The Daughter's Walk

"The Daughter's Walk" is a spectacular story, and a mundane one. Jane Kirkpatrick bucks literary tradition by beginning with what would seem to be a climax--the epic journey of two women--a mother and her daughter, setting out to walk across the country to save their home and family. Kirkpatrick suggest that life does not usually follow the standard novel plot, and thus, this novel should not, either. The beginning is somewhat typical. A lovely, old fashioned, coming of age story. Clara, the narrator, is a nineteen-year-old girl, infatuated by a local boy. She is wrested out of her home, however, by her stubborn, courageous, and indomitable mother. As they journey, they both gain strength, and a closer understanding of themselves and each other. The walk, however, is only the beginning of the story, and the novel quickly becomes more complicated and troubling.

The historical context is extraordinarily rich and varied. It is not overemphasized, however. The place is always secondary to the people. And the time, and cultural context is crucial to the novel, but it is gently assumed, never forced. Kirkpatrick doesn't force the reader into the world of the novel. Instead, she constructs it seamlessly around them. Her writing is flawlessly natural. Not to imply that this is a flawless novel. I believe it is a worthwhile one, though. It compelled.

The most striking thing about this story, and the characters is that Kirkpatrick refuses to sugar coat it. It is a fascinating story, but a painful one. I thought that was reassuring, in a way. Such is life. Kirkpatrick makes her readers look unflinchingly at a fictional world that mirrors reality very, very convincingly. The reader feels as lost and in the dark as Clara does. There doesn't seem to be a right choice, a wrong choice, or a happy ending. There is only growth, possibility, diminishment, and tragedy. And a few fleeting moments of joyous triumph.

- By Staff Writer, Sarah Hoffer