Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America
by Linda Lawrence Hunt
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Book Summary Information
Author: Linda Lawrence HuntEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-01-11
ISBN: 1400079934
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Anchor
Book Reviews of Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America
Book Review: Bittersweet page-turner
Summary: 5 Stars
Bittersweet: that's the first word that comes to my mind after reading Helga Estby's story.
I disagree with other reviewers who think Linda Lawrence Hunt's writing is lackluster or that this is just half a story. Given the tiny amount of information she had to start with, I think she did a fabulous job weaving historical events into Helga's story. I stayed up late reading this--it was impossible to put down!
Helga Estby was an incredible woman by any measure. The fact that she had the COURAGE to go against her family's and the Norwegian community's concerns in an era of Victorian propriety (1896) in order to try to save her family farm/home from forclosure by walking across the country to try to win a wager, is heroic. And she DID it, with her eldest daughter, Clara. They walked from Spokane, WA to New York City. She did it in the hopes of saving her family financially, and also with the fervent wish that the family would not be separated because of financial concerns.
She had quite an adventure, being on foot with her daughter: they were only allowed $5 each, they didn't bring a change of clothes, they only had a satchel each carrying a pistol, pepper spray gun, and notebook and pen to record their journey. They weren't allowed to beg, but had to work for their room and board. They weren't allowed to take the train, but were allowed to ride "free" on someone's wagon, if offered. They were supposed to visit the capitals of the states they visited, and get signatures from mayors and governors. And in between, they were followed by wild animals, wild men, and wild weather.
They were also supposed to model the new women's fashion garment as stipulation for their journey on foot: a shorter skirt, as opposed to the floor-length Victorian dresses of the day. A woman showing her ankles in those days was running the risk of ridicule and shame from society. In short, they were supposed to show that women were NOT so fragile, physically or mentally, as society would believe!
One of the highlights of their trip was being right in the middle of a presidential election, which had echos of this year's election: one younger candidate exhorting change, and the other older candidate touting his experience. Helga and Clara were fortunate to enjoy the company of the wife of the younger (he was on the campaign trail in the east), and an hour meeting with the elder candidate.
The bitter part is that things did not turn out as she had hoped. What was more heartbreaking is that she lost two children to diptheria while she was away, and her family could not forgive her for her absence in such dire times, most notably her elder children. Because of their deep and bitter resentment, her story was silenced for many decades. That was their way of keeping family "peace." Helga originally gave birth 10 times; she had left seven children behind with her husband, who was unable to work for a time because of an injury. One child had died shortly before she headed east.
The sweet part of the story was that Helga kept her dignity throughout her trip and afterwards. She still managed to enjoy the things she liked, including becoming more active in civic affairs, after she returned from her walk across America. During her journey, she had become aware of women's issues: their rights, the ability to vote or not, and their ability to voice their concerns more freely in other parts of the nation. She also had ample opportunity to observe how far people's kindness--or cruelty, could extend.
Hunt gives a fascinating look into the factors that contribute to silencing a family story at the conclusion of the book. In that chapter she wrote: "Every country needs individuals who refuse to be silenced when breaking out of unhealthy cultural norms, despite the criticism." What a fitting tribute to the memory of Helga Estby!
Anyone who appreciates, history, culture, politics, feminism, and adventure would enjoy Helga Estby's story. Her early pioneer days raising small children in a sod house with her husband on the Minnesota prairie demanded a kind of adventuresome spirit on her part to survive. This book is engaging, clearly written, short, and has lots of pictures to stir your imagination.
Summary of Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America
In 1896, a Norwegian immigrant and mother of eight children named Helga Estby was behind on taxes and the mortgage when she learned that a mysterious sponsor would pay $10,000 to a woman who walked across America.Hoping to win the wager and save her family's farm, Helga and her teenaged daughter Clara, armed with little more than a compass, red-pepper spray, a revolver, and Clara's curling iron, set out on foot from Eastern Washington. Their route would pass through 14 states, but they were not allowed to carry more than five dollars each. As they visited Indian reservations, Western boomtowns, remote ranches and local civic leaders, they confronted snowstorms, hunger, thieves and mountain lions with equal aplomb.
Their treacherous and inspirational journey to New York challenged contemporary notions of femininity and captured the public imagination. But their trip had such devastating consequences that the Estby women's achievement was blanketed in silence until, nearly a century later, Linda Lawrence Hunt encountered their extraordinary story.
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