The Steep and Thorny Way

The Steep and Thorny Way

By Cat Winters
Published: Amulet Books, 2016
Pages: 335
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Amazon, Goodreads

Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libetine, himself the primerose path of dalliance threads...
- Hamlet

Cat Winters crafts an incomparable historical fiction set in 1920s Oregon where 16-year-old Hanalee Denney is still grieving for her father who tragically died in a car accident a year and a half ago. Joe Adder, drunken driver of the car sent to prison for his crime, is released from prison on good behavior, and Hanalee discovers her father's death was more than an accident.

The Steep and Thorny Way is the kind of novel you pick up on a whim and find it to be a delightful surprise. The plot, the characters, the paranormal vibe are all elegantly crafted into a young adult historical fiction that readers are unlikely to forget long after reading it.

The plot and background of this novel are so unique and interesting... I never knew that Oregon was controlled by the KKK in the 1920s. I don't know much about Oregon's history - I've always lived in Illinois myself - and there being a eugenics program during that time shocked me. At the end of the novel there's a short timeline showing changes to Oregon law in regards to race, eugenics and homosexuality. If you look at history, it wasn't that long ago that these bigot programs were in place.

Though set in the 1920s, The Steep and Thorny Way is still relevant today. Racism and homophobia are still problems in this day and age; the only difference is back then the hatred was overt while these days it's more subdued. Example: A disproportionate number of African-Americans are incarcerated on minor drug charges (ie weed) compared to their white counterparts. Back then African-Americans weren't allowed to sit with whites or use the same facilities but now the racism has shifted so that African-Americans are more likely to be born into poverty and as such must work twice as hard to climb themselves out of it. We as a society must keep history in mind and learn from our mistakes.

As for the characters, I loved Hanalee. Not only does she practically have my name (hehe), but she's very headstrong, ambitious and has a good head on her shoulders. She is betrayed by her childhood friend but she doesn't let the fear control her life in the end. Joe, Mildred, Fleur are all characters that I enjoyed.

I recommend The Steep and Thorny Way to any YA reader.

RATING (out of five puppies)