Customer Reviews

All Together in One Place (Kinship and Courage Series #1)

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The only trouble I had with All Together in One Place was I couldn't put it down! I love how Jane doles out little bits of information on the characters, holding back what we really want to know.

In this book, the primary characters are women, a mix of women like you, me, our friends and associates, women who in one way and another become mighty. The context of each of the women's self-discoveries and their group emergence carries us on the best of pioneering adventures, the covered wagon trek. Their revelations provide fuel for our own journeys today.

I'm so glad Jane is writing more in this series. I'm sure other readers will be as eager as I to connect up with Mazie, Tipton, Ruth, Elizabeth and the others again. The turn-around women Ezra Meeker saw must surely be smiling. Jane did them good.

All Together in One Place, transported me not only to another time and place, but also through a journey of wholeness with 11 women who suffer incredible hardships on a wagon train headed west. Yes, I smelled the wood smoke of their fires, felt their grime and sweat, and learned to yoke oxen and load wagons with them. But more importantly I walked with women of depth through a journey of healing and hope. I experienced their fears, cried their tears and saw answers slowly unfold within them.

As usual, Jane has researched her subjects well. Authenticity shows not only in historical accuracy but in the psychological drama of what one normally considers to be only modern day maladies. Each character is alive with his or her distinct personality. Visionaries, exploiters, kind spirits, comedians, and all types of characters in between live on the pages of All Together in One Place, as does one very good dog.

Lovers of history, the West, and wholesome books with depth will enjoy this book a lot.

This is a "must read" novel for anyone interested in the 1850's westward journey to reach California and Oregon over the historical Oregon Trail. The pioneers risked everything to make it there and the courage, strength and determination they had to have is an astonishing accomplishment.

Jane Kirkpatrick weaves a grand story based on a true accounting by Ezra Meeker in his 1852 journal. It notes his profound impression of a small group of covered wagons reaching their final destination along the Trail. In disbelief, he observes that there were no men in this group of 11 women and children. All the men had died along the way leaving the women to fend for themselves. Based on this recollection, Ms. Kirkpatrick reveals obvious historical research to enhance the story line and satisfy those historically hungry readers with accurate representations of life along the trail.

I would furthur urge historical buffs to pay attention to the author's notes and acknowledgments following the conclusion of the story. She recommends many excellent reference books which offer true accounts of the overlanders experiences, including detail books regarding everything from the pioneer's clothing to maps.

A truly wonderful book, the reader should be pleased to know they have two more sequels to keep the wonder going!

Jane's books take me back to childhood when I used to read Little House on the Prarie. Not only is this series good, it is a page turner, fun and good moral standards. If you like Little House you will loves Jane's work!

This unique story of life on the Oregon Trail carries the reader with the families as they travel Westward. He shares their doubt about the venture, their anticipation of a better life and their grief and sorrow as loved ones pass on. He can hear the groan of wagons as they tip and sway crossing the prairie. He becomes aware of and sensitive to a thousand odors. The author gives the reader insight into the motive, the hidden agenda, and the emotion of a diverse group of people with a common goal, that of reaching Oregon. The book will hold the reader spellbound for many pleasant hours.

I just finished reading this book and cannot begin to express how it made me feel as a woman. Jane takes you right along with them on the hot dusty trail through many emotions...but such unity at the same time. I loved the history of the book. You can tell she has really done her homework in this department. It always amazes me when the wagon train adventure is portrayed on television. The women all look like they just stepped out of a clothing shop. How could you possibly look great after all those miles, little water to bathe in, and lack of supplies? This book told it how it really was. Being a Christian, I enjoyed the fact that God entered into this story several times. These women truly needed faith to make it on a journey this long. I am so looking forward to the next in the series. Jane Kirkpatrick's books are the most outstanding historical novels, both in historic accuracy and just plain good reading.

I just finished this book and like all of Ms. Kirkpatricks book, I lost some sleep because I couldn't put it down. Any reader who enjoys historical fiction will be impressed with Jane's research and weaving of a wonderful story, with facts from the time. It is a story of a group of women on the Oregon trail who find the courage to follow their dreams ( after they unearth them) with the strength they find in each other and their faith in God. You don't have to be a christian to appreciate the story, but being a christian and reading the confirmations of God's love for us even through the most trying of times, was very uplifting. I have read 4 other books by the same author and am looking forward to the continuation of this series. A great read and a spritual overhaul.

Jane Kirkpatrick's writing is not only inspirational, but also historically accurate. Her story brings alive the tribulations these women faced alone on the Oregon Trail. Who knows how close she comes to the actual facts, her research and depth of character is so marvelous. A great book. I love each of Ms. Kirkpatrick's books and consider her one of our outstanding Western Woman authors!

No doubt about it - Jan Kirkpatrick is a wonderful writer. Each sentence is a work of art, and there is great depth and seems to be extremely well researched. I had a couple of problems with the book though. One was just that I'm not much of a wilderness/Old West buff, but the reviews made me decide to go ahead and read it. I still am not a fan of the genre after reading the book, so I'm sure that taints my opinion. The second problem I had was with the characters. The characters are wonderfully written and very real and multi dimensional. But, for the most part, I just didn't care for them too much. The ending helps shows the growth they made, but I really wasn't rooting for any of them through the book. Perhaps it was the politically correct slant that I felt throughout. All Indians and Asians were good, and did no wrong, while anyone who expressed fear of the Indians were shown to be judgemental and foolish. Ninety percent of the men were bullys, liars, abusive. The women were the stronger morally, spiritually, emotionally, and half the time physically. And while the book has a nice spiritual edge to it - the one person who is identified with faith is of course the legalistic, slightly dense one of the group. So, for me it's a mixed bag - great writing with a little preachiness and harshness that diluted the strength of the book overall.

I absolutely loved this book. It is such a find! Based on an entry in Ezra Meekers Journal about 11 'turnaround' women he encountered on the Oregon Trail who had lost all their men tragically and decided to 'turnaround' and head back east, Jane Kirkpatrick has taken those few words and scripted a real pageturner. I literally could not put this book down as I eagerly awaited every second I could spend reading it. I immediately purchased book two and three in the trilogy. The writing is lyrical and so descriptive you can FEEL it! The Character development is fabulous and indepth. Each is so very different and well depicted. Mazy Bacon is a young wife whose husband is hiding a secret past, Suzanne is a young mother who is expecting another on the trail and was blinded in a tragic photography accident, Ruth Martin is a battered woman on the run from the man who murdered her infant son, Tipton has travelled along to marry the love of her young 15-year-old life as she struggles with a severe panic disorder, and that is only a few of the women! This is definately not "fluff" historical fiction. I highly recommend this Trilogy!