Something Worth Doing

Something Worth Doing, by Jane Kirkpatrick, is one of the best historical fiction books I’ve ever read. The author had an agenda, and after finishing her book, I can say that she certainly stuck to that agenda. (That’s not a bad thing.)

There are so many ways that Abigail Scott Duniway could be portrayed. She’s had books written about her before, but as expressed in the Author’s Notes and Acknowledgments, Kirkpatrick was most interested in the private and family life of Abigail. In case you don’t know, Ms. Duniway was a nineteenth century pioneer in the Oregonian Women’s Suffrage movement. The book begins with Abigail’s family’s journey west from Illinois in 1852, and it takes us to just a few years before her death in 1915.

I think Abigail Scott Duniway would be pleased with the way she was portrayed in this story. Yes, it’s still fiction, but I’m confident that Kirkpatrick really captured the woman that Abigail was. In addition to being a women’s suffrage organizer, she was a devoted wife and mother. This was all captured very thoroughly.

I’ll admit, I didn’t know who Abigail Scott Duniway was before reading this book, but now I’ll never forget her. In her lifetime, she wrote about two dozen novels and other works, gave about fifteen hundred speeches, and still had time to give birth to and raise six children, teach school, create a newspaper (The New Northwest), and the list goes on. What an amazing woman!

I enjoyed the author not pulling any punches. There were times when Abigail’s words were like acid rain, causing pain to anyone they fell on. There were other times when she was genuinely the doting wife and mother, agreeing with her husband on most things and trying to give her children opportunity. Kirkpatrick clearly portrayed all sides of this woman.

Something else I enjoyed was the level of detail the author used. For example, the chores of a pioneering farmer’s wife in those days were formidable. The author goes into stark detail, not only with what had to be done, but also with the impact those things had on Abigail’s mind and body. Just the act of constantly keeping the floor swept brought many body aches.

After the end of the story, Kirkpatrick tells us what was real and what wasn’t. For a book that had so many characters, I was surprised she only had to conjure three of them. Instead of taking the easy way through such things (by inventing characters), the author really did her homework.

This book was well edited, and it had a good pace to it. Since I didn’t know how it would end, I was able to enjoy the mini climaxes in the story.

This book is not only for women. This book is for all Americans. It provides great insight to the women’s suffrage movement in the West, as well as a woman who dedicated her life to it.

Additional Information:

Wikipedia has a nice writeup of Abigail Scott Duniway. This photo is of her signing the bill she dedicated her life to passing. The signing took place in her home, and the table being used is the same one that she wrote her many books and speeches at.