• "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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • "If you’re looking to learn some history you may not have been taught in school, Eminent Oregonians: Three Who Matter should be your next read. By authors Jane Kirkpatrick, Steve Forrester and R. Gregory Nokes, this quick read recounts the lives of three trailblazing Oregonians that paved the way for future generations: Abigail Scott Duniway, Richard Neuberger and Jesse Applegate. As with any biography on influential people throughout history, this book provides merely a snapshot into the lives of these individuals within the context of their time. As Forrester, a co-author, tells Eugene Weekly, “Oregon has become such a myth, but these are reality tales.” A consistent theme for me while reading through this book was, as Forrester put it, a string of “‘I didn’t know that’ moments.” For all the history classes I had taken, including a few at the University of Oregon, I’d not heard of anyone like Duniway, who was one of the first women to ever form her own newspaper. So for any history buffs out there looking to expand your knowledge of historical Oregonians, be sure to pick up this volume and give it a read." —  Sienna Riley, the Eugene Weekly "An inspiring and moving account of three people who helped create modern Oregon. One was a pioneer who fought attempts to make Oregon a slave state. Another was a legendary female journalist and advocate for women's rights. A third was a senator who overcame anti-Semitism and helped nurture modern environmentalism. Oregon has a complicated history, sometimes a painful one, and this is history that is sometimes painful as well as inspiring. But it's always riveting!"-Nicholas Kristof, Author, Pulitzer Prize winner, Human Rights advocate Read the Nov. 3, 2021 Wilmette Week review here! NOTE: This book is not available for sale on this website (JKBooks.com) Discover more and order here. View Jane's interview conducted by moderator Kerry Tymchuk for the Oregon Historical Society. Her co-authors Steven Forrester and R. Gregory Nokes participated in a lively discussion of the book. Interview was conducted on October 5, 2021.
  • 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.
  • Not available at this site at this time. For Madison "Mazy" Bacon, a young wife living in southern Wisconsin, the future appears every bit as promising as it is reassuringly predictable. A loving marriage, a well-organized home, the pleasure of planting an early spring garden--these are the carefully-tended dreams that sustain her heart and nourish her soul. But when her husband of two years sells the homestead and informs her that they are heading west, Mazy's life is ripped down the middle like a poorly mended sheet forgotten in a midwestern storm. Her love is tried, her boundaries stretched, and the fabric of her faith tested. At the same time, she and eleven extraordinary women are pulled toward an uncertain destiny--one that binds them together through reluctance and longing and into acceptance and renewal. Based on an actual 1852 Oregon Trail incident, All Together in One Place, speaks to the strength in every woman and celebrates the promise of hope that unfailingly blooms amidst tragedy and challenge. The first book in the Kinship and Courage series. Based on a true story. Awards:
    • Bestseller List, 2001, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
    • Bestseller List, 2001, Christian Booksellers Association (CBA)
    • Best Inspirational Books, 2000, Affair de Coeur
    • Finalist, 2001, Reader’s Choice Award, Romance Writer’s of America
    • Nominee, 2001, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, Romance Writer’s of America
    Other books in this series: #2) No Eye Can See, #3) What Once We Loved Reviews:  "...This beautiful novel speaks to the heart of human relationships - full in love. Jane Kirkpatrick's book is a treasure, well worth reaching beyond our genre to experience."—Romantic Times, 4.5 stars "Jane Kirkpatrick has, almost literally, created her own genre of fiction. Her books enfold a reader...whisper 'let me tell you about a woman who...' They find a secret place in each of us and bring it gently to the surface."Salem Statesman Journal Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Not available at this site at this time. Out of the wilderness… Three women. Three eras. Three miracles.  1901: Plagued by loneliness on the Big Muddy Ranch, a sheepherder’s wife awaits the outcome of her husband’s trial for murder. He is sentenced to life in prison—and she to life without him. But a startling event could redeem their pasts and transform their future. 1984: Against a backdrop of attempted murder, federal indictments, and the first case of bioterrorism in the U.S., one woman seeks to rescue her granddaughter from within the elaborate compound of a cult that has claimed the land. 1997: On the much-reviled, abandoned cult site, one woman’s skepticism turns to hope when she finds that what was meant to destroy can be used to rebuild—and in the process realizes a long-held dream.  For three women seekers united across time, a remote and rugged stretch of land in the Pacific Northwest proves to be a place where miracles really happen—and the gifts of faith, hope, and charity are as tangible as rocks, rivers, and earth. Based on true stories. Awards:
    • Bestseller List, 2005, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
    • Finalist, 2005, Spur Award, Western Writers of America
