All She Left Behind ~ Review

All She Left Behind
By Jane Kirkpatrick

Jennie Lichtenthal was naturally gifted in an understanding of the healing properties of herbs and oils. And she brought this skill with her into her marriage with Charles Pickett. Always searching for new and better healing practices Jennie had the heart of a healer. So when her marriage was damaged and fractured by the powerful draw of addiction she was determined to find a solution to aid and cure those closest to her caught in its grip.

But a woman in the 1860s had few opportunities to better her situation, especially when her name was coupled with the stigma of divorce. But somehow Jennie managed to overcome just such an obstacle when those who knew her for who she was didn't allow a word to define their relationship - their friendship with her.

When her friend and patient exacts a deathbed promise from her Jennie's life is about to take yet another course - one that could lead her to become the doctor she's longed to be - one that could perhaps find a cure to end or a treatment to lessen the powerful hold of addiction.

In a world and time when her situation and actions would have been discouraged Jennie found the courage to follow the leading of her heart. Becoming a female doctor was all but unheard of at the time but Jennie with the encouragement of family succeeded.

This is another work from the talented Jane Kirkpatrick about a woman who refused to allow the confines of society to shape her to its whims. Jennie's life was one of trial and triumph as she sought to help both her husband and her son in their struggles with addictions. She managed to become a doctor all while being a wife and mother. The story of her life will move the reader.

This story is completely told within this book - no fears of having to wait for a sequel with this one. The writer has a talent for bringing not well-known pieces of history to life in a way one can't fully appreciate in textual history books. A perfect book for fans of historical fiction, especially if one enjoys late 19th-century American history.

I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher Revell with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.


About the Book:
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 is an unforgiving place--especially for a single mother. To support herself and her young son, Jennie finds work caring for an older woman. 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 forward is uncertain. 

New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick invites you to leave behind your preconceived notions about love and life as you, along with Jennie, discover that dreams may be deferred--but they never really die. Based on a true story.