Today I spent time cleaning, preparing dinner ahead of time, making biscuits from scratch, doing laundry, and running a few errands. I actually got a lot done, including working for a couple hours, and I finished a book that I think inspired me to get off my rear end and do something.
I’ve read plenty of pioneer stories that detail the journeys of a family gone west. But Jane Kirkpatrick’s This Road We Traveled inspired me on a deeper level.
Maybe it was the character development of the family matriarch, Tabby, who had her share of heartache and loss and still managed to raise up three solid children who raised up children of their own. Maybe it was the tangible way Kirkpatrick described the thoughts and fears each woman had to wrestle down as they decided to sacrifice comfort and preference to forge a new way to a new land and honor the men in their lives. Or maybe it was the reality of the loss and struggle families had to endure to create a new legacy in a new place for the good of many.
There are many reasons I loved this book, but I think I most appreciate the way it subconsciously inspired me to do more than the normal of my days. To go another step. Take it up a notch. Reflect on what I have and embrace it.
I hope you take some time to experience this story. Read it with wonder and gratitude, knowing that even through the characters of a historical novel, our modern lives can be challenged and enriched.
*Honest review given as participant in blogger review program.