As the United States wrestles with its besetting sin—slavery—abolitionist John Brown is growing tired of talk. He takes actions that will propel the nation toward civil war and thrust three courageous women into history.
Wealthy Brown, married to John Brown's oldest son, eagerly falls in with her husband's plan to settle in Kansas. Amid clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, Wealthy's adventure turns into madness, mayhem, and murder.
Fifteen-year-old Annie Brown is thrilled when her father summons her to the farm he has rented in preparation for his raid. There, she guards her father's secrets while risking her heart.
Mary Brown never expected to be the wife of John Brown, much less the wife of a martyr. When her husband's daring plan fails, Mary must travel into hostile territory, where she finds the eyes of the nation riveted upon John—and upon her.
Spanning three decades, John Brown's Women is a tale of love and sacrifice, and of the ongoing struggle for America to achieve its promise of liberty and justice for all.
Trigger Warnings:
Deaths of young children through illness or accidents (not graphically described); implied heavy petting involving a willing minor.
Book Review
Sometimes, you will come across a book about someone whose name you know, but are not quite sure who they are or, indeed, how important they were to history. I had heard the name ‘John Brown’ before, and knew that he was an abolitionist, but I didn’t know the intricate details of his life. Not that this book is wholly about him, but instead, it is told from the perspective of three different women who are a part of his life in different ways, and how they perceive and are affected differently by his actions.
John Brown’s family are all strongly on his side regarding ridding the world of slavery and freeing the poor souls who found themselves bound by such bonds. Even from a young age, his children were involved in helping. When Mary marries him, taking on his children as her own, she joins the force. There is a lot of loss in this book, of children, menfolk, and loved ones, but Mary is the sort of person to soldier on throughout everything. She is a character I admired, and also felt sorry for. She loses so much, and yet, has to keep going for the others around her.
Wealthy is married to John’s eldest son, also named John. Her perspective gave more of an insight into the fighting that occurred in John’s life. She is in Kansas when the Brown family end up forming a military company and taking a stance against the pro-slavers in the state. Wealthy also goes through a lot, but with her, we have less of an insight into John’s life, and more of a view of how his actions affected his family. His sons take the brunt of his actions, and the law is still the law, but that doesn’t mean that the family is less willing to fight, although some are less inclined to put themselves on the front line again.
The last perspective we have is Annie’s, John and Mary’s daughter. Annie is so desperate to be involved, to be older than she is and to live her life as she wishes. She was certainly my favourite of the three women to read about. Despite her age, she does no less to help the cause, even though she is risking her heart as well as her life as she does so. Falling in love is one thing, but trying to figure out a relationship while trying to keep watch for danger and gain the approval of her father is another thing.
This book is one that both pulls you in and informs you. If the author planned to immortalise this family in history, she has certainly succeeded. This novel is filled with loss and heartbreak, for the death of loved ones has not been glossed over, but there is also joy, the spark of a new and young love, and the desperate attempt to make everyone equal and free. This book has brought the era back to life, and has demonstrated to me just how important John Brown’s role was in history.
Buy this Book (and I highly recommend that you do)
Susan Higginbotham
Susan Higginbotham is the author of a number of historical novels set in medieval and Tudor England and, more recently, nineteenth-century America, including The Traitor's Wife, The Stolen Crown, Hanging Mary, and The First Lady and the Rebel. She and her family, human and four-footed, live in Maryland, just a short drive from where John Brown made his last stand. When not writing or procrastinating, Susan enjoys traveling and collecting old photographs.
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Thank you for such a wonderful review, I am so glad you enjoyed John Brown's Women. Thank you, also, for hosting today's tour stop.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Mary Anne
The Coffee Pot Book Club