For a Modest Fee

by Freda Jackson

Trained as a nurse and midwife, Elizabeth Evans never wanted to help set up the fledgling town of Aspen Coulee, Alberta, but travels there with her father when he agrees to become the town doctor. Housekeeper at the Evans' house, Ann Montgomery hoped to keep all her San Francisco secrets locked in her ancient wedding chest.

It is 1907, and the Canadian Pacific Railway is driving the engine of the west. Against the fluid backdrop of the Canadian prairies, For a Modest Fee is a story about the women of the era and the expectations that made them the primary caretakers of not only their own families, but of the entire town. A hundred years ago, choices for women were few; married or single, they all stepped into the roles thrust upon them.

For a Modest Fee is a fascinating novel that looks at the evolution, in a few short years, of a prairie town from windblown wilderness to a fitting place for flowerboxes and school recitals.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Canada

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 14, 2010

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get into but I found it to be a really good book.

[Bess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is at least a 4 - but I listened to the audio book, narrated by the author, and…. It wasn’t a good choice for whoever produced the recording. She’s a really poor narrator.

[Nance Roepke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I expected and not what I wanted. I didn't get very far in before I quit.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a lyrical, lilting quality that I found engaging and pleasant to read.

The book is more character- than plot-driven, but the characters are solid, complex, and have enough dimension to make them and their interactions seem real. That said there very much is a story in this story, the story of the town of Aspen Coulee and its residents.

The book also has a richness to it, detailing the people and the town in a way that I felt as if I were there with them. But, Jackson also has good discretion in that while she fleshes out the setting and the people, she also deftly avoids bogging the book down in too many details.

Overall, a very enjoyable read.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth, a RN and her father, a doctor recently moved from Toronto to a small town in Alberta in 1907. Elizabeth's father has just died when the story begins. She soon finds out her father was basically penniless. He had bought a big beautiful house and had all the best medical equipment with no financial backup. Her services are immediately put to the test and she begins treating the local people to the best of her ability. Her father had hired a housekeeper, Ann Montgomery and Ann soon moves into the house to assist Elizabeth. They become close friends and Ann finds herself being drawn into helping Elizabeth wherever she can. Elizabeth's dream is to return to Toronto, she is having difficulty adjusting to the small town but needs the funds to accomplish her goal. She meets a young Hungarian immigrant who is an accomplished musician. He left Hungry with his parents, brother and family searching for a better life. His dream is to continue his music education. The book follows Elizabeth and her work in a small prairie town with it's challenges of new immigrants and early homesteading families. Hard to put down, I wanted to read it to the end to find out what happened.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

'For A Modest Fee' is a delightful story about 2 women, Elizabeth and Ann, who are trying to make their way in the world in the growing town of Aspen Coulee, Alberta in 1907. Elizabeth has just lost her father- the town's only doctor- to a sudden heart attack, and she faces the terrifying prospect have having to fend for herself in this strange place. Ann is her housekeeper, and also stands to lose her comfortable situation in Elizabeth's house. The two women band together to survive, and a genuine friendship develops. Together they weather the storms and scandals that arise in Aspen Coulee.

I found this to be a very heartwarming story. My only regret was that I learned very little about the history of Alberta at the turn of the century. Perhaps that was the point, perhaps this story was just meant to be a study in small town life. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it, and I will put Freda Jackson's other book, "Searching For Billie" on my reading list.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elizabeth is a hospital nurse who moves with her father who is a doctor, from Toronto to a town near Calgary around 1907. He dies suddenly leaving her with very little money. She stays in the town and practices her nursing skills which have been augmented by working with her father. The housekeeper assists her as she helps her patients. A cholera epidemic develops which tests everyone and brings out the best in many people. It gives the reader an idea of medicine and medical practices during that era. It is an interesting but quick read and it could be called a "nice" story. The author lives in Edmonton.

[Anna Phoenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brought in a sense of the past without feeling bogged down. The villain was believable and the inevitable romance didn't feel contrived as they often do. I found that I wasn't wondering about whether this could have happened or not - as I sometimes do when reading historical fiction - but just enjoying the story and the people in it. It also provoked in me a renewed gratitude for the advances in women's rights in the past century; that we can't be denied the work of men, such as the medical field, is really something we take for granted.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set against the backdrop of the Canadian prairies, For a Modest Fee is a story about the women of the era and the expectations that made them the primary caretakers of not only their own families, but of the entire town. A hundred years ago, choices for women were few; married or single, they all stepped into the roles thrust upon them.
This was an excellent book and I will try to read her first novel “Searching for Billie”. Freda Jackson is a Canadian and lives in Edmonton.

[Vikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes place in Canada in the early 1900s. Elizabeth Evans father just died. He was the town doctor. Elizabeth reluctantly takes over, who has been trained by her father. She works a long side her housekeeper Ann Montgomery. Many adventures in the town. A very good story. It is just good fiction-clean without being "inspirational".

[Shadoh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet...worthy of 31/2

[Joanne]

Excellent! will look for other books by her.