    Reviews:  "If you can't read the first two pages of A Land of Sheltered Promise and not want to read the rest of it, it must be that you simply don't care for novels that speak directly to your soul...Classic Kirkpatrick: That is, it is tightly written, honestly conceived and executed, deeply moving, and exciting...Kirkpatrick uses language that is like liquid in its ability to change directions and reveal or change landscapes and secrets. In her case, language is key to her ability to touch so many people so deeply...In one sense it is calculated to make you feel, but it is also calculated to make you think, to examine the concept of choices, of options." —Dan Hays, reviewer Salem Statesman Journal A Land of Sheltered Promise is historical Christian fiction at its best. The reader comes away with a clear vision of the land, of the people who occupied the land, and of a Supreme Being who ties it all together.”—The Historical Novels Review Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Not available on this site at this time. Please visit the Aurora Colony Gift Shop to purchase. “Of all the things I left in Willapa, hope is what I missed the most.” So begins this story of one woman's restoration from personal grief to the meaning of community. Based on the life of German-American Emma Wagner Giesy, the only woman sent to the Oregon Territory in the 1850s to help found a communal society, award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick shows how landscape, relationships, spirituality and artistry poignantly reflect a woman's desire to weave a unique and meaningful legacy from the threads of an ordinary life. While set in the historical past, it's a story for our own time answering the question: Can threads of an isolated life weave a legacy of purpose in community? Based on a true story. The third book in the Change and Cherish trilogy. Other books in this series: #1) A Clearing in the Wild, #2) A Tendering in the Storm Reviews:  "Jane has a gift for breathing simple beauty into the lives of remarkable historical women characters. In A Mending at the Edge, Emma comes off the page and shows readers an unforgettable picture of a very unique Oregon community. I love living within view of Mt. Hood even more now that I better understand those who shaped the tenacious beginnings of this region."–Robin Jones Gunn, author of the bestselling Glenbrooke Series and the Christy Award-winning Sisterchicks novels "In A Mending at the Edge, Jane Kirkpatrick completes the literary quilt of the Emma Wagner Giesy trilogy, piecing together the historical fabric of Emma's personal story with that of the Aurora Colony. Emma's efforts to find a house–and a home–in this communal society in Oregon once again reflect the conflict of individual and community needs represented in Kirkpatrick's earlier two works in the Change and Cherish Historical Series. Based on a solid historical framework of the Aurora Colony and the broader social, political, and cultural landscape of the 1860s, Kirkpatrick offers a story of hope and achievement that captures the spirit of giving, sharing, and receiving central to 'mending' within a communal settlement."–James J. Kopp, communal historian and Board Member of Aurora Colony Historical Society Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Not available on this site at this time. Please visit the Aurora Colony Gift Shop to purchase. A story of tender truths about a women’s desperate efforts to shelter her family. Emma Giesy, a strong-willed German American, believes her young family will thrive in the light of their newfound freedom, after she and her husband branch off from their close-knit and repressive religious community in the spring of 1856. Determined to raise her children on her own terms, Emma suddenly finds herself alone and pregnant with her third child, struggling to keep her family secure in the remote coastal forest of the Washington Territory. With loss and disappointment as her fuels, she kindles a fire that soon threatens to consume her, making a series of poor choices that take her into dangerous relationships. As clouds of despair close in, she must decide whether to continue in her own waning strength or to humble herself and accept help from the very people she once so eagerly left behind. Rich with historical details and vivid characters, A Tendering in the Storm poignantly gives voice to a mother’s fears for her family and a women’s search for her truest self. Based on a true story. The second book in the Change and Cherish trilogy. Awards:
    • Winner, 2008, WILLA Literary Award, Original Softcover Fiction (Trade or Mass Market), Women Writing the West 
    • Finalist, 2008, Christy Award, Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
    • Finalist, 2009, Oregon Book Award, Portland Literary Arts Organization
    Other books in this series: #1) A Clearing in the Storm and #3) A Mending at the Edge Reviews:  "Jane Kirkpatrick again proves herself to be one of the finest writers working in historical fiction today. In A Tendering in the Storm, Kirkpatrick applies her usual meticulous research and rich period detail to give readers a wonderful story with strong, unforgettable characters. Beautifully and thoughtfully written as always, this novel will capture your attention, your imagination, and your heart."B.J. Hoff, bestselling author of the American Anthem series, An Emerald Ballad series, and Harp on the Willow "An excellent sense of place and time period...with historical details...that don't get in the way of good fiction or interrupt the flow of the narrative. A difficult balance and one that Kirkpatrick admirable achieves."FaithfulReader.com Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Not available on this site at this time. Please visit the Aurora Colony Gift Shop to purchase. The people of Bethel, Missouri, seek to live with simplicity and generosity, existing in the world of the 1850s but remaining set apart from its distraction and vanities. Rather than finding peace in the would-be utopia, spirited young Emma Wagner chafes at the constraints of a culture that values conformity over independent thought, especially women. When Emma’s outspoken ways growing skepticism lead to a clash with the colony’s beloved leader, she finds new opportunities to pursue her dreams of independence. But as she clears a pathway West to her truest and deepest self, she discovers something she never expected: a yearning for the warm embrace of community.  Based on a true story. The first book in the Change and Cherish trilogy. Awards:
