Everything She Didn't Say

                                                               ~Synopsis~

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.


                                                                 ~Review~

"Everything She Didn't Say" is based off the real life memoir of Carrie Strahorn. She was married to a railroad promoter and traveled all over America's untamed west, following her husband, helping to lure people into the wild, rich, rewarding land. Carrie's life is anything but easy, but she makes the most of it even, staying true to her faith, and remaining by her husband even though she was given many reasons to give up and walk away from it all.

I was anticipating this book, especially since it was actually based off of a real woman and her experiences, but it was a bit of a let down. The writing style was beautiful, and very poetic, but if it wasn't for that it would have been a very dull read. I stuggled to keep reading, but perservered, just trying to give it a chance, but it never drew me in. Carrie Strahorn led a very hard, harsh, and somewhat sad life, and when I read I want to read something that gets me away from my reality and take me somewhere better, and this book did not do that.

I will say, that the bits of Carrie Strahorn's book at the end of every chapter were interesting, and the author wrote with the same poetic way the real Carrie wrote with, but that is pretty much the best part of the book. Carrie's husband Robert rubbed me the wrong way the whole time, and she truly was an amazing women to have stuck by her husband through all the hardships she ended up facing over her life.

If you want to read a book that is filled with true historical facts, and with poetic writing, by all means read this book! For me though, it was such a struggle just to finish it. If you give it a chance, I hope you get a different opinion from mine!

*I received this book for free as part of the Baker Publishing Group Blogger Review Program, but my opinions are all my own.