I love reading about historical characters, and Jane Kirkpatrick’s ‘One Glorious Ambition’, about the life of Dorothea Dix, did not disappoint. It takes a special touch to render a biography interesting; Ms. Kirkpatrick has that touch. She relates Dorothea Dix’s story with compassion, humor and sensitivity. If I didn’t know that the story was true, I would have assumed that it was fictional in nature, because I was enthralled by the narrative. We start with Dorothea’s childhood, and by the middle of the book, we see the path that her life took, leading to her passion and incredible body of work for those with mental illnesses. It was eye-opening to me to read how people with mental disabilities were treated in the 19th century…shocking. I am so happy to have read this book, and I will definitely be looking for other works by this talented author!
Born to an unavailable mother and an abusive father, Dorothea Dix longs simply to protect and care for her younger brothers, Charles and Joseph. But at just fourteen, she is separated from them and sent to live with relatives to be raised properly. Lonely and uncertain, Dorothea discovers that she does not possess the ability to accept the social expectations imposed on her gender and she desires to accomplish something more than finding a suitable mate.
Yearning to fulfill her God-given purpose, Dorothea finds she has a gift for teaching and writing. Her pupils become a kind of family, hearts to nurture, but long bouts of illness end her teaching and Dorothea is adrift again. It’s an unexpected visit to a prison housing the mentally ill that ignites an unending fire in Dorothea’s heart—and sets her on a journey that will take her across the nation, into the halls of the Capitol, befriending presidents and lawmakers, always fighting to relieve the suffering of what Scripture deems, the least of these.
In bringing nineteenth-century, historical reformer Dorothea Dix to life, author Jane Kirkpatrick combines historical accuracy with the gripping narrative of a woman who recognized suffering when others turned away, and the call she heeded to change the world.
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