I have read novels written by Jane Kirkpatrick before and although I enjoyed them for the most part, I felt that they were very intense. Something Worth Doing is in that same category.

The history behind Ms. Kirkpatrick’s novels is beyond reproach and the subjects of her novels are true characters. I read so much of Something Worth Doing and then I found the reading tedious. The subject of women’s suffrage is a very important one and obviously, the history of those who were brave enough and tough enough to fight for it is something we should all learn from. I felt that the more I read, the less I was interested in finishing the book.

I’m sure that someone with more resolve than I would be able to finish the novel with many kudos to Ms. Kirkpatrick. However, I am not the one.

This 2020 year is the 100th Anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment which affirmed U.S. women’s citizenship and granted us the right to vote. A most historical moment if you are a woman. To coincide with this historic anniversary was being able to read an exquisite book to help celebrate this momentous anniversary, Something Worth Doing by author Jane Kirkpatrick.

It is books like these that should be read by every girl and woman. Why do I make such a profound statement? Here you are…

We as a society take too much for granted, especially women in this modern era. It was because of women like Abigail Scott Duniway, who is the central character in this book who recognized that women deserved to have their voices heard, to be recognized as having valuable insights, and should be treated like men in helping decide how they wanted their local, state, and national governments run.

Something Worth Doing presents quite well the historical perspective that women’s struggles were long, enduring development. This was not a process that was within the span of a few years, it was a prolonged one where little steps were made yearly. Often those inroads saw setbacks but it never deterred women like Abigail for pressing forward one step at a time.

Fictionalizing the story of Abigail is woven around a treasure trove of facts. The story is so well-written that I got lost in the story the more I read it. But the beauty of this book is how the author brought Abigail, Susan B. Anthony, and a host of others to life through her words.

The author inspired me to want to see photos of Abigail. Thankfully, the Find-a-Grave website has photos of her, her husband, and her children. I even discovered Abigail’s voter registration card. Can you imagine if all of us, as women kept our first voter registration card?

If it were not for these pioneer women, like Abigail, we would not have had the 19th Amendment. Yes – it would have come to pass, but not as early on as it did 100 years ago. Something Worth Doing is a must, must-read to help women of all ages understand and appreciate where their predecessors were and where we are today.

Thank you, thank you, Jane, for this motivating story for us all.

A stirring account of the life and work of a remarkable pioneer woman, Abigail Scott Duniway! The story begins with her arrival in Oregon Territory in 1852, working as a young teacher, and shows what she endured personally and professionally for decades as she worked towards bettering the lives of women by gaining their right to vote. It is an inspiring story of a woman dedicated to helping others and overcoming huge obstacles along the way.

"No one knows what they can accomplish until they undertake it."
The author's careful and thorough research shines through with personal details, conveying what Abigail experienced and endured. I could feel her grief and loss, as well as joy in her triumphs. She was a wife, mother, author, business woman, journalist, public speaker and activist. Her story gave me a whole new appreciation of what women went through to accomplish things that we often take for granted now.
Her husband's support helped her succeed as he saw value in her work. Their marriage seemed quite modern, as he stepped in to help on the homefront, understanding her need to travel later on and pursue her passion to achieve the vote. Their love story over the years was a beautiful one, inspiring after all they went through. He gave her wings to fly! Some mentions of faith sprinkled in showed her belief that she was "doing the Lord's work", encouraging other women. She left a legacy of a "fierce love for justice and liberty" for all, a timely message even in our era.

Highly recommend for readers who enjoy historical fiction based on real people and events. 4.5 stars

It’s been 100 years since women have had the vote in the US, so the novel seemed to be a timely theme.
Descriptions of Oregon are lovely and easy to picture. It’s not hard to imagine the isolation one would feel in the early settlement days. The story was also well researched.
The back cover had caught my attention and so I was excited to dig into the story. I’m sure it’s a difficult task bringing an historical figure to life in a fictional account. There were moments where the characters shone, but most of the time I had a difficult time connecting with Jenny or Abigail. She had a challenging life in months prior to the opening of the story, but at times she tended to whine more than get things done. I would have liked the romance part to take more time than what was given – though I understand the need to move into the meatier parts of Abigail’s story and that the romance wasn’t the main element (though her husband is very, very sweet!).
In the end, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would. Still, the author did a tremendous job in researching and sprinkling enough details throughout the novel so as to not overload the reader’s mind with facts.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

A well researched novel based on the life of Abigail Scott Dunaway who spent her life fighting for women's rights and the right to vote.Although I enjoyed this book, the storyline moved slowly and the writing was very detailed.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women's constitutional right to vote. This historic centennial gives us an opportunity to look back on the women that helped make this happen. It opened my eyes to what they sacrificed, how hard they worked, and how patient they were to stay in their social dictated roles and fight the good fight. I had never heard of Abigail Scott who was a major mover and shaker in the movement. Abigail is thrown into the work force to help their family survive after her husband is injured. She gets a peek at things she hadn’t known before. This is another thing that motivates her to fight in her home in the Oregon Territory.

