Book Blurb:
Ruby Holt is no stranger to hardship. Having lost the menfolk in her family to the war and her husband to the bottle, she is left to fend for herself and her children. That is until a woman named Kenna appears in the Ford, an arrival so surprising that time seems to slow as her extravagant possessions are carted to her place up the hill.
Ruby finds a friend in Kenna, and the two outsiders find a sense of family in each other, spending the warm summers preparing for brutal winters and celebrating the world's small pleasures; a serviceberry pie, a beautiful traveling suit, a poem recitation by the fire.
But just when Ruby finds a way to carve out her own bit of happiness in the Ford, a love triangle and the revelation of sordid details from someone's past threaten to tear this family apart.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/crossingtheford
Author Bio:
Gail Hertzog lives with her husband, Bill, in the little town of Winnemucca, Nevada, the setting of Crossing the Ford. When she isn’t spending time with her kids and grandkids she enjoys traveling, growing cut flowers, and baking for friends and family. For her, the more crowded the dinner table, the better.
Gail is a retired teacher. Her career spanned more than twenty-five years, and exceeded all her expectations. She still enjoys running into former students and peers.
Gail has lived in the West her entire life, and she treasures its grandeur, self-reliant people, and rich history.
Editorial Review:
Crossing The Ford by Gail Hertzog is told from the point of view of the main character, Ruby
Holt. It is a split narrative; part of the story takes place when she is older and reflecting on the
events of her past to a young woman who is referred to as ‘Miss’ throughout most of the story,
and part of it is told from her point of view as it happens 25 years prior. The story begins in the small town of the Ford, named for the river crossing that caused the town to be established, just after the Civil War ended.
When people moved here to the Ford in those days, it was best not to ask too many questions.
Most people were looking for a fresh start…Now, you know the river and the crossing is what
started the Ford; just a gravel bar happened to be in the right place, or none of us would be
here. But God saw fit to make a little crossing here, and that’s how we got the Ford.
The characters in this novel are described vividly and thoroughly in a way that truly brings them to life. Ruby is saddled with an alcoholic and abusive husband, Frank, and his two sons, James and Tom, from his previous marriage. She also has twin baby girls, Minnie and Elsie, with him. Ruby brings the reader on an emotional journey of being overwhelmed from being forced to care for her children with no help and few resources, to enjoying their company and wanting her stepsons to stay with her, to realizing how much she loves them and finding the strength to protect them and do her best to raise them properly. She acknowledges her faults and mistakes and is brutally honest and human in her recollections.
“So, I laid my children around my sad, little house here and there, tucking them in where I could. I think that is the first time I really looked at my children. My little girls, with rosy cheeks and curly hair and pudgy baby hands, sleeping like angels. My dear, little Minnie and sweet, tiny Elsie. I kissed them goodnight, and I had never done that! They smelled sweet, like brand new babies, and my heart swelled up…Then Kenna would bring me my babies, and I started to see that I loved them terrible.…“I want the boys to stay on with me,” I said, even though I had not thought it out before. “I think we will do all right together. We were doing all right before. I guess we better ask the boys, though. Maybe they won’t want to live with me anymore.”...“Stop that, James. Stop that right now. You are my son. Sons apt to say the wrong thing sometimes to their mama.”
Kenna Fletcher moves to town, and Ruby goes from being critical and jealous of her to being
her very close friend. Kenna helps Ruby heal physically and emotionally, and helps her to feed
and care for the children. Ruby repays her by teaching her to cook and preserve the food that
they grow so they can survive the harsh winters, helping her to make clothing and quilts, and by simply being her friend as Kenna is lonesome and craves the connection and sense of family she gets from the Holts staying with her. Their conflict persists in the fact that Ruby is in love with fellow townsman Valentine DeRoo, who in turn falls in love with and marries Kenna.
Without revealing too much, the story progresses quickly and dramatically. There are a lot of
plot twists and the settings and events are told in a way that immerses the reader in the
storyline and leaves you wanting more.
The format of Crossing the Ford is compellingly unique; in addition to the alternating narrative,
there are recipes, poems, and drawings interspersed throughout the novel. These are a
positive addition to the story as they relate to what is happening and they add an interesting
element to the book. There is a great deal of dialect from the time and place which adds to the
authenticity as well.
The ending seems just a bit abrupt in comparison with the storyline as a whole, and there are a few loose ends that could be better resolved. Also, the Epilogue takes place approximately
100 years later - while tying into elements of the story - does not seem to add anything of
substance to the novel.
Ferris added, “Once the people in Carson finish with the investigation, the remains will most
likely be returned here to Winnemucca and interred in Pioneer Cemetery, down by the old Ford. I doubt we will be able to identify the individuals.” Representatives of Grady Construction reported that work will resume today. The work stoppage is not expected to impact the subdivision building plan and timeline.
All told, Crossing the Ford is a great read. While it focuses on the lives of and events
surrounding the few main characters, the themes of needing food, shelter, and love; of erring
and forgiving; and of seeking home and belonging are universal. And while it is a historical
novel, many of the events and conflicts could happen at any time. The novel is highly recommended for all readers, not just historical fiction fans.
*****
“Crossing the Ford” receives 4.5 stars from The Historical Fiction Company