Master storyteller? Time will tell us that as history means the writing is behind the author. The writer passes on. The writing remains and gets termed "master of the genre" "classic author", etc. Jane Kirkpatrick will be one of those termed a master storyteller of historical fiction involved deeply with the telling of pioneering, intensely strong, passionate women. Nobody does it as well as Kirkpatrick. This book is the final in a trilogy that gave dimension to the women who forged on alone to establish western homes for their families leaving their husbands, brothers, and sons buried or behind. Not by choice most of them, but no matter, they weren't deterred from seeing the new country and building a new land. Kirkpatrick makes them believable. And many of her characters are based on true lives. Her writing is believable because of this and the authenticity that she brings to the settings as well as her plot lines. Amazing stories from an author who knows of what she writes.
The women(now mostly widows) who started out on the trail for Oregon 2 books ago have now come full circle, establishing homes and their families (there might just be a few weddings in the book! ) They’ve learned how to stand on their own 2 feet, but have also learned along the way that it’s okay to ask and accept help, to let go of the past, forgive, and learn to love again. New memories don’t necessarily replace, but rather shape the old. The historical settings for this novel include (in Ca) Shasta City, Sacramento, San Francisco , Crescent City, and Jacksonville, Oregon
What do You think about What Once We Loved (2001)?
What Once We LovedJane KirkpatrickHistorical Contemporary Romance390 pagescopyright: 2001isbn: 1-57856-234-1Ruth Martin had a dream: to become an independent woman and build a life in southern Oregon for herself and her children. But when a tragedy shatters Ruth's dream, she 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.
—Michelle
