Pioneering by K’Anne MeinelPioneering by K’Anne Meinel is the third book in the Vetted Series. This lovely story emphasizes the point that love makes a family and anything is possible when everyone in a family works together to achieve a common goal. 

The long and perilous journey from the east to the west is over and the real test of patience and endurance has begun. Erin, Molly and their children have arrived in Oregon and they have taken up the challenge of owning six hundred and forty acres of land under the Organic Laws of Oregon. They must work and live on the land for five years in order to fully own it outright and things haven’t been smooth at all. The Herriot family has to build a home, plant crops, deal with the various predators in the wilderness and they also have to contend with the unpredictable weather patterns that could make their lives either a paradise or a living nightmare.

Will the Herriot family be able to live, work and thrive in their new home? When things get tough, will the family be torn apart or will the tough times bring them closer to each other?

The Characters

Erin Herriot has found what she believes is her family’s forever home and she is anxious to work the land and provide the kind of life that she has promised Molly. She pushes herself to the limit in order to provide Molly and their children with a safe place to live, numerous crops and livestock to sustain them and enough money to help them make ends meet. Erin just happens to be another wonderful butch goddess who gets a huge chunk of my heart because she has no qualms about putting her loved ones first and she will do anything that is necessary in order to protect her family.

Molly is elated with the land that Erin has found and she does everything in her power to ensure that their children are well taken care of while she works side by side with Erin. Molly is the heart of the Herriot family and I have so much respect for her because she does countless household and childcare tasks and she still finds the time and energy to do a lot of manual labour on the farm. She is so full of life, laughter and love and I think that Erin and the children are so lucky to have her.

The Writing Style

After reading this delightful story, I have fallen in love with the wild west and I just adore the beautiful descriptions of the western countryside. K’Anne Meinel has created resilient characters that I admire and I must say that I enjoyed every word of this story because the dialogue between each character flowed effortlessly and there wasn’t a dull moment.

The Pros

I’m always fascinated with historical novels that give me realistic characters that I can relate to. I really enjoyed this story because the author portrayed each character’s innermost thoughts about the era and the conditions they were living in. A story with a woman who pretends to be a man will always be a huge bonus for me (Have I mentioned how much I adore butch women?)  I also learned about the numerous struggles and setbacks the first settlers endured as they tried to build their homes and work on the land.

The Cons

I have zero complaints!

aprils favourite booksThe Conclusion

I don’t think that I could fully express all of the love that I have for this story or how deeply it has touched me because I felt as though I was right there alongside Erin and Molly during their triumphs and the heartbreaking moments they endured. But this is what I can tell you once you decide to read this wonderful book— you’ll definitely fall in love with the entire Herriot family, you might want to go on a road trip and visit all of the breathtaking landscapes in Oregon and I’m pretty sure you might end up neglecting a few of your weekend chores because you’ve been too busy reading!

Excerpt from Pioneering by K’Anne Meinel

Molly stared in awe as they came up over the last rise. Erin had ridden up ahead of them to stop their forward march and point it out.

“All this? All this is ours?” she asked, incredulous at the scene before her. She could see gently rolling hills, pastures for their stock, and places they could plow for grain. It was beautiful! She saw the trees up on some of the hills and even on a bluff. They could cut down these trees for their cabin and barn. At Erin’s concerned nod, she smiled and said, “You chose well.” She could see a slight blush and then, a beautiful smile took over Erin’s face. At that moment, you could tell she was a woman if you were looking for it. Otherwise, she looked to be the tall, lanky man she pretended to be.

“This is it? We’re home, Pa?” Theo asked as he came up from walking behind the flock of sheep next to the wagon.

“Yep, this is home,” she confirmed, looking around once more. “Let’s get settled.”

They rolled down that last hill and into the little valley where Erin had determined they would build their home. In no time, she had the cattle on one hill and the flock of sheep on the other, each guarded by a dog.

The children gathered fresh water from their own stream, bringing filled buckets to Molly, who poured them into large barrels. Erin had emptied one of them to clean out the silt and put it on the ground where one corner of their tent would go. She was emptying the wagon… this time completely.

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Series

The Vetted Series

Vetted

Cavalcade

Pioneering

Vetted Further

Vetted Again

Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: 9781721944866
  • Publisher: Shadoe Publishing

K’Anne Meinel Online

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Note: I received a free review copy of Pioneering by K’Anne Meinel. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site.