A Tendering in the Storm

November 27, 2006
Based on true events, this second book in the Change and Cherish Historical Series continues the saga of the feisty Emma Giesy, a member of the Missouri Bethelites, a repressive German religious colony. Set against the backdrop of Willapa Bay of the Washington Territory coast in 1856–1861, Emma and her husband, Christian, formerly a prominent leader in the community, carve out their own independent existence. Tragedy strikes, and alone and pregnant, Emma finds that her decision to ensure independence for her little family may cost her everything she holds dear. The repressive religious community is cast in a far more favorable light than in book one, and some series readers may find it challenging to undo their initial impressions. The character of Jack Giesy also undergoes a speedy personality change, which is difficult to assimilate. The best revelations come as the reader relates to Emma's conflicts: a longing for security, a fierce quest for independence, a desire to express herself artistically and a hardscrabble existence that gives her energy only to care for herself and her children. Kirkpatrick's able prose and attention to historical detail help smooth any story line trouble spots.

Starred review from April 1, 2007
Told in the alternating voices of three German American women living in the 1850s, this sequel to "A Clearing in the Wild" portrays the lives of members of an authoritarian religious sect who have traveled to Oregon to start a new colony. Emma Giesy resents the strict rule of their leader, Whilhelm Keil, and talks her husband into breaking off from the group to try his hand at oystering. Keil's wife, Louisa, struggles to cope with her beloved son's death and an unsympathetic husband. And Catherine Wagner struggles to remain a part of the sect as one of the members who remained back east. Readers who enjoyed Beverly Lewis's recent "Annie's People" series about Amish life will find Kirkpatrick's characters equally riveting. This thought-provoking, mesmerizing, and beautifully written tale is highly recommended for all collections. The author lives in Oregon.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.