This novel shows the battle and struggles of women at that time and all Abigail Scott and other women had to do to get the right to vote. I appreciated the authors note to readers that documents real events and all the research that went into writing this novel. It was extensive. That is what I love about this authors books, she gives you enough in the story to blow you away about this situation and tells you the rest of the story in author notes to readers, love that.

Considering this is the anniversary year of women’s suffrage I highly recommend this story as one that will help us not forget the many women on the front line fighting for our right to vote. It's a privilege I sometimes take for granted. This would make a great book club pick. The author includes questions for your group to help create a lively discussion time with your group.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

Something Worth Doing by Jane Kirkpatrick is the story about Abigail Scott Duniway and it is based on facts. In the 1850's the Scott family moved from Illinois the Oregon Territory. It was not an easy journey. Her mother and brother died on route. Even though she was of marriageable age, she was in no hurry. She wanted to choose her husband and she wanted love. I don't know if any other man could have loved her more than Ben Duniway, the supportive and intuitive man she married. She came to learn that partnership is not always fifty fifty. Impeccably researched and masterfully presented, this book gives readers an inside look into the extraordinary life of an extraordinary woman.
Early on, Abigail could not accept or understand the constraints placed upon women. She was a complicated woman. She loved her family, but she recognized she had a mission that included obtaining justice, equality and fairness for all. She was a suffragist for forty years. In this story, readers follow her life and we watch her evolve and adapt. Her accomplishments were many. She was a teacher, a retailer, an author, a public speaker, newspaper owner as well a daughter, sister, wife, mother and friend. She was a woman who loved words and did not mince them. She knew grief and was able to move forward.
This engrossing book about a memorable woman is well worth reading. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Jane Kirkpatrick is an author you either love or don't love. She is very descriptive in all her novels I've read so far, and all of her books are long. But that's part of what I love about the novels and the authorr! When I read one of her books I can picture every single detail in my head, from the characters, to where they live, to the clothes they wear, everything!
This book is no different. This book is about Abigail Scott Duniway a women's suffragette who had taken the trail west with her family to Oregon. After numerous proposals, to get the land she would bring with her into a marriage, she does get won over by Ben Duniway. They need to marry earlier then expected but are in love. Abigail watched her Mother die on the trail and saw how hard life was for women pioneers and women who helped farm. They did as much as men and she decided women needed more rights. She joined up with the suffragette movement and created a suffrage group in Oregon to help get women property rights, rights when they got divorced, and ultimately the right to vote.
The novel takes us through Abigail's life. Her struggles, her fears, her love, the fight for women's rights. Abigail writes letters for newspapers and eventually owns her own newspaper (New Northwest). She travels the country when asked to speak. She dealt with rheumatoid arthritis and a prolapsed uterus. This is one tough woman!
She has earned my respect and love. Through reading her story I could see all of the struggles women lived through in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Abigail amazes me! I plan to look more up on her. I can't wait to read her actual articles and novels in the newspaper she owned, and the newspapers she wrote to over the times. At the end of the book Jane Kirkpatrick through everything that was fact and fiction in the book. Which is something I love when authors do. Sometimes I want to skip to that part 1st so I know! But I really try hard not to. I do like to know what is fact from fiction and appreciate the references the authors give so the readers can look books or references up for themselves.

I hope you all read this book. It does take time to read and it is long. But like I said Jane Kirkpatrick is an author who tells all the details and goes through the entire life of her character. She is an amazing author!
I'd like to thank Revell Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to preview this book. I do appreciate the chance to read and review this book. I was not paid for any positive review I was given the chance to read this book and only giving a review was what was asked of me.

"But of course, living held risk, the very act of breathing meant another step into the unknown. How one took those steps would shape the character of those around you...."

This was the first of Jane Kirkpatrick's books I've read so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I ended up really enjoying this story! Something Worth Doing follows the life of Abigail Duniway, a entrepreneur and suffragist in 19th-century Oregon. I thought the book presented a well-rounded picture of her life and the obstacles she faced. She worked so hard for so many years, facing disappointments and tragedies in her personal life and her work, but she never gave up. The tension she faced between her dedication to her family and her work is something women today can relate to. The balance is hard to find, and we see in her story that she didn't always make the right choices, but women in the United States wouldn't be where we are today without her and the cause she advanced.

Parts of the book did feel more like an account of events than an engaging story, but overall it was an enjoyable read. It's very timely as well, as 2020 marks 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granted women the right to vote. Fans of historical fiction and students of history will enjoy this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!

