All She Left Behind by Jane Kirkpatrick - A Book Review

      

     Jane Kirkpatrick is known for selecting female historical characters as her protagonist, women of faith, passionate about their calling, and possessing great inner strength. Jennie Pickett, wife of Charles Picket would not have described herself using any of those descriptors. She would have more likely used words like slow, unloved, and failure. Josiah Parrish tenderly and lovingly helped her reach her full potential, nurturing her dream to become a doctor. In the latter half of the 1800s, in the state of Oregon, female doctors were a rarity. Something Jennie had only dreamed about, but had never considered as a real possibility given her reading difficulties, not to mention her status as a divorced woman. Josiah was able to open up possibilities and doors for Jennie. Doors which she slowly gained the confidence to walk through.   

     I found it very interesting that the issues that interested Jennie as a doctor in the late 1800s are still significant concerns in today’s society: addiction, abuse, health care for the poor (especially women and children), and adequate nutrition and housing. Jesus said the poor would always be with us, and we are instructed to love our neighbor as ourselves. So as these issues persist, so must we persist in our efforts to care for those thus impacted.

     If you are a historical fiction fan, you will love All She Left Behind as well as other books by Jane Kirkpatrick. Her writing is well researched, and historically accurate. Her author notes inform you as to which fictional characters have been inserted into the story, and the reasoning behind the events she chose to flesh out the non-fictional character’s story. I thank NetGalley and Revell Publishers for providing me with a copy of All She Left Behind in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation.