Women of the Blue and Gray tells the true stories of women on both sides of the Civil War who defied gender norms and were social pioneers despite the strict Victorian mores of the time. Although I had some knowledge of womens' involvement in the American Civil a la nursing and spying, Marianne Monson… Continue reading Review: Women of the Blue & Gray by Marianne Monson
Varina by Charles Frazier tells the story of Varina Davis, wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. From their first meeting, to the violent end of the war and her subsequent flight from the South to the frayed years of Reconstruction and beyond. Now I know what you may be thinking--why would you read a… Continue reading Review: Varina by Charles Frazier
Princess: The Six Daughters of George III by Flora Fraser tells the little-known lives and trials of Princesses Royal (Charlotte,) Augusta, Elizabeth, Sophia, Amelia, and Mary. The daughters of George III came of age during great changes in the British Empire, and experienced great changes themselves--outside of the norm for 18th/19th century princesses. What is… Continue reading Review: Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III by Flora Fraser
Enchantress of Numbers tells the true story of [Augusta] Ada Byron King, the daughter of the famous poet, growing up in the shadow of the famous father she never knew. I admit I did not know much about Ada or Byron historically, so it was certainly interesting to read how liberal and pioneering Ada and… Continue reading Review: Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini
The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston tells the story of a magically gifted mute woman, Morgana, and her new husband by arranged marriage, Cai Jenkins. Although the back cover blurb claims this book takes place in the early 19th century, it felt almost "pan historical," and more fantasy. There are only details here and there… Continue reading Review: The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood tells the true story of 19th century alleged murderess Grace Marks. At age 15/16, Grace Marks was convicted of killing her employer and his mistress with a fellow member of "the help", James McDermott. Grace's trial was highly publicized across Canada, the US, and Europe (she was an Amanda Knox… Continue reading Review: Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
A More Perfect Union by Jodi Daynard is the third book in the Midwife trilogy, and follows the mixed race son (Johnny) of Eliza Bolyston and Johnny Watkins. The book opens in 1794, some 15 years after the events of books 1 and 2. Johnny Watkins, "passing as white", returns to Boston from the… Continue reading Review: A More Perfect Union
America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie Amazon blurb: From her earliest days, Patsy Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate, protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling… Continue reading Review: America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Amazon blurb: Drawing on the diaries of a midwife and healer in eighteenth-century Maine, this intimate history illuminates the medical practices, household economies, religious rivalries, and sexual mores of the New England frontier. I love reading old diaries,… Continue reading Review: A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812
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