Wonderful job of compiling information for this piece of historical fiction! Having heard so much about the Alaskan gold rush and Klondike Kate, I was most interested in reading this version. It made for great reading; especially with the author's slant of Kate reflecting back years later. It truly made it hard to determine fact from fiction. A time stopper in literature! This book was also reviewed by the Tacoma Koffee Singles.

I bought this book for a vacation read. I finished it in two days. The mixture of historical fact and fiction are woven to produce a multi-layered plot and a bit of a twist at the end. The romantic element is written in a way that every woman of every age will enjoy. I was reminded of Jan Karon's Mitford series, well written, characters that you feel like you really get to know and can't wait to read the next page. I bought 2 more for gifts for friends. ENJOY!

A dear friend of mine once said, "A woman who tells you her age will tell you anything!" The reader of "Mush on and Smile," is given a unique opportunity to relish the thoughts of a reflective 70-year-young celebrity -- a former showgirl in the wilderness of the Alaskan Yukon -- who probably has never told her real age to anyone. Kate Rockwell's prospective marriage causes her to review her life, her performing career, and her enduring, unrequitted love and ask, "Who am I, really, after all?" She can hardly reveal the answer to herself, let alone to her friends and fans who know her only as Klondike Kate: Queen of the Yukon. Her soulful efforts to discover the real Kate Rockwell provide an intriguing, tender page-turner for the reader of this delightful book. You will find that you do not want to put this book down. Fortunately, it's a quick read -- perfect for a weekend vacation or cross-country flight.

I could never believe that these two ladies made it to Kansas. I had a hard time believing that they were in Paris also and I don't know anything about Paris in the 1800's. The real tale that this story was based on would have been more interesting. I live in Kansas. You have to be tough to live here even today. In our state the population of farm animals is much higher than the human population. I would bet that Kate Lehrer has never worked as a farm laborer to understand what is

involved. She had the facts, but not the heart. No one here in the sunflower state doubts for a moment that strong independent minded women lead the way in the pioneer movement and in the right to vote. A true glimpse of this person is depicted in the statue on the state capital grounds. It shows you a woman boldly going forward with baby at her breast, a gun and a Bible in hand, and a plow beside her. Charlotte and Lydia only gave me the idea that they knew how to talk. Save your money and buy something else worth reading.

I am a Kansan, and interested in Kansas women of the late 1800's. This novel intrigued me, but I am not sure how historical it is. I found the story riveting and facinating, but I did not care for Mrs. Lehrers style of writing, it was confusing and I often had to stop to figure out who was thinking/talking, and re read sections that I felt were unclear. However, it is an interesting study in friendships, human relationships, and womans rights. I stayed up late two nights in a row to finish this book, despite the fact that some of it was hard for me to follow--that is how compelling the story is. Two women, one French, one American, disheartened by romance and their way of life in Paris, make their way to Kansas to establish a new society and search for their inner selves. They fight Kansas weather, and local establishment, which while not the same as the establishment they left behind in social Paris, still formidable in its own right. At times I felt they had started a commune. If you are interested in novels about relationships between women and humans in general, then this may be a good read for you.

I love this novel-it was very real and so sad! While easy to read and engrossing, the story moved quickly and the author never let on about the deep study of human character she was presenting-friendships, despair, love and hate are all explored so easily.