With the Enduring Tides by Jane Kirkpatrick: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

A Story of Resilience, Redemption, and Friendships That Endure

On the rugged Oregon coast in the early 1900s, the lives of a group of women intertwine through their shared pioneering spirit and the steadfast presence of Mary Gerritse. Struggling with her daughter Belle's desire to live with her grandparents, Mary discovers her own mother facing illness and her father hiring a caretaker with a troubled past. Despite tensions, Mary leaves Belle with her grandparents, feeling guilt and uncertainty. When past secrets bubble over into trouble in the present, Mary's identity is shaken.

As Mary seeks to heal her family--and herself--her friends provide comfort even as they face challenges of their own: Jewell explores questions about her own identity, Henrietta navigates managing a homestead, Virginia seeks refuge from an abusive situation, and Olivia faces the heartache of lost love. The women must endure to find encouragement in each other and refuge in the faith that brings strength amid great uncertainty.

Inspired by a true story, this heartwarming tale of female friendship, family reconciliation, and pioneering spirit set on the Oregon coast explores themes of identity, forgiveness, and finding strength through faith and community in early 1900s American West.

The Author

Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author of more than forty books. Her works have won the WILLA Literary Award, the Carol Award for Historical Fiction, and five Will Rogers Gold Medallion Awards. Jane divides her time between Central Oregon and California with her husband, Jerry, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Rupert. Learn more at JKBooks.com.

Book Review

To be completely honest, it wasn't until I sat down to write this review that I realized that this was the second book in a series (The Women of Cannon Beach), and I had not read the previous book before this one. I'll admit, while I enjoyed this story very much by the end, it took some time to get there... and now discovering that it's part of a series and the first book seems to give us Mary's story prior to this one, I think this might be a big part of that. Had I read her story first, I think I would have connected more quickly with this one. As such, I'd definitely recommend going back and rereading that first, so you're all caught up. Either way, I did still enjoy getting to know these women and their stories. They had a lot of struggles to work through, and I loved the resiliency we see among them. I haven't read a ton of books about the American West in the early 1900s, and I found this to be a really interesting look into that period in time. If you enjoy Christian historical fiction celebrating women's friendship, this is certainly one to check out... but definitely check out the first book first! 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4kVxIEQ