I have been a fan of Jane Kirkpatrick's novels since reading Mystic Sweet Communion. I've read ten or eleven of her books, and have reviewed seven prior to Something Worth Doing. I have always appreciated the depth of Kirkpatrick's character development. She selects strong female characters who have made a difference in our nation's history, often in the Pacific Northwest. I typically close her books feeling nostalgic about the main character, the challenges she has overcome, and the lives she has improved. In Something Worth Doing that character is Abigail Jane (Jenny) Scott Duniway, best known for her work in the suffragist movement. Abigail indeed had many challenges to overcome. She was blessed to be well-loved by her husband, Ben, and to have achieved many of her dreams. This book, however, did not leave me with that nostalgic feel. To me it lacked Kirkpatrick's typical character development, and read more like a report on Abigail Duniway. Even so, I am grateful to have received a copy from Revell via NetGalley and LibraryThing without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Jane Kirkpatrick is a prolific writer and known for her books that capture real people in a fictional way. Something Worth Doing lives up to her brand.

Her research is extensive, and it shows. If you want to know what women went through before they got the vote, this book is an eye-opener. All I can say is, "Thank you, Lord, that I wasn't born one hundred years ago. I would never have survived." I have such respect for the women who went before us to make a better life for us all. Because of women like Abigail, we can vote, own property, businesses, etc., basically, everything we take for granted now, we owe to the suffragist movement. Kirkpatrick has done a brilliant job of portraying the hardships and successes of these pioneering women.

That said, I found that much of this story did not resonate with me at all. I did not like the main characters. I found Abigail, shrewish and selfish. She often put her needs before those of her family. I found her husband to be equally so. While he supported her efforts in the suffragist movement, he would often ignore her opinions and concerns to do what he wanted. Leaving her to carry a heavy load.

They met and married quickly, with no build-up to their romance (if there even was one), they got married, it would seem, out of necessity. But as the story progresses, it becomes clear they didn't really have to marry at all. Abigail could have continued on her merry way if she didn't have an overbearing father. In fact, I've no doubt her life would have been easier and better if she continued teaching, never married and boarded somewhere not under her father's roof. In the end, men are the bad guys in this story, and it enforces the idea of how women need to be liberated from them.

I am sure some women, who lean toward feminism, will find this book to be enthralling. It is expertly researched, and while a bit dry at times, you do learn quite a bit about the suffragist movement. If you like real-life historical fiction, you may enjoy this book.

I received this book courtesy of Baker Publishing Group/Revell through NetGalley, for my honest opinion.

It's June 1852. Jenny has been dreaming of mysterious maps. They left home and was traveling after a death in the family. Jenny was seventeen. There has been deaths in the family. Jenny's first name is Abigail. I like the name Abigail. She wants to prove that women are strong. I liked Abby. I liked how Abby interacted with her sisters and family

Thank you to Netgalley and to Jane Kirkpatrick for my copy of Something Worth Doing for an honest review. We meet Abigail and her family heading west to the Oregon territory. She is traveling with her family and they face many hardships on the journey. But Abigail is a strong willed, young woman who never quit on herself or her family. She becomes a teacher, she gets married to a wonderful man, named Ben and she fights for woman’s rights around the country. Such a beautiful story about women who have such gumption and never give up. The story takes place over Abigail’s life, following her trials and tribulations and her insistence to make life better for all. I have recommended this to friends and family and gave it 4 stars.

The wisdom of a mother that is passed down to a daughter that in the end, benefits all of the woman of this country. We need to be grateful for the sacrifices woman like Abigail Scott, and other's who fought throughout their lives for woman's rights, including the right to vote.
We follow Abigail from her first year of teaching until the end of her life, through life's tribulations of joy and sorrow.
God put a wonderful man named Ben in her path, and we journey with them as they survive in the newly established Oregon, through the birth of their children, and with Abigail and her activism, with their extended family and friends.
A book of history, in a way, but also the backbone of what makes this country so special.
You will be page turning, and we know the outcome, but how the war was fought we are along for the ride.

I received this book through LibraryThing and the Publisher Revell. and was not required to give a positive review.

Something Worth Doing dives into the fictionalised account of early suffragist Abigail Scott Duniway.'s life. From an early age Abigail (a.k.a Jenny) knows that it better to be born a boy than a girl so strives as much as she can make choices that would give her and her future children better opportunities. While Abigail settles down with the love of her life and the rhythms of marriage. she struggles with what more she can make of herself.

The thing I loved the most about this book is that Kirkpatrick voiced Abigail's would be unfiltered thoughts that many women then and even now struggled with like getting upset when her extroverted husband brought home unexpected guests.

Overall, I think it was a timely read given that August 2020 marks the ratification of the 19th Amendment in the US that allowed women to vote.

Something Worth Doing is a historical novel based on the life of Abigail Duniway. She was a reformer and early pioneer for women"s rights and suffrage. I knew nothing about this Oregon Wilma before reading the novel. She has an interesting, yet difficult life. She and her husband weathered many financial reversals. She had an ongoing feud with her brother that was public and contentious. I appreciated the author's historical note at the end with references to works on or by Abigail.

Having never heard of Abigail Scott Duniway, this was a very interesting story based on her life. This book was well researched and told in a way to make readers a part of her story. She was a vital part in Orgeon's history and the fight of women's rights. Recommended!