Book review: A Claim of Her Own by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Recently I received a package from Bethany House which contained 3 historical novels. One of them is based on the gold rush era and the title is A Claim of Her Own.

About the book:
When Mattie O'Keefe arrives in Deadwood, South Dakota, she finds the future she hoped for shattered. Determined to claim a fresh start, Mattie soon must decide where true riches lie--and what's worth dying for.

Who is Stephanie Grace Whitson?
Stephanie Grace Whitson is a bestselling author and two times Christy Award finalist. She pursues a full-time writing and speaking career from her home studio in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her husband and blended family, her church, quilting, and Kitty--her motorcycle--all rank high on her list of "favorite things".

My thoughts:
After reading the book – well I should say devoured it – I took a couple of days to ponder about it. You know what struck me the most? Not the main character, Mattie, who is able to adapt to hard situations but another woman in the novel, Swede. Swede, also known as Katerina, is the sort of woman I admire. This woman is a mother who is doing all she can to make a living in a time where women would have been in the mercy of many hardships. She doesn’t hesitate to become a teamsters and go back and forth to bring goods to Deadwood. She also travels with her baby girl through difficult conditions at times. I also have a baby girl and I don’t think I would have been able to do what Swede did. I mean this woman has so much courage I just wish I would have half the dose she has. Mind you, I didn’t went through the hardships she did and I don’t know how I would have reacted if that would have been the case. She has ideas on certain goods to bring and at first others doubt her decisions. She followed her instincts on these decisions and it was fructuous. But God blessed that woman and brought good friends to help her in various shapes or forms. At the end, she is loved again and she is well established with her family.

Now don’t take me wrong, Mattie is a great character too but somehow Swede has struck me in the heart probably because she is a mother as well. A Claim of Her Own is a great read, very relaxing and instructive. It gives lots of information on own prospectors were looking for gold during the gold rush and how they lived during that time.