Kathryn: Days of Struggle and Triumph

Daughters of Courage #1

by Donna Fletcher Crow

One Hundred six degrees and the nearest water was fifteen miles away in the Snake River. Nothing but brown dirt and scraggly sagebrush as far as the eye could see. Then the flying ants swarmed at midday. And the coyotes howled at night. And yet Kathryn was determined to survive. Kathryn has come to Kuna, Idaho, with her papa who dreams of starting a church for the handful of hardy pioneers struggling desperately to hold on until irrigation comes to the desert. But does God even know this place exists? And what dark secret does the disturbing Scotsman Merrick carry beneath his jaunty exterior? Can Kathryn find the courage to triumph over the challenges of such a harsh environment and those who would betray and even murder?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Historical, Historical Romance, Fiction, Christian, Family Saga

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1992

About the author

Donna Fletcher Crow loves to give books away. If you would like a copy of one of her best-selling Lord Danvers Investigates series, go to her website: http://www.DonnaFletcherCrow.com

Donna is the author of 50 books, mostly novels dealing with British history. The award-winning GLASTONBURY, The Novel of Christian England is her best-known work, an Arthurian grail search epic covering 15 centuries of English history.
Donna authors 3 mystery series: The best-selling Lord Danvers Investigates Vitorian true-crime series; The Monastery Murders; and The Elizabeth and Richard Literary Suspense.

Donna and her husband have 4 adult children and 14 grandchildren. She is an inveterate researcher and an enthusiastic gardener. You can see pictures of her research trips and her garden, learn more about her books, subscribe to her monthly newsletter, and read her blog at: www.DonnaFletcherCrow.com

Reviews

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathryn is living in a land all alone in harsh conditions and how she copes with it forms the story.
The story captures the history of Idaho very well. The story also has elements of mystery and romance woven well into the story.
Enjoyed reading it.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

First in a series that spans numerous decades, Kathryn features a narrative that moves a bit too fast.  (SPOILER ALERT!) At the start, Kathryn is a seventeen-year-old girl adjusting to a new location; by the end, she has wed her sweetheart in Scotland and has come back Stateside to have his child.  All that happens in about 250 pages.  (END SPOILERS!) For such a convoluted plot, Mrs. Crow should have written a bit more.  Granted, I have read worse--much worse!--so that doesn't make Kathryn terrible, but it keeps it from being what it could have been.



Score: 2.5/5

[Olusola Anyanwu · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing read! I fell in love with 17 year old Kathryn who at the beginning was natural in her feelings with God; venting her anger and disgust at His creation of Kuna, Idaho. It was fascinating to see her mature and follow her love life between making choices. There were moments of suspense and tension and readers will marvel at how through it all, Kathryn kept her cool, kept her faith in God and did not break down when the love of her life was wooing someone else or being handcuffed by the police! I enjoyed the parallel description that the miracle of water and its effects had on the characters at the beginning and end of the story. Kathryn's strength and victory shows that God hears our prayers even in those times, when we are too weak to pray! A great read worth its five stars!

[LeAnne]

Donna Crow's gift is taking real history and making us see it through the eyes of contemporaries, real or imagined. In this series she takes on the history of her own beloved state of Idaho, bringing to life the struggles of homesteading in the desert and the blessing of water in the first decades of the twentieth century. Kathryn eventually has the opportunity to go to lush, green Scotland (which Crow also brings beautifully to life), but chooses a desert destiny instead. I identified with Kathryn who thirsts for beauty, at first finds little of it in the desolate landscape, but learns to find it in the people God brings into her life. In some Christian fiction, heroines are inclined to compromise their faith for the romantic interest of the story, but I'm glad Kathryn does not.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, when I started reading this, I wasn't too sure I would enjoy it to be honest. But, after a few chapters the story gripped me. This has everything in it, such as tragedy, heartache, loneliness, but also hope, romance, mystery........
This book just kept me reading to find out what happened next. The Christian aspect is right through this book, with Katherine's father being a preacher. With all that happened to Katherine, she still kept her faith. I loved some of the side characters too. I appreciate the epilogue in this book too. This is a new author to me, which I will def check out again. I read this through Kindle Unlimited. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Sandy Duke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a little worried when I saw the LONG list of characters and the map at the beginning of this book, however, the characters were not hard to keep up with and I found the map helpful but not necessary. This book has a bit of everything -- faith, romance, adventure, mystery, and history. However, I found that it was heaviest on faith. I predicted the end of the book very early on, which was a bit disappointing, but the journey to the end was pleasant enough. I found the local history of two different settings the most interesting parts of the book. I would recommend this book to those interested in the history of Idaho.

[Kim Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh. There was nothing wrong with the book, it just didn't grab my attention. In a way, this was good, because I was using it to relax a bit before I went to bed. Most nights I would read a chapter and then would easily put it down. However, there were times I had a few spare minutes during the day, and I debated about what to do. I had no desire to pick this up and read it, but I didn't want to start something else until it was finished.

