Champion of support is my husband of forty-four years, Jerry, who at ninety (when this book is released) and with thirteen compressed vertebrae, and beating three cancers, and now fighting another, nevertheless in this book helped me understand what Ben might have endured physically as well as the challenge of living with what Mr. Bunter would call a “strong-minded woman.” He offers what every writer seeks: kindness, no matter the place in the writing process, where failure seems inevitable; encouragement to get up and write again. That is what love looks like. I’m humbled and grateful.
And to readers: Madeleine L’Engle once wrote that when we create, we co-create. We co-create with Spirit and with readers. Thank you all for your co-creation, taking these stories and making them your own. You have made my literary life. Thank you.
Jane at jkbooks.com
Discussion Questions
What influence did the journey on the Oregon Trail have on the life work of Abigail “Jenny” Scott Duniway? Have you made a long journey to arrive where you are? What has influenced you as you travel without a map?
Early on, Jenny worried about not bringing disrepute onto Ben or her family. Was she successful in her life? What changed her attitude to make her more outspoken? What role did writing play in how she changed?
How did the landscapes of the Northwest inspire and challenge Abigail’s view of the role of women in public life? Are there landscapes that you turn to for inspiration, respite, or escape?
Biographies of Abigail paint a picture of a single-minded woman who traveled far and wide, was a prolific writer, outspoken and often acerbic in her interactions with others as she fought for justice for women and ran her businesses. This author focused on the vulnerable side of Abigail; her need for support from her family, especially from Ben, and her uncertainty at times. Which Abigail rings true, or are both reasonable explorations of a complicated woman? How are our own complexities mirrored in this activist’s story?
What part did the loneliness and isolation of Hardscrabble Farm have on Abigail’s future endeavors? Have there been times when you’ve felt alone in a struggle? What helped you through it?
Abigail was the descendant of Cumberland Presbyterian ministers from Illinois. Her father was an elder in Oregon. How did Abigail’s nurturing in the faith affect her efforts on behalf of women? Why did religious communities oppose women’s right to vote? Were Abigail’s strategies to address their worries successful?
How did fashion affect the women’s movement? How did it influence Abigail’s activist life?
Abigail grieved her daughter’s illness by traveling, going somewhere not so close to the pain, giving herself to work. How might her absence have been seen during that time? How does grief affect a life’s mission? What, if anything, did Abigail learn from grieving so many deaths in her life?
Was Abigail the most successful suffragist in the West even though Oregon did not get the vote until 1912? After the defeat of 1884, how did Abigail keep going? Are there lessons for us in this century when we face uncertainty and defeat?
Has your perspective on suffrage changed as a result of reading this woman’s story? If so, how?
The author was once denied (in 1968) a public library card unless her husband signed for her to have it. Have you experienced the impact of a woman not having equal rights? How did it make you feel and what did you do about it?
Sign up for Jane’s Story Sparks newsletter at jkbooks.com and follow her on Facebook and BookBub.
Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author of more than thirty books, including One More River to Cross, Everything She Didn’t Say, All She Left Behind, A Light in the Wilderness, The Memory Weaver, This Road We Traveled, and A Sweetness to the Soul, which won the prestigious Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center. Her works have won the WILLA Literary Award, the Carol Award for Historical Fiction, and the 2016 Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award. Jane and her husband, Jerry, divide their time between Bend, Oregon, and Rancho Mirage, California, with their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Caesar. Learn more and sign up for her monthly Story Sparks newsletter at www.jkbooks.com.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Endorsements
Half Title Page
Also by Jane Kirkpatrick
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Dedication
Epigraph
Character List
Prologue
Part 1 1. Making Her Own Map
2. Courting or Confrontation
3. The Hesitating Heart
4. The Timing of Love
5. The Vagaries of Choice
6. Early Storms
7. A Clearing in the Fog
8. Brooms of the World
9. Ora et Labora
10. Life, Death, and What Is Sure
11. Surety
12. The Farmer
13. Going On
14. Refresher
15. Moving and Moving Forward
Part 2 16. The Direction of Light
17. Misfortune’s Middle Name
18. The Stars and Spoils
19. An Editorial Option
20. Tend and Befriend
21. Building the Ladder
22. The California Connection
Part 3 23. Getting Ducks in Order
24. Shaping
25. First Hurdle
26. The Moving World
27. Drawing Closer
28. Thirty Years and Counting
29. Victory or Defeat?
30. Postmortem
31. The Things That Sustain
32. No Worry in the World
33. Abigail Scott Duniway Day
Epilogue
Author’s Notes and Acknowledgments
Discussion Questions
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
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Something Worth Doing Page 29