western Historical Novel
- Finalist, 2021, Women in Writing the West, WILLA Award, Historical Novel category
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Mollie Sheehan has spent much of her life striving to be a dutiful daughter and honor her father's wishes, even when doing so has led to one heartbreak after another. After all, what options does she truly have in 1860s Montana? But providing for her stepfamily during her father's long absences doesn't keep her from wishing for more. When romance blooms between her and Peter Ronan, Mollie finally allows herself to hope for a brighter future--until her father voices his disapproval of the match and moves her to California to ensure the breakup. Still, time and providence are at work, even when circumstances are at their bleakest. Mollie may soon find that someone far greater than her father is in control of the course of her life--and that even the command to "honor thy father" has its limits. New from New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick, Beneath the Bending Skies is a sweeping story of hospitality, destiny, and the bonds of family. Reviews: “Readers will enjoy the sweeping landscapes, complex father-daughter relationship, and the unassuming power and relevancy of this wonderfully multilayered novel.” — Booklist "Kirkpatrick tells the story of real-life woman of the frontier Mary “Mollie” Sheehan in this pleasant fictionalized account of her life. ...her travels across the Western U.S. offer an enjoyable look at hardscrabble life on the frontier. Inspirational historical fans will find plenty to delight in." — Publishers Weekly "This book will interest anyone who loves a true story, historical novels, forbidden romance, and SPOILER…a happy ending.” — Interviews and Reviews (Read the full review here.) Endorsements: "Mary Sheehan Ronan is the kind of gal I want in my corner. And Jane Kirkpatrick did a stellar job of bringing her back from the grave and onto the pages of Beneath the Bending Skies. It takes a woman of courage to stand up to a manipulative father and marry the man she was clearly meant to be with. As the wife of the 'White Chief,' Mary's ministry to the Salish Kootenai Natives and friendship with Shows No Anger in Montana during times of unrest between Natives and non-Natives is one of inspiration. This story celebrates the ties that can and do take place between cultures in the past and present. A story that will linger in your thoughts and heart for years to come." — Carmen Peone, award-winning author of Lillian's Legacy "Jane Kirkpatrick never fails to take us away on unforgettable journeys. Her carefully crafted layers of colors, textures, music . . . transport us to eras of history that we might otherwise miss. Mollie and Peter's story is no different. What amazing lives they led! Their resilience and love was a legacy that lives on--thanks to Jane's gifted storytelling!" — Melody Carlson, author of Westward to Home series "Jane Kirkpatrick's latest book is about the struggle between a father and daughter and the challenges of seeking a better life during the 1800s. Jane's story shows a sensitive and compassionate approach to the coming-of-age of a daughter and the conflict between two men who love her. I will not easily forget Beneath the Bending Skies nor the eloquent prose used to connect the reader with the characters. I will recommend this book to all my customers, friends, and family and look forward to discussing the book with them." — Judi Wutzke, owner/manager of ...and BOOKS, too! "Jane Kirkpatrick's Beneath the Bending Skies is one of the best novels I've read in a very long time. Set primarily against the backdrop of Montana's Big Sky country, the story narrates the life of Mollie Ronan. At times tragic, yet always compelling, it is overall the uplifting account of a woman's struggles to find her place in life, within her extended family, and in the arms of the man she's loved since childhood. Told with warmth and respect for the land and its people--especially her relationship with the Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreille tribes--Beneath the Bending Skies is a fascinating journey and a worthwhile read." — Michael Zimmer, author of The Poacher's Daughter. Awards:
- Finalist, 2023, Women in Writing the West, WILLA Award, Historical Novel category
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Novice to experienced writers will benefit from Jane who knows better than most what it takes to be a truly great writer. These videos are recordings of Jane’s Beachside Writers Workshop presentations. Learn how to encourage yourself to start to write, the nine essential ingredients to a novel, writing and editing tips, and researching that next big idea. This collection of four DVD includes:
- Video 1: I Would if I Could…But I Can’t
- Video 2: Nine Points to a Novel
- Video 3: Writing and Editing Tips
- Video 4: Researching and Writing Your Family Story