Wednesday, July 8, 2009

A Mending at the Edge by Jane Kirkpatrick

Based on diaries and historical records, this novel is a fictional account of the life of Emma Wagner Giesy, the only woman sent to the Oregon Territory in the 1850's to help found a communal society. She came as part of a German-American Christian community based in Missouri. The group founded Aurora, Oregon, creating a commune focused on their Christian faith and supported by agriculture and domestic crafts. The story is told from Emma's viewpoint. Escaping an abusive husband, she is given protection and support by the group but her role, along with the other women, is very narrowly defined and decided by the men. A large part of the story is her struggle for personal expression while also satisfying her yearning to be part of the community.It is also an interesting story of the personalities and politics of the group, the tension between creating a faith based community and an economic unit. This novel is part of a series but stands alone very well. The Oregon setting was especially interesting to me but it is well written and a fascinating story with broad appeal.
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2 comments:

  1. Jane KirkpatrickJuly 9, 2009 at 2:16 PM

    thanks very much for posting a review of my novel A Mending at the Edge. I truly appreciate your kind words and the mention that the novel could stand alone. I agree and I'm grateful. I hope you find my latest, A Flickering Light. I'd love to have you review it as well. Warmly, Jane

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  2. AnonymousJuly 15, 2009 at 1:19 PM

    Jane, what a nice surprise to hear from you. I will definitely be reading A Flickering Light. This book was a selection for my book group. We were so inspired we are making a trip to Aurora next week to look at historical sights and generally check out the area (including the antique stores!). We're in Eugene so you'd think we would have been there before but it took your book to get us there! Jan

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