Women of Cannon Beach

In 1888 Mary Edwards Gerritse is a cheerful, well-read, witty, and confident young woman who spends as much time as possible outdoors on the rugged Oregon coast where she and her husband, John, are making a home. The two are a formidable pair, working hard to prove up their homesteading claim and build a family. But as Mary faces the challenge of young motherhood and struggles with questions about her family of origin, she finds the fearless girl she once was slipping away. Life feels less like the adventure she thought it would be and more like a daily struggle. When Mary loses the baby she's carrying (and nearly her own life in the process), she finds an unconventional way to bring the joy back into her life: by taking over a treacherous postal route. As Mary becomes the first female mail carrier to traverse the cliff-hugging mountain trails and remote "crying sands" beach, with its changing tides and sudden squalls, she recaptures the spark she lost and discovers that a life without risk is no life at all. Based on a true story.

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.