jourdain

The Doctor's Lady, by Jody Hedlund, proved insightful, moving, challenging, and overwhelming at times, but it gave me nothing but pleasure throughout my weekend. Briefly, the story entails the treacherous journey of Dr. Eli Ernest and his new wife, in name only, Priscilla White. Jody's insight showed throughout her descriptions of the travels. Particular landmarks and details peppered her narrative. Along with those, widely held beliefs from the era were discussed by the characters. Common prejudices of the times were displayed about American Indians, women, and non-Christians in general. As a proper lady from a wealthy family of the Northeast, it's not surprising that Priscilla had many of these beliefs and had trouble dispelling them. The hardships that Priscilla endured on her 2,700 mile trip across the continent were amazing, though written in such a way as to be entirely believable. Through it all, she determined to keep her propriety, while proving her strength and ability to work successfully in the mission field. Priscilla's attitude proved most challenging. She had a deep conviction for missions and a willingness to give up her very life for the Gospel she wanted to share with the Nez Perce Indians of the Northwest. As the highly educated daughter of a wealthy man, her environment went from pampered luxury to the barest of necessities. Her clothing changed from silks and lace to tattered rags, and her own appearance spiraled from creamy manicured perfection to sunburned, sweaty filth. The trip gave her more than just discomfort, her virtue, her health, and her very life were threatened many times. I know it sounds like I'm gushing, but I can't say enough about this story. It was tightly written, with characters that went beyond believable. Priscilla White and Eli Ernest had detailed personalities, complete with flaws, and the chemistry between them was positively palpable. On page 332, I actually had to put the book down and wipe my eyes. I think it was somewhere around the quote, "Fortunately, perfection is not one of God's requirements." Yep, that got me. But you would need to keep it in context to get the full picture. So you'll need to read the book for yourself!

2020-02-01 07:28