Where Lilacs Still Bloom by Jane Kirkpatrick: Book Review

In Washington State, German immigrant Hulda Klager takes her love of flowers, her experience as a farmer's wife, and her limited education to become a bold, adventurous woman when such was absolutely not a normal occurrence. 

Without the knowledge and consent of her husband (and such was definitely the thing to do at that period of time), she took her observations of variants in hue and shape, texture and size to begin her experiments in the cultivation of bulbs, shrubs, and apple trees.  Her success in grafting apples to create an easier to peel and tastier apple resulted in a product that she loved - and so did her husband.  From that point on, he became a supporter of her endeavors.  At least as long as she got her household duties done, too.

Life was not without tragedy for her family.  Death, flood, sadness.  But Hulda was a woman of faith and trust in God.

"Beauty matters… it does. God gave us flowers for a reason. Flowers remind us to put away fear, to stop our rushing and running and worrying about this and that, and for a moment, have a piece of paradise right here on earth."

Where Lilacs Still Bloom is a biographical novel - that is it is closely based on the life of Hulda Klager and her work developing lilac varieties and her Woodland, Washington, garden.

Author Jane Kirkpatrick has written a gentle novel about a gentle lady who achieves much as a wife, mother, plant hybridization genius, friend and counselor.

Jane Kirkpatrick is a best-selling, award-winning author whose previous historical novels include All Together in One Place and Christy Award finalist A Tendering in the Storm. An international keynote speaker, she has earned regional and national recognition for her stories based on the lives of actual people, including the prestigious Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Hall of Fame. Jane is a Wisconsin native who since 1974 has lived in Eastern Oregon, where she and her husband, Jerry, ranch 160 rugged acres.

ISBN: 9781400074303  Release: 4.17.2012   Fiction - Historical
I received a complimentary copy of Where the Lilacs Still Bloom from Blogging for Books on behalf of the author and publisher in order to render a review and my honest opinion.