On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Landscape of a Marriage by Gail Ward Olmsted #BookReview #BlogTour #HistoricalFiction @gwolmsted @maryanneyarde

 

 

A marriage of convenience leads to a life of passion and purpose. A shared vision transforms the American landscape forever.

New York, 1858: Mary, a young widow with three children, agrees to marry her brother-in-law Frederick Law Olmsted, who is acting on his late brother’s deathbed plea to "not let Mary suffer”. But she craves more than a marriage of convenience and sets out to win her husband’s love. Beginning with Central Park in New York City, Mary joins Fred on his quest to create a 'beating green heart' in the center of every urban space. 

Over the next 40 years, Fred is inspired to create dozens of city parks, private estates and public spaces with Mary at his side. Based upon real people and true events, this is the story of Mary’s journey and personal growth and the challenges inherent in loving a brilliant and ambitious man. 

My Review

Some books are written to tell a story, and some are written to inform. This book could be described as a little bit of both. It tells the story of a woman that had previously been overshadowed by her husband, during her life and in history, and puts her in the spotlight for once. It tells the story of a woman in a period of time when women’s roles were not as important as those of the men, and of how these women were actually potentially more important in some aspects than the men.

I loved reading about Mary, and her children. She marries Fred when it seems there are no other choices, yet she does not want a marriage wherein both parties have a feeling of obligation to the other. She wants love, to love and to be loved, and a safe home for her children to grow up in. Watching the progression of her relationship with Fred was beautiful, as was watching her children grow up and figure out who they were and what they wanted to do. 

There are several issues addressed in this book, including women’s rights. Mary is as important to the building of Fred’s parks as he is, for although she works behind the scenes, things would not run smoothly without her. Yet, she gets none of the credit from the public. Her family, however, support her in everything, and their closeness and the love that Mary’s children felt for her was lovely to read about.

This book, in my opinion, is a triumph. The author set out to tell the story of one of her husband’s ancestors, a woman whom not much was known, and she has done just that. This book does not drift away from Mary at any point, and she holds the reader’s attention throughout the entire novel. This book truly is a work of art.

Buy this Book!

Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU • Publisher

Gail Ward Olmsted

Gail Ward Olmsted was a marketing executive and a college professor before she began writing fiction on a fulltime basis. A trip to Sedona, AZ inspired her first novel Jeep Tour. Three more novels followed before she began Landscape of a Marriage, a biographical work of fiction featuring landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, a distant cousin of her husband’s, and his wife Mary. 

Social Media Links:

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads 

Tour Schedule