Everything She Didn't Say

In 1911, Carrie Strahorn wrote a memoir entitled Fifteen Thousand Miles by Stage, which shared some of the most exciting events of 25 years of traveling and shaping the American West with her husband, Robert Strahorn, a railroad promoter, investor, and writer. That is all fact. Everything She Didn't Say imagines Carrie nearly ten years later as she decides to write down what was really on her mind during those adventurous nomadic years.

Certain that her husband will not read it, and in fact that it will only be found after her death, Carrie is finally willing to explore the lessons she learned along the way, including the danger a woman faces of losing herself within a relationship with a strong-willed man and the courage it takes to accept her own God-given worth apart from him. Carrie discovers that wealth doesn't insulate a soul from pain and disappointment, family is essential, pioneering is a challenge, and western landscapes are both demanding and nourishing. Most of all, she discovers that home can be found, even in a rootless life.

With a deft hand, New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick draws out the emotions of living--the laughter and pain, the love and loss--to give readers a window not only into the past, but into their own conflicted hearts. Based on a true story.

My Review

This is the third book I have read from this author. My track record is not that good. I think I will not be reading another book from this author. Which is a shame as I keep finding myself drawn to this author's books due to the time periods and the premises. The author has no problems with transporting me to the specific time periods that she writes about. What I struggle with are the characters. No matter how much I try and hope, I can't seem to find that emotional connection to them.

Additionally, with this book, it moved slowly. Also, the way it was laid out did not work for me. There was the story and than there was Robert's memoir. Passages from his book were featured without this book. It did not flow. For me, it was stop and go; which made reading this book clunky. Overall, this book was not me cup of tea.