Jane Kirkpatrick is a beloved author of 40 books, her most recent stories unfolding the fascinating stories of real women who lived extraordinary lives in years gone by.

In addition to writing, Jane speaks internationally on her craft and the power of stories. Her presentations reflect stories of inspiration and courage believing that our lives are the stories other people read first.

Today Jane introduces us to Natalie Curtis, the leading lady of her newest release, The Healing of Natalie Curtis. Her story sounds fascinating so I’m so pleased we have a copy to give away to one happy reader, thanks to Revell Books.

Enjoy…

Natalie Curtis was set to debut with the New York Philharmonic orchestra. But a breakdown right before her performance left her guilt-ridden and isolated. Since that time, she has failed to recapture her joy of music. In 1902, her brother George invited her to join him in the West to find healing. As she immerses herself into her new life, she is introduced to several Native American tribes and becomes mesmerized by their haunting melodies, rhythms, and stories and believes all Americans should have the opportunity to hear them. But she soon finds out that a Code of Offenses prohibits Natives from singing, dancing, or even speaking their language.

Natalie is determined to find a way to revoke the Code. Her journey ultimately leads her to a meeting with President Teddy Roosevelt where she pleads her case to preserve the music and culture of America’s Indigenous people. Will her plans succeed and provide a new future not only for her but also for the many tribes scattered throughout the West?

Meet Natalie Curtis

Physical Stats

Height:  Natalie Curtis is barely five feet tall.

Hair colour & style: Brown, piled on top casual for travel in the desert where water can be difficult to find.

Eye colour: Blue

Dress sense: In NY, she’s the perfect Victorian woman; in the Southwest, traveling in the desert, she wears a split skirt for easier horseback riding, kaki in color and a flat-topped straw hat.

Resembles…

A young Sally Field – spirited once she found her new purpose to preserve Native American music and culture.

Can’t live without…

Music and the love of family. Her brother became an important part of her journey.

Strengths:

Willing to take a risk; a musics prodigy able to hear intonations and transcribe them few people could do.

Vulnerabilities:

Can become obsessive to the point of personal illness. Is hard on herself.

Passions:

Music and the arts, especially Native American music and Indian rights

What book would they recommend?

Her own book she wrote in 1907 called The Indians’s Book.  Also, The Land of Poco Tiempo by Indian Rights activist and originator of the Arts and Crafts Movement, Charles Lummis.

Your inspiration for the character:

I write novels based on real people. In 2010, I read a book by Lesley Poling-Kemps titled “Ladies of the Canyon” highlighting four women at the turn of the last century who defied the norms for wealthy women, left NY and fell in love with the American West. Natalie Curtis was one of those women.

Background to the story:

When I learned about this remarkable woman who in 1903 got President Teddy Roosevelt to allow her to record Indian music when there was a law against Native people speaking, singing, dancing or doing anything related to their culture, I wanted to know how she did that and how she might have felt. That she began her work after having her own musical breakdown the night before her NY Philharmonic debut in 1897 added to the intrigue. How did Indian music heal her? I wanted to answer those questions. In the process, I learned about how music can heal us all.

Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author of forty books, including Something Worth Doing, One More River to Cross, Everything She Didn’t Say, All Together in One Place, A Light in the Wilderness, The Memory Weaver, This Road We Traveled, and A Sweetness to the Soul, which won the prestigious Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center. Her works have won the WILLA Literary Award, the Carol Award for Historical Fiction, and the 2016 Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award. Jane divides her time between Central Oregon and California with her husband, Jerry, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Caesar. Learn more at www.jkbooks.com.

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Buy on Amazon: The Healing of Natalie Curtis or Koorong