With the Enduring Tides
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 21 Apr 2026
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
On the rugged Oregon coast in the early 1900s, a group of women's lives intertwine through their shared pioneering spirit and the steadfast presence of Mary Gerritse. Struggling with her daughter Belle's desire to live with her grandparents, Mary discovers her own mother facing illness and her father hiring a caretaker with a troubled past. Despite tensions, Mary leaves Belle with her grandparents, feeling guilt and resentment. When past secrets bubble over into troubles in the present, Mary's identity is shaken.
As Mary seeks to heal her family--and herself--her friends provide comfort even as they face challenges of their own: Jewell explores questions about her own identity, Henrietta navigates managing a homestead, Virginia seeks refuge from an abusive situation, and Olivia faces the heartache of lost love. The women must endure to find encouragement in each other and refuge in the faith that brings strength amid great uncertainty.
Beloved for her immersive depictions of the American West in the early twentieth century, Kirkpatrick vividly portrays the courage and triumphs of women overcoming the odds and banding together to make a difference.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This affecting historical from Kirkpatrick (Across the Crying Sands) follows a strong-willed postal worker as she navigates the rugged terrain of Oregon's northern coast at the turn of the 20th century. Mary Gerritse is busy enough delivering mail for the postal service to support her husband and kids when she gets word from her father that her mother, Amanda, is sick. Upon traveling to their remote town with her headstrong 11-year-old Belle, Mary finds that her father has hired a helper, Virginia, to care for her dementia-stricken mother. Initially perturbed by the stranger in their midst, Mary slowly gets to know Virginia and starts to feel at ease leaving Belle in her care so she can resume her work. Then a sudden death reveals a shocking secret about her own past, forcing Mary to see her family, and faith, in a new light. While Kirkpatrick's extensive cast of characters (many of whom Mary encounters on her postal route) and myriad plotlines can become unwieldy, the atmospheric depiction of the forbidding Oregon coast and the nuanced rendering of family bonds are vivid and gripping. It's a captivating if sometimes crowded portrait of a trailblazing woman.
