Already well-versed in the natural healing properties of herbs and oils, Jennie Pickett longs to become a doctor. But the Oregon frontier of the 1870s doesn’t approve of such innovations as women attending medical school. To leave grief and guilt behind, as well as support herself and her challenging young son, Jennie cares for an elderly woman using skills she’s developed on her own. When her … patient dies, Jennie discovers that her heart has become entangled with the woman’s widowed husband, a man many years her senior. Their unlikely romance may lead her to her ultimate goal–but the road will be winding and the way forward will not always be clear. Will Jennie find shelter in life’s storms? Will she discover where healing truly lives?
Through her award-winning, layered storytelling, New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick invites readers to leave behind their preconceived notions about love and life as they, along with Jennie, discover that dreams may be deferred–but they never really die. Based on a true story.
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All She Left Behind is a fictionalized historical account of the life of Jennie Pickett, a woman from 1870s Oregon who becomes a doctor.
The novel follows the life of Jennie. It reads like a fiction story, with fictionalized conversations joining the recorded historical events. At first, it isn’t terribly clear where the story is going because it simply follows the Jennie’s life, starting from her wedding as a young woman. But by the end, the story showed that she was a woman worth remembering as a feminist, a woman doctor, and a loving wife and mother who overcame much to do what she did. It had a lot of feminist themes and contrasted the difficulties of women during the time to the joys of family and a marriage of equals.
I enjoyed this story and learned a lot about how women were treated during the time period. I cheer Jennie on for what she accomplished and am eternally grateful for the freedoms I enjoy as a woman in the United States. I appreciate that the author wrote about the real struggles Jennie went through, both from the sexists against her and in daily and family life. She wasn’t any more perfect than the men around her, and I am glad that was represented.
I recommend this book to those who are interested in learning about women feminists in history in a relatable way (as historical fiction).
I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I was not obligated to give a positive review.
A story of the first female doctor in Oregon told in lyrical prose.
Once again Jane Kirkpatrick met all expectations. Her prose drew you into the story. The characters were real, the setting vivid, and the depth of emotion was strong. Jennie was an ordinary woman who endured and overcame extraordinary circumstances.
Jane Kirkpatrick is an amazing author!
One can always count on Jane Kirkpatrick to write stories that are fleshed-out so well with interesting characters, based on history. She has well-researched the areas and time-periods she covers. There is a strong Christian element without being overly preachy. Every one of her books has been a delight to read, and a glimpse into the history of the West.
Writing was sub-par. Informative because true story.
good read
Touched my heart.
Has been some time since this book was read and do not feel I could do it justice in a review.
Reading now. Great story so far.
Another wonderful story of Oregon Pioneers. Kirkpatrick is a master story teller!
Excellent book!
I have always loved Jane Kirkpatrick’s books and this is no exception. Her characters seam like real people to me. They aren’t unbelievable in how they handle the stresses they encounter. I appreciate that.
Having read most this author’s books, I was a bit disappointed in this one. Seems that it was written for high school level readers. Didn’t hold my interest.
Love anything she writes
Wow what a fantastic story. It is based on a true story. It is a historical fiction from the Oregon frontier of the 1870s Jennie always wanted to be a doctor. She loved working with healing herbs and oils. She married Charles Pickett who was not the man she thought he was. He had fallen into alcohol and drugs and became abusive. They had two children. Douglas her son and a daughter they lost at birth. He filed for a divorce and she got custody of her son. She cared for a women whom had died and then fell in love with the women’s older husband. It is a story of love and tragedy. The struggles of abuse and divorce. The struggles of raising a son with problems and the rights of a women back in the 1870’s Love this story from page one to the end.
All She Left Behind by Jane Kirkpatrick is based on a true story from 1860’s Oregon history. This book is a wonderful example of Jane Kirkpatrick’s ability to tell a story from historical documentation that brings out the compassion in the readers. Jane “Jennie” overcomes great personal and physical obstacles to become a known healer, doctor, and public figure for her time in the Oregon west.
Seventeen year old Jane Lichtenthaler of Washington County, Oregon married Charles Pickett in March of 1860. During their wedding dance Charles slipped, fell hard, and hit his head on the rough floor. We will not know if this affected his personality or if he had problems before the accident, but Jennie soon learned hard lessons from the man she had married. He was not always the kind person she had thought him to be before the wedding. Jennie and Charles had a son, Douglas and a baby daughter who died at her birth due to the cord being around her neck. Jennie would always wonder if the delay of Charles bringing the doctor, both smelling of alcohol as she was in labor with baby Ariyah, had contributed to the death.
Jeanie has the spirit of a natural healer. She is knowledgeable about herbs, plants, tea, and tinctures. Her heart’s desire is to be a doctor, although she knows that Oregon in the 1860 will be hesitant to approve of allowing a woman to become a healer equal to a man. Jeannie also has a small learning disability. She has trouble reading and deciphering letters, what we would call today as dyslexia.
Read how she overcame the spousal abuse, loss of a baby, financial disaster, divorce, and humiliation among family and community to rise above and be heralded as a forceful and strong woman who kept her faith during troubled times. Once you start reading you may not want to stop!