Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Aurora by Jane Kirkpatrick - My Review


ABOUT THE BOOK:
Wrap yourself in a fantastic journey, a remarkable commitment, and a spare and splendid story.
Master storyteller Jane Kirkpatrick extols the beautiful treasures, unknown to a wider public, rediscovered in the Old Aurora Colony of Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley. The people and legacy of Aurora, a utopian community founded in the mid-1800s, will stir your imagination, hopes, and dreams; and remind you that every life matters—that our lives are the stories other people read first.

~Featuring~
Unique and treasured quilt pattern variations
More than 100 photographs, many never-before published, from 1850 to today
Cherished stories from Aurora descendants
Rich images of fine crafts from the Aurora Colony and private collections
An introduction by renowned American artist John Houser

Aurora is about the difference every ordinary life can make—and a beautiful celebration of a time and place in which people expressed their most cherished beliefs through the work of their imagination and hands.


MY REVIEW:


Last April I toured Jane Kirkpatrick’s Change and Cherish Historical series Emma Wagner Giesy. Today, I hold in my hands a beautiful book entitled Aurora that teaches me all about the unique people who inspired Jane’s story. This book uses the amazing quilts made by the women in this colony to tell their history and to share their legacy. The people that made up the Aurora Colony were truly some of the hardest working, most creative people to have ever lived.


In spite of their strict religious beliefs, the folks of the Aurora colony were not hesitant to pour their creative spirits into all that they did. Their quilts are particularly magnificent, but the homes they built and the creativity they poured into their furniture and other craft work will absolutely amaze you! And you should see the clothes the women made!! Incredible!


What really amazes me is the sheer industry that defined the people of the nineteenth century. They literally had to create everything that composed their lives – from their homes and furniture to their clothes and food. I stand in awe – and actually feel a bit ashamed that my life doesn’t reflect the same intensity and passion for survival. I’m so thankful that Jane Kirkpatrick has taken the time to showcase the lives that defined the Aurora Colony. It is a beautiful and inspiring work indeed!
You may purchase your own copy here today!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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

No comments: