Unflinching and Starkly Poetic Exploration of Post-Civil War Small Town Nevada

Crossing the Ford by Gail Hertzog is an unflinching and starkly poetic exploration of post-Civil War life in a small Nevada community. Hertzog captured Ruby’s voice (and her retelling of her story as an old woman) fabulously. The cadence of Ruby’s language, the dialogue, the details of her life (from her abusive husband to the logistics of surviving a harsh winter), the recipes, the descriptions of the landscape etc. were captured so vividly I felt like I was there with them. And I could tell through the writing how much this place and its cultural heritage are in Hertzog’s bones and heart. The love triangle and the unfolding of their story broke my heart, and it’s definitely not an uplifting book per se, but it is unapologetically honest, and speaks to human resiliency and survival instincts. I loved the magical realism and elements of “witchcraft” embedded within it, as well as the nod to Kenna’s Scottish background. I did guess who the “Miss” older Ruby was telling her story to was, and loved that connection.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND for lovers of historical fiction and women’s fiction. The book was a gift from the author, whom I met at the Chanticleer International Book Awards, where it won First Place in Late Historical Fiction. - J Brav

Crossing the Ford by Gail Hertzog opens in classic Western fashion: a train rolls in, carrying a stranger. Twenty-five-year-old Ruby knows, when she sees “that little lady” get off the train, that life in her rural Nevada town will never be the same.

Until this moment, Ruby’s children and her no-good husband have claimed most of her time and energy. But she gets to know Kenna, the red-headed stranger — and finds herself irrevocably changed in the process.

Hertzog weaves a rich tapestry of the post-Civil War West. Her characters inhabit a world that’s lush and bleak by turns, vivid with details of a landscape that shifts with the seasons, from giving to unforgiving. A thread of magical realism creeps in so subtly readers may hardly notice it at first. By the end, though, this book stands as a testament to how mystical and inscrutable the twists and turns of life can be.

The book is punctuated with vintage-style illustrations and even recipes, which tie in nicely with the plot and help readers immerse themselves in the moment in history.

Kenna soon introduces Ruby to new ways of looking at the world: ideals of feminine independence, the joy of luxury, and even using magic to bend life to your will.

Kenna comes from privilege and mystique, with a Scottish Highland heritage steeped in witchcraft – a stark contrast to Ruby’s bleak past. By turns, Ruby finds Kenna intimidating, frustrating, and awe-inspiring. They strike up a close friendship as the seasons turn.

The novel’s intrigue grows from early on, as Ruby and Kenna hold secrets from each other while holding each other dear. And then there’s Valentine: the local man that Kenna captivates, and Ruby desires from afar (and sometimes, from too close). With the addition of Ruby’s wayward, abusive husband, a tense love square emerges, and it’s not always clear what shape the characters’ lives will end up in. Even Valentine has secrets of his own.

As Crossing the Ford progresses, everyone's secrets start to catch up to them, while every event is tinted with Kenna’s magic and mythology.

The mood sways from joyful to tragic and back again, from sensitive and compelling depictions of the abuse Ruby endures from her husband, to the life she builds in spite of it with Kenna and Valentine’s help.

This story maintains a confessional quality, as Ruby speaks directly to the mysterious character introduced in the prologue, setting up a satisfying reveal at the end. Over time, Ruby goes from passive observer to active anti-heroine, working to determine her own fate (and sometimes others’ too.) Readers get a deep look at the challenges she’s faced in life, so that when she starts making choices that seem brutal, we can understand her reasons. The action slows for a bit in the middle, but it’s a brief pause, carried by a strong sense of place and Ruby’s compelling voice. You can hear her accent in every word, that of a poorly-educated woman in the rural West, set against the fine and proper language of her best friend Kenna.

Crossing the Ford makes deft use of moral gray areas, as those areas seem to grow bigger with each page.

At first, the narrative raises questions about good motherhood and marital loyalty, but later, ponders questions of life and death. Ruby finds herself forced to answer: Is it ever justifiable to kill? Is it ever justifiable to forgive a killer? These issues ring of truth, as Hertzog paints a clear picture of the perils and quandaries faced by folks in the harsh landscape of the post-Civil War West. In the end, it turns out that everyone has something to run from, but not everyone will escape their fate.

This book is an excellent choice for lovers of historical fiction, complex female characters, and anything with a witchy bent. It shies away from easy answers, instead crafting a portrait of people and places whose outward beauty belies flaws, threats, and hard secrets. The ending is so tragic that it almost feels unsatisfying at first. Hertzog has given us such relatable, compelling characters that readers are left wanting more for them. Yet there’s a deeper truth to this narrative: magic may be real, but it doesn’t always work in one’s favor.

The characters in Crossing the Ford may not get the ending they want, but they just might get the ending they deserve.

Crossing the Ford by Gail Hertzog won 1st Place in the 2022 CIBA Goethe Awards for Late Historical Fiction, and 2022 CIBA Laramie Awards for Americana Fiction.

Great Story and a Page Turner!

A well-written, captivating story of a love triangle set in a small post-Civil War community, Crossing the Ford held my interest from start to finish. The characters Ruby, Kenna and Valentine are so well developed that you feel like you know them. A Nevada author, Gail Herzog sets her story in Winnemucca, Nevada, and meticulously paints a picture of life in a small town. Great read and highly recommend. - Pam Pearson

Engaging Story of Life, Love and Loss

The story revolves around two women who form a friendship in post-Civil War Nevada, but each has secrets from the other. They are diametrically opposite in every way, which creates interesting themes in the story. They both fall in love with the same man, but only one wins his heart, which has implications until the story's end.
The author uses a split narrative. It was an interesting way to provide hints into what lay ahead for all of the protagonists, but for Ruby particularly, without giving away the entire story line. The identity of "Miss" was a wonderful, fitting surprise!
The language used throughout the book really enhanced the story and provided what I felt was an essential characterization of Ruby and her environment.
Two situations kept me wondering throughout my reading: 1) Would Ruby's love ever be reciprocated, even if it were to keep her from revealing a terrible secret? 2) Would Ruby ever give up the secret? The plot kept me thinking throughout!
The descriptions of the Southwestern desert evoked memories of my time living out there. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the cooking/canning/food preparation since it conveyed Ruby and Kenna's closeness and determination to survive. I was happily surprised to see the recipes and thought to myself, "I bet the author made every single one of these recipes to try them.
At the end, I really enjoyed the story, however, the biggest impact came when I read the Acknowledgements! Seeing the author's great, great-grandfather listed packed an emotional punch! Then, to see names of the characters in the book--Minnie, Anne Wolicki, the Bragintons--really provided a different dimension to my enjoyment of the story!
I definitely recommend this story to anyone! - Holly D. Forester