I am a total history nut. Don't let that get back to my assorted History teachers from past years, the ones who listened to me complain on a daily basis about how much I hated their assignments. It's different when you don't have to write a paper on it, people. Anyway, before or shortly after I start a historical fiction novel, I go do a Google search about the topic. It's important to me to know the facts before I delve into the fiction. It's with that knowledge that I applaud Author Jane Kirkpatrick for the incredible amount of research she must have done for her newest book "One Glorious Ambition: The Compassionate Crusade of Dorothea Dix".
"One Glorious Ambition" drew me right in. While I appreciated the writing style, and the flow of the narrative, it was the topic that I enjoyed the most. After working for five years as a psychiatric nurse with the institutionalized mentally ill, I could definitely relate to Dorothea Dix and her crusade to bring "moral care" to the suffering masses. I was unaware that it was Miss Dix who turned the system of mental health care upside down. One woman, traveling thousands of miles, stepping outside her "position" as a woman in 19th century society and opening doors to humane treatment for so many.
While I loved the book, I also found it exhausting. How one woman could experience so much pain and loss, interspersed with long periods of devastating illness, and still travel around the world seeking to do God's will in her life wore me right out. I almost couldn't finish reading. It was as if I traveled with her. Thank you, Author Jane Kirkpatrick, for a job well done.
"One Glorious Ambition" is due to be released on April 2, 2013. A pre-launch copy was provided to me free of charge by Waterbrook Multnomah for review purposes. You can learn more about the author's goals in writing this book via a podcast at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/blog/tag/one-glorious-ambition/
Download Chapter 1, or pre-order at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=204725
Wonderful. I, too, never liked history in school. I LOVE it now, especially when it is written in story-form and by such an amazing historical fiction writer. I love all of Jane's books and will be sure to secure a copy of One Glorious Ambition. Thanks for the suggestion.
ReplyDeleteLinda Hill