    • Finalist, 2006, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
    • Finalist, 2007, WILLA Literary Award, Historical Fiction, Women Writing the West 
    Other books in this series: #2) A Tendering in the Storm, #3) A Mending at the Edge Reviews:  "A Clearing in the Wild is a joy to read as a coming of age story, a story of the western frontier, or as a spiritual quest. It satisfies on every level."—Historical Novel Reviews "A Clearing in the Wild is Jane Kirkpatrick at her finest. The story is quickly paced and engaging from the first to the last. One of the most difficult tasks for a writer - and Kirkpatrick's specialty - is to contemplate the lives of real and to re-create a believable episode in those lives that is accurate yet interesting, to both inform and entertain. The dialog sings masterfully with perfect tone, building characters and pushing the storyline in succinct phrasing that never overstates.  Emma Wagner Giesy's story feels a genuine as if she herself were telling it." —Nancy E. Turner, best-selling author of Sarah’s Quilt and The Water and the Blood Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Not available at this site at this time. Set in turn-of-the-century Florida, this frontier saga traces the life of Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, the first English-speaking teacher in the region, as she struggles to teach school in the Seminole Nation and lead Indian families to Christ. Ivy is disliked by tribal leaders in spite of her obvious love for their children, yet she eventually overcomes their resistance and serves as their spokesman in negotiations with the U S government. Already scarred by her mother's tragic death in childbirth, Ivy overcomes her husband's suicide and other devastating disappointments to share her faith with her adopted people and eventually earn their love. Like all of us who search for meaning, Ivy yearns to experience the power of faith, understand the limitation of human protection, and learn the importance of perseverance in caring for those we love.  Other books in this series: A Sweetness to the Soul, Love to Water My SoulA Gathering of Finches Reviews:  "Spinning a tale of love, adventure and history, Kirkpatrick draws readers into the lives of Frank and Ivy Stranahan, real-life influential settlers of Florida.  Readers will forget this is fiction based on fact as they read about the unusual love story that took place amid daily danger and great hardship....Kirkpatrick thoroughly researched this couple and their impact on the Seminole tribe and the founding of Fort Lauderdale. As a result, readers will feel they're a part of the Stranahan life and times. Highly recommend this book to men and women." —Christian Booksellers Association Market Place “Her research gives the book depth; her empathy gives it a soul.” The Sunday Oregonian "With a compelling literary style, the reader is drawn into the story and immersed in the hardships and triumphs of the early settlers and the surviving Seminoles...Ivy is revealed to be an early visionary and crusader for the environment and women's rights." —Marco Island Eagle, Florida Price includes shipping and handling.
  • Not available at this site at this time. So begins the tangled tale based on the life of Cassie Hendrick Stearns Simpson, who crossed the Oregon coastal tidewaters in 1899 to begin her life beside the prosperous entrepreneur Lewis Simpson on Oregon's wild and rugged coast.  Cassie seems to have it all: an adoring husband, a loving sister, a daughter, and social position. She inspired a luscious four-acre garden that today is an Oregon state park. She had wealth to buy anything her heart desired, but fluttering beneath the surface of her seemingly charmed life were self-doubt, fear, and the pain of living with the consequences of poor choices. All robbed her heart of peace, and left her empty and still longing for something more. Others attempted to lead her toward decisions that would bring her peace, but as with each of us, only Cassie could make the choices that would truly change her life. Other books in this series: A Sweetness to the Soul, Love to Water My SoulMystic Sweet Communion Reviews:  "...Drawing upon extensive research, including interviews with descendants, Kirkpatrick weaves a tale of a beautiful and dynamic woman who left a mark on everyone who knew her...To fully appreciate Kirkpatrick's research and interest in the lives of her subjects, read her 'Acknowledgements and Author's note" prior to beginning this entertaining and informative novel." —Critics corner, Presbyterian Magazine "Jane Kirkpatrick takes readers on a journey so real that they'll forget they're reading a book.  It is the perfect blend of historical intrigue, spiritual insight and literary ambiance." —Eugene Register-Guard 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

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