by Jane Kirkpatrick
Waterbrook Press, $14.99, 341 pages
Jane Kirkpatrick documents the life of Hulda Klager in the early 1900’s in Where Lilacs Still Bloom. In this revealing story, Hulda battles with her love of plants versus the expectations from the women of her time. Hulda lovingly spends hours in her garden planting, pruning and creating hybrids. She successfully creates a crisper apple and becomes a resource for a column-writer for the Sacramento Bee. Interweaved in Hulda’s story are the happenings of her daughters, husband, column writer and helpers in her garden. Kirkpatrick weaves an interesting story of what life comprised of in the Pacific Northwest where the characters did not have cars and communication happened via mail. This a great read for anyone who struggles with accomplishing what society expects versus what one believes make them whole with beauty.
Seniye Groff