A review by wishesandpages
The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters

4.0

He breathed a small laugh. “You make it sound simple.”
“I didn't say that, but let's do it. Let's become better educated than them – make more money than them – love people more fiercely than they could ever dream of loving.”

4.5 stars

Weirdly enough, I always go into Cat Winters' books thinking they won't be for me. Yet, every time, she proves me wrong. I rated both The Cure for Dreaming and In the Shadow of Blackbirds five stars, so The Steep and Thorny Way might be considered my 'least favourite' of her books so far, but it probably will be the one I'll remember the most.

When I started reading The Steep and Thorny Way, I struggled with the beginning, because I didn't understand what the plot would be and I wasn't sure I would connect with the characters, whereas it came instantaneously with Winters' previous novels. I decided to persist in my reading and it took me time, but it was worth it. Once you understand where the author is going with her novel, you get how important this story is, how topical it is, even though it's set in 1920s Oregon and that you will remember it.

This novel might be a YA historical fiction with hints of fantasy, but it's mainly the story of outsiders, people who don't fit into society because others have decided it would be so, and it's about racism, homophobia and the Ku Klux Klan. Because of that, it terrified me, because of that, it gave me hope. I can't say if the representation is accurate or not in this novel, but Cat Winters stated that she worked with readers to try to make it so.

I absolutely loved Hannalee's character. Like Cat Winters' other main characters, she wants to do great things and won't let her gender or her race prevent her to do so. As it's set in 1920s Oregon, interracial marriages are forbidden and her mother is being called a whore, because she's white and married a black man. After Hannalee's father dead, she remarries with a white man and Hannalee feels like her heritage is put aside. In the end, she bonds with Joe, a boy who doesn't fit either because he's gay and it was so empowering, because this novel is their story and how they're right, while they're trying to stand up to white supremacists, here the Ku Klux Klan. I felt so much for Joe, because being gay at that time was hard enough, but with people who wanted to castrate you just because you're not straight? Here's another reason why I wanted to throw up.

“What's wrong with people out there,” I asked, “deciding who gets to have children and who has to be stopped from living the type of life that feels right to them? What's wrong with them?”

The plot took its time before it really started, but once it did, I needed to know the truth behind Hannalee's father death and it was absolutely shocking. I don't understand such cruelty and it's sad it still isn't completely gone when we're almost a century later. Truth be told, I'm French and didn't know much about the Ku Klux Klan before reading this novel, but now I have documented myself on the subject and it terrified me so much. No matter how terrifying this topic is, I'm grateful Cat Winters decided to talk about it in her novel.

Once again, the historical aspects of this novel were so well-done and I felt like I was there. The fantasy elements weren't as present as in Winters' previous novels and while it disappointed me at first, I understand why she put them on the side a little more this time around, because the issues she chose to address were so much more important.

To sum it up, Cat Winters did it again. She will never cease to surprise me and I'm already looking forward to read her newest book. The Steep and Thorny Way was such an important book because it dealt with issues that are still topical, even though we've changed so much on those topics. I would totally recommend it, regardless if you enjoy historical fiction or not.

Other quotes I loved:

“No... What if he knows you're not attracted to women?”
“Everyone always assumes this is something I can change. We can use that.”

“There's nothing worse,” he said from within the haze, “than luring boys who aren't yet even men into a life of hatred”