A Mending at the Edge

by Jane Kirkpatrick

Book Overview

"Of all the things I left in Willapa, hope is what I missed the most."

So begins this story of one woman's restoration from personal grief to the meaning of community. Based on the life of German-American Emma Wagner Giesy, the only woman sent to the Oregon Territory in the 1850s to help found a communal society, award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick shows how landscape, relationships, spirituality and artistry poignantly reflect a woman's...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1578569796
• ISBN13: 9781578569793
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Waterbrook Press
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.1" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

The intriguing conclusion to Jane Kirkpatrick's historical "Change and Cherish" series

A MENDING AT THE EDGE satisfyingly concludes Jane Kirkpatrick's Change and Cherish trilogy, based on the true-life story of Emma Wagner Giesy, a strong-willed woman who seeks to find her place in a restrictive Christian colony in Oregon during the mid-1800s. If you haven't read the first two installments, stop here and begin with book one, A CLEARING IN THE WILD. These novels are much richer as a series than they are as stand-alones. In A CLEARING IN THE WILD, we're introduced to Emma, a teenage girl in the Missouri Bethelites community who rebels against gender roles and longs for adventure. She wangles her way to accompany her husband, Christian Giesy, on a trip west to explore possible new locations for the colony --- historically, the only woman to help found a communal society in this time period, Kirkpatrick tells us. The second novel in the series, A TENDERING IN THE STORM, is written from two points of view --- Louisa Keil's and Emma's. It finds the feisty Emma living in the Washington Territory with Christian and little ones Andy and Kate. Readers will enjoy seeing Emma's gifts unfold and watching her grow as a woman of faith and as a mother who deeply cares for her children. Her mistakes, however, will cost her dearly. A MENDING AT THE EDGE finds Emma and her four young kids back with the repressive Bethel colony, after escaping from her abusive second husband Jack. Although offering her shelter and work at the colony, its mercurial and autocratic leader, Wilhelm Keil, is clear that Emma must do what she can to reconcile with Jack. Kirkpatrick weaves information about women and divorce during this time period into the storyline, and continues her exploration of gender roles as she has throughout the series. Divorce, we discover, while not impossible, would likely result in Emma's dismissal from the colony. Divorced women of that time in Oregon also lost custody of their children, the author tells us. However, as Emma labors in the colony and her work is credited towards the community for goods she wishes to acquire, Jack shows up and threatens to use his privileges as her husband to claim goods for himself that she has earned. And shockingly enough, the community does not protest, as he is her lawful husband. For the modern reader, Emma's situation and those of other characters introduced later in the story provide a startling realization of how women's rights were not protected in this era, and how little recourse females had if they were abused by their husbands. Kirkpatrick is a clinical social worker, as well as a novelist, which may explain her knowledgeable grasp of this plot thread. Things smooth out a bit when Jack leaves, and Emma is free to press for the building of a home for herself and her family. However, to remain in the community, Emma finds that she must give up more than she ever dreamed. Will her sacrifice be worth the pain it will cause? Readers may find her decision shocking, but the author casts Emma's actio

Fabulous Book

I have read the entire series of the Change,and Cherish Historical Series. In this final book, Emma comes into her own. She has gained wisdom through her trials. She has lost many people along the way. In this book, she shacks free from danger, but there is a price to pay. I just loved this series, as I have all of Jane Kirckpatrick's books. But this one is different. I find myself drawn to Emma, maybe because I have been through several of her trials.

Don't Miss This One

Don't miss this lovely conclusion to the Change and Cherish series. A Mending at the Edge honors the American West and the roles of women who endured the hardships of the trail. This novel will inspire readers to choose hope in life. This reader highly recommends A Mending at the Edge. And be sure to read books #1 and #2 so you can learn more about Emma.

3rd and last book in series a terrific ending

A Mending at the Edge finishes Emma's story. Now living in the Aurora Colony in Oregon with her four children, she's still trying to live life on her terms, while also serving the colony and taking care of her family. The lessons she learns are increasingly hard, but Emma faces them all with courage and strength. After finally getting a house in which to raise her children, she loses the right to raise her own sons. Despite working long days there, there are people who still hold her previous mistakes over her head and judge her based on them. But Emma finally discovers what she values most and what home really means. Again this book resounded powerfully within me. Emma is often angry at God for giving her a life different than the one that she had hoped for. At first, she keeps trying to put her feet on the same path toward the future she wants, but when she accepts and embraces the present that the Lord has given her, she blossoms. Suffering from rheumatoid arthritis is a future I never thought I would face and one I still rail at God for giving it to me. Emma's life is full of lessons for me about faith, acceptance, and love. This is an absolutely terrific series.

superb historical

Emma Wagner Giesy left hope in Missouri along with an abusive spouse and disapproving parents to bring her two preadolescent daughters to a safe environs in Aurora, Oregon Territory. Her supportive uncle brought her other two to safety. However, so far Brother Keil has not approved a house for the Giesy brood. This has increased Emma's despair that she desperately tries to conceal from her four children. As Brother Keil stalls letting a separated woman settle down without a man to protect her and her children, new arrivals flood the community. Emma's faith in the Lord sending her to this new religious commune is the right thing for her and her offspring is all that keeps her going. The third Aurora mid nineteenth century tale (see A CLEARING IN THE WILD and A TENDERING IN THE STORM) is a superb historical that stars a strong heroine whose spiritual beliefs keep her from giving up to the despondence that engulfs her. However, MENDING AT THE EDGE is much more as Emma (the author says was a real person) begins to participate with others in the community coming out of her self-imposed isolationism. Readers will appreciate her journey to belong as Jane Kirkpatrick provides a profound Americana tale that showcases people trying to live their dreams. Harriet Klausner