I have two more books that come after this, but I have way too much to read to spend time on something that I don't love, so they will all be going to the book exchange.

[Marti Switzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because it took place in the area I lived until my 10th year; Nampa and Meridian, with aunts and uncles in Boise. That was 40 years after the events in this story (1944 to 1952). It was historically interesting and informative. I even looked up info on the murder trial that was mentioned in the story, which also had photos of those involved in the assassination. My heritage is mostly Scottish, so that resonated. And as a believer, the scripture quoted was uplifting and fit right in the story.

[Donna Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathryn has come to Kuna, Idaho, with her papa who dreams of starting a church for the handful of hardy pioneers struggling desperately to hold on until irrigation comes to the desert. But does God even know this place exists? And what dark secret does the disturbing Scotsman Merrick carry beneath his jaunty exterior? Can Kathryn find the courage to triumph over the challenges of such a harsh environment and those who would betray and even murder?

[Kristina Lee Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Struggle and Triumph is spot on.

Kathryn struggled from the very first day. I am not sure if I could have done all that she had. Having the scriptures to assist her and give her strength is what really got her through everything life had to offer. Very good book with lots of history included. May even read it again. Yes, that good.

[Linda Talbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful Characters

I truly enjoyed reading this book. The book made you feel like you were part of it. Strong characters and detailed descriptions of the desert and living conditions. I like reading about Scotland and Ireland. The last chapters were a bonus. I got to go to Scotland!

[Randy Tramp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kathryn was determined to survive in Kuna, Idaho, with her papa who dreams of starting a church for pioneers. What's the dark secret disturbing Scotsman Merrick? Can Kathryn triumph over a harsh environment and those who would betray and even murder?

This story transported me back in history, to a place where one had to struggle. Good read.

[Louise Pledge]

Interesting, clean book which I enjoyed partly because of the Idaho location and the fact that Kathryn was an organist.

[Lucille M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

I enjoyed this very exciting read more than I expected with it's many twist and turns in the story which made it very exciting and difficult to put down.

[Teryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book packed with Idaho history. The main character is inspirational with her enduring love of family, community, God, and her hope of bringing water to her beloved desert farmland.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when I enjoy books with characters with my name in it

[Kathy Brickert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story

I really enjoyed this peek back into history! The characters seem so real and I have never heard of this part of Idaho! Made for a great read!

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t usually read this type of book, but I absolutely loved it!! On my list to continue to read this author’s work. 😊

[Alex Reece · Rating 4 out of 5]

KATHRYN - Days of Triumph and Struggle
(Book One in the Daughters of Courage Series by Donna Fletcher Crow,
252 pages)

Donna Fletcher Crow's love of history shines out in this epic tale, centred on (in her words) "valiant women, who pioneered in Idaho's desert before irrigation was available and still managed to keep journals."

The novel opens with Kathryn arriving from Nebraska to settle in Kuna,Idaho at the age of seventeen - and from there, the pace doesn't stop. This well-plotted story is hard to categorize - it has the elements of mystery, romance and historical saga, all skillfully interwoven. A diverse cast of well developed characters create plenty of tension and conflict, right down to the last pages.

Idaho is not a part of the world I know, but I had the good fortune to catch Ken Burn's documentary series The West while I was reading this, which brought another dimension to the politics of this era of settlement of America, when competing dreams transformed the land.

Those competing dreams are central to this story and the author's research - drawing on her own family history as a native of the Boise area and fictionalized events based on original pioneer manuscripts - is deftly handled and brings authenticity and insight to the lives she writes about.

Since this is published by Moody Press (and Greenbrier as an ebook), you'd expect to find some scripture references. Again, as events test Kathryn's resilience - and her faith - these form an integral and natural part of her sense-making and motivation as the daughter of a preacher.

And having left her friends and family, how she is tested! Kathryn finds herself lonely in an alien, untamed land, where the nearest fresh water is some fifteen miles away; "a wilderness so hot and dry that the only growing thing is endless miles of rattlesnake-infested sagebrush."

If that's not enough, the early farmer-settlers grapple with the challenges of irrigating a desert and face swarms of flying ants, packs of coyotes and hungry jackrabbits - and encounter their share of human pests too, in the form of gamblers, opportunists and shysters.

Well-written and consistently enjoyable, this is a deceptively easy read - you find yourself learning and reflecting along the way - and the story has a special resonance today, as so many parts of the world, including America, are suffering drought.

The next in the Daughters of Courage series picks up Kathryn's daughter Elizabeth, and her experiences as a teacher in a country school during the Great Depression.

[Kathryn G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't a genre I normally read, but my grandma bought this book for me since it has my name - correctly spelled - on the front. It's kind of crazy how much the story of 1900s Kathryn reminds me of myself. The parallels are uncanny. It was a good book, though not my favorite.

[Odetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one. It was up in Boise.