myersjewels reviewed on 4/5/2012 + 58 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

Based on true events, this novel tells the story of the famous 3,500 mile walk made by Norwegian Helga Etsby and her daughter Clara in 1896, when they followed the railroad from Washington to New York. The story continues on from there to tell how the walk affected their lives and how Clara lived the next twenty years estranged from the family she tried so hard to help. While the walk is a real historical event, the author has used research and speculation to fictionalize an event and create a tale that is very captivating.

I found a lot to ponder about this book. The walk in itself was a great feat and I found myself wishing that it had been a little more detailed. There are many questions I have about how that was really like for two women to be alone and make the trek across country. The rest of the story after the walk was very interesting and I felt deeply for Clara and her struggles with her family, who did not realize the sacrifices she and her mother had made. I caught myself not liking Claras sister Ida at all. She was so very judgmental and treated her mother like a naughty child. The book deals with family dynamics in a very realistic way that will make every reader stop and consider her own family relationships.

While the writing is good and the story interesting, I have to admit that I was rather disappointed with the ending. It did not turn out exactly as I had hoped. The book also did not have as much spiritual content as I would expect from a Christian fiction novel. Its a clean story but that is about it. Given the title of the book, it would have been nice if it encouraged people in their Christian walk as well.

I received this complimentary copy from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group through their Blogging for Books program. A positive review was not required and the opinions expressed here are my own.

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