As you might have noticed, I love hosting authors in conjunction with blog tours I am reviewing their books as there are certain stories I am coming across which spark a renewed interest to know a bit more about either the writer behind the story and/or the story itself. In this particular case, my own topic was not able to reach the author in time to have a response, and I must admit, after having read the author’s suggested topic, I believe in a way she answered the question I had originally provided! For starters, I was seeking a way to better understand how the women of the American Reformation era were able to stand independent of men, seek out professions not yet readily available to them and how through her writings, she found inspiration by the women who are the focal point of her novel(s).
In some ways, I think she pitched a better topic to work the thesis I had only outlined in broader strokes, as you will be reading shortly below, how certain men (such as the men of today; if @HeforShe is a good barometer of cross-gender support!) who had recognised the progression of women’s rights and the freedoms women were rightly deserving to have at their command; gave their support and helped the cause move forward. It’s a good bit of insight into how the traditions of the past were colliding with a future where equality would become a mainstay and where women would find a voice to stand on their own merits and prove their independence from men.
In some regards, I have been finding stories championing strong women and/or strong views on how life can proceed forward with process since the New Year began if you consider my first review was on behalf of George Washington* (read my thoughts), followed by a legacy of writerly pursuits by the Brontës (read about this interesting origin story), and I recently composed my thoughts on women pioneers in Science of whom could provide inspiration for everyone who takes a moment to read their living histories.
*It’s the very end of the novel involving George Washington where you gather a better sense about how important it was for Washington to find Martha and what Martha gave back to Washington. Without her support and their mutual equality, he would have been a far different man.
I am concluding my reading of a Swedish author’s heart-stirring novel about a woman who lived outside of tradition and on her own terms (The Particular Appeal of Gillian Pugsley) whilst moving back inside Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea in order to re-pick up the momentum to read two Jane Eyre sequel novels (All Hallows at Eyre Hall and Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall) set after the original canons conclude. I even have a non-fiction story in my hands this weekend (More than the Tattooed Mormon) which is meant to be inspiring in of itself to reach the audience of modern women seeking a way to stay in step with their walk of faith.
I have a penchant for strong female leads and strong willed characters of woman who either stepped outside their family’s constrictive upbringings and/or rallied against society’s sharp edge of tongue and propriety to seek a different life and live radically courageous for the eras in which they lived. I love pulling back the layers of History and finding these women in historical fiction, such as I will be revealling in my forthcoming review of The Renegade Queen however, it’s just as keenly enjoyable for me to read these sorts of characters across genre and set inside non-fiction as well. For every woman (and man) has a story to share and a story which may endear us to a hidden aspect of the past we had not uncovered until our readings of their stories.
Postscript [1pm]: The author graciously offered to respond to my original topic and I am working with her to feature it within the next week or two as I found it quite kind of her to offer to do this! I cannot wait to read her response and to bring the second essay to my readers!
Presidential Election of 1844. James Polk 1795-1849 and George Dallas 1792-1864 ran as the Democratic candidates. .; Shutterstock ID 245959642
Two Renegades So Controversial, They Were Erased From History
Discarded by society, she led a social revolution. Disgusted by war, he sought a new world.
She was the first women to run for President, campaigning before women could vote.
He was the Hero of Vicksburg, disillusioned with the government after witnessing the devastating carnage of the Civil War.
Their social revolution attracted the unwanted who were left out of the new wealth: the freed slaves, the new immigrants, and women.
Who were they?
This is the true story of Victoria Woodhull and the love of her life, James Blood.
Adored by the poor, hated by the powerful, forced into hiding during their lifetimes and erased from history after death, the legend of their love lives on.
It’s 1869 and Victoria has a choice to make. She can stay in an abusive marriage and continue to work as a psychic, or she can take the offer of support from handsome Civil War general James Blood and set about to turn society upside down. Victoria chooses revolution.
But revolutions are expensive, and Victoria needs money. James introduces Victoria to one of the wealthiest man in America—Commodore Vanderbilt. Along with her loose and scandalous sister, Tennessee, Victoria manipulates Vanderbilt and together they conspire to crash the stock market—and profit from it. Victoria then parlays her fortune into the first female-owned brokerage firm.
When her idol Susan B. Anthony publishes scandalous rumors about Victoria’s past, Victoria enters into a fierce rivalry with Susan to control the women’s movement. James supports Victoria’s efforts despite his deep fears that she may lose more than the battle. She might lose part of herself.
