A review by whimsicallymeghan
The Steep & Thorny Way by Cat Winters

4.0

Hanalee Denney’s father recently died and she wants answers. Was his death accidental or was it murder? Living in a small town in Oregon, in 1923, where the KKK are very active in the community, she fights with all she has fighting obstacles, mainly her skin colour, to get to the truth. This novel was based on real events and that is what made it haunting. The plot was heart-pounding and frightening. Winters has a great way of writing something so simple-yet have it be terrifying. The reader really felt for the characters; they were bogged down with details, but they were dynamic, diverse and interesting, claiming the hearts of the reader. This novel really opens the reader’s eyes to a lot of the bigotry and hatefulness that spreads throughout our world. Even though this novel takes place in 1923, it’s almost a clear representation of today’s day, and that’s scary in and of itself. Lastly, the addition of the photos she has sprinkled throughout the novel were used well and really put her story into perspective. This was a wonderfully told, yet not always happy story.