The Authorized Version

The “Spirit of Idaho Women” statue unveiled on the state capitol lawn last month resonates perfectly with my Daughters of Courage trilogy. The statue honors forward thinking women who follow in the footprints of the stalwart women who survived—and even thrived—through times of hardship and turmoil. As desert pioneers, through the great depression, in wartime, and in times of political turmoil Idaho women built homes, nurtured their families, supported churches, and even shaped careers.

The unveiling of the statue celebrated women’s suffrage. Idaho women were granted the right to vote almost a quarter of a century before the 19^th amendment extended the right to all women in the U.S. Strong women advocating votes for women led Idaho’s Legislature to pass an amendment to Idaho’s constitution allowing women the right in 1891.

But the fight was not won. Although the amendment passed nearly 2-1, the state board of canvassers did not ratify the result. Again, women leaders stepped forward, leading the charge to bring the case before the Idaho Supreme Court. The women prevailed. Idaho women were granted the right to vote in 1896, fourth state in the nation to do so, according to an article in the "Idaho Press" on Dec 13, 2022.

At the unveiling, Idaho’s First Lady Teresa Little said that the sculpture commemorates Idaho women’s suffrage and recognizes the contributions of women past, present and future. Kathryn, Elizabeth and Stephanie, heroines of the Daughters of Courage family saga, depict just such women.

Based on stories from my own family and the journals of Idaho pioneer women, these women personify Idaho’s story. Kathryn, the desert pioneer in Kuna, endures temperatures over 100 degrees when the nearest water is 15 miles away in the Snake River. Still, she is determined not merely to survive, but to triumph.

Determined to get an education in the middle of the Great Depression, Elizabeth succeeds as a school teacher and gives birth to her first child as bombs fall on Pearl Harbor.

Through the tumultuous 1970s Stephanie follows most closely in the tradition of the women who fought for the right to vote as she serves in the Idaho Legislature, fighting for the rights of the underprivileged.One of the dramatic events in Idaho's history was the assassination of former Governor Frank Steunenberg in 1905. He is commemorated in a statue in front of the state capitol building. This event is referred to in all three books of the trilogy, but especially features in Kathryn, as she attends the trial of his assassin Harry Orchard.

Pairs of shoes following behind the forward-leading statue represent the footsteps and contributions of women in the past. The figure wears one shoe, holding the other in her extended hand—an invitation for women to come to make their contributions, Irene Deely, the artist explained to "The Idaho Press."

“This sculpture also speaks to those of us who find ourselves questioning the shoes we are given, only to find out later that they function like a sculptor’s tool, training our feet for roads of the most enduring and inventive sort,” Deely said in her interview.Like the Daughters of Courage heroines, the shoes we are given may pinch and cause blisters at the start. “I for one am grateful I didn’t cast mine aside too soon,” the sculptor said, then concluded by asking, “What will you do with yours?”

Director of the Idaho Captiol Commission Andy Erstad said in the “Idaho Press” article, “This sculpture inspires and motivates. It reinforces pursuit of higher ideals. I know it will inspire all of us, women and men, as we move forward in our lives and our journeys.”

You can read Two short stories based on episodes in these books. “A Reason to Give Thanks” from Kathryn, Days of Struggle and Triumph, here. “Thanksgiving in Troubling Times” from Elizabeth, Days of Loss and Hope, here.