Victoria starts her own newspaper, testifies to Congress, and even announces her candidacy for President. But when Victoria adopts James’s radical ideas and free love beliefs, she ignites new, bruising, battles with Susan B. Anthony and the powerful Reverend Henry Beecher. These skirmishes turn into an all-out war, with Victoria facing prejudice, prosecution, and imprisonment. Ultimately, Victoria and James face the hardest choice of all: the choice between their country and their love.
The Men Behind the First Feminists by Eva Flynn
In researching The Renegade Queen, I was inspired by the sacrifices of the women suffragists but I was also impressed by the powerful men who supported them:
Commodore Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt was born in 1794 in Staten Island, New York, son of poor farmers, and began working at age 11. In 1810, when he was 16 years old, he borrowed $100 from his mother to purchase a sailboat and start a Staten Island-Manhattan ferry and freight service. Vanderbilt showed a ruthlessly competitive streak early, undercutting the competition by charging dramatically low fares, investing without his parents’ knowledge in other ferries, and even physically beating competitors who encroached on his customers. Read More
Acquired Book By:I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Go Away Home” virtual book tour through HFVBT: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the publisher Rising Sun Press, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Book Synopsis:
Liddie Treadway grew up on a family farm where options for her future were marriage or teaching. Encouraged by suffragette rhetoric and her maiden aunt, Liddie is determined to avoid both and pursue a career. Her goal is within her grasp when her older sister’s abrupt departure threatens to keep her on the farm forever.
Once she is able to experience the world she’s dreamed of, Liddie is enthralled with her independence, a new-found passion for photography, and the man who teaches her. Yet, the family, friends, and life of her youth tug at her heart, and she must face the reality that life is not as simple, or the choices as clear-cut, as she once imagined.
GO AWAY HOME is a coming-of-age novel that explores the enduring themes of family, friendship, and love, as well as death and grief. This novel will resonate with anyone who’s confronted the conflict between dreams and reality and come to recognize that getting what you want can be a two-edged sword.
Author Biography:
Carol Bodensteiner grew up in the heartland of the United States, and she continues to draw writing inspiration from the people, places, culture, and history of the area. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society. She is the author of Growing Up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl, a memoir. Her essays have been published in several anthologies. Go Away Home is her first novel.
Mid-West America : Americana as a setting:
I grew up reading a heap of Children’s Literature and Classical Literature for Young Readers which dealt with the Heartland of America, as much as the life on the frontier whilst America was just starting to sprout wings as settlers moved further West from the East. I also was fortunate to settle into stories which developed a positive outlook and relationship of the Native American tribes between Canada and America; not always focusing on the war between the settlers and the Indians, but rather stories which enriched the notion that oft-times a truce of peace and an alliance in trade was able to be transacted. What always fascinated me by the hearty life of ranching and farming, is the ordinary joys that whispered into the hearts and minds of those who lived aplenty off the land they worked, harvested, and grew families upon. Even in Native American cultures and societies there was a pure sense of honour and pride knowing that what you could either hunt or grow could not only sustain your own family but your neighbours and community.
My own ancestral roots include farmers and workers for civil rights and liberties, which is why I was thankful to see Aunt Kate and her suffrage movement work included in this particular story. The quality of food from farm to fork (or plate; there are two ready phrases in use nowadays) cannot be compared to industrial methods, and I am happily a locavore and have been for most of my days. The convenience of purchasing locally grown foods in places outside larger cities is still a means to an end to achieve, but the idea of lowering our footprint and supporting local farmers is at the core of my being. The best way to impact the economy is in direct support of local producers of food, commerce, and supplies. I also appreciate settling into stories where there is an ‘other age’ quality to the story-telling, where life was not bent against the wheel towards working one’s soul into an early grave, but rather, the work which was done was in effort to create a better living for yourself and those you took care of. To give industry to the hours of daylight and mirth to the hours that waxed into the moon.
Communication was limited (for the most part) to postal mail – letters and the correspondences exchanged between family and friends alike was not only a convenience but a lifeline built between everyone. In my own childhood, I came to appreciate the joy of sending and receiving letters quite readily; a tradition that I carry forward today. My eyes always glisten with a bit of eager happiness when a writer includes samples or full passages of the ‘letters’ being sent back and forth between their characters. In Go Away Home, the letters are warm reminders of how special a connection is to be kept and how dear the conversation is to those who send and receive postal mail.
