Shame the Devil

by Debra Brenegan

Finalist for the 2011 ForeWord Book of the Year in the Historical Fiction Category

"There may be married people who do not read the morning paper. Smith and I know them not ... It is not too much to say the newspapers are one of our strongest points of sympathy; that it is our meat and drink to praise and abuse them together; that we often in our imagination edit a model newspaper, which shall have for its motto, 'Speak the truth, and shame the devil.'" -- Fanny Fern

Shame the Devil tells the remarkable and true story of Fanny Fern (the pen name of Sara Payson Willis), one of the most successful, influential, and popular writers of the nineteenth century. A novelist, journalist, and feminist, Fern (1811-1872) outsold Harriet Beecher Stowe, won the respect of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and served as literary mentor to Walt Whitman. Scrabbling in the depths of poverty before her meteoric rise to fame and fortune, she was widowed, escaped an abusive second marriage, penned one of the country's first prenuptial agreements, married a man eleven years her junior, and served as a nineteenth-century Oprah to her hundreds of thousands of fans. Her weekly editorials in the pages of the New York Ledger over a period of about twenty years chronicled the myriad controversies of her era and demonstrated her firm belief in the motto, "Speak the truth, and shame the devil." Through the story of Fern and her contemporaries, including Walt Whitman, Catharine Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Jacobs, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, Shame the Devil brings the intellectual and social ferment of mid-nineteenth-century America to life.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Feminism, Fiction, Historical

340 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2011

About the author

Debra Brenegan grew up in the Milwaukee area and graduated with a B.A. in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She worked as a journalist and taught at Milwaukee Area Technical College before beginning her graduate work. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing from The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she also taught. She teaches English and Women’s Studies at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. For her fiction, she has received a Ragdale residency and was a recent finalist for the John Gardner Memorial Fiction Prize, The Cincinnati Review’s Schiff Prose Prize, and the Crab Creek Review Fiction Prize. Her work has recently appeared or is forthcoming in Calyx, Tampa Review, Natural Bridge, The Laurel Review, RE:AL, The Southern Women’s Review, The Cimarron Review, Milwaukee Magazine, Phoebe, and other publications. Debra Brenegan’s novel, Shame the Devil, is a historical account of nineteenth-century American writer Fanny Fern (SUNY Press, Excelsior Editions). She is currently working on another novel, set in Missouri, and on a short story collection. During the school year, Debra lives in a 130-year-old house in Fulton with her husband, Steve, and their elderly cat. They spend summers and school breaks in their native Milwaukee. When not teaching, writing, spending time with family or driving back and forth to Wisconsin, Debra enjoys cooking, gardening, reading and traveling.

Reviews

[Lynn Sneyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shame the Devil is literary historical fiction written by an amazing writer about an amazing writer. Fanny Fern lived in the 19th century and counted such influential people as Walt Whitman, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Nathaniel Hawthorne as her friends and writing peers (though she was actually a mentor to Whitman). Unfortunately, Fern does not share the postmortem fame of her friends, even though she was the Anna Quindlan - even the Oprah - of her time. Debra Brenegan does a remarkable job of portraying the struggles that Fern - a woman too free-spirited and independent for her time - endured. Brenegan has done a service to contemporary readers by bringing Fern's story to light, and with writing that is nothing less than exquisite.

[Elizabeth Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was put on a 'St. Patrick's Day reads' display in my library, probably only because the cover was green, so that was my first dissapointment.
I enjoyed learning more about Fanny Fern, who seems to have been a spectacular woman. However, the way this was written feels a lot more like a collection of name-dropped stories. This might have been true to Fanny's life, but it didn't feel entirely organic the way it was written. The biggest thing I took issue with in 'Shame the Devil', however, is how the abolitionists, and Beecher Stowe & Sojourner Truth, were depicted alongside Fanny Fern. It was very much the white feminist mentality that white feminism could trump/transcend any other fight. The 'Ain't I A Woman' speech was turned from its focus on the different experiences of black and white women to a kind of 'look at how all women are the same' in the reflection of one of Brenegan's characters, which is a great disservice to the original intent of the speech. It was unnecessary and disrespectful for Fanny to be constantly sized up next to Beecher Stowe, with the eventual end always being that Fanny was the more popular author, the more outgoing woman, and the 'true savior' because she stood up for her black friends. I probably would have liked this book otherwise, but that attitude throughout the book left a bad taste in my mouth.
It has made me want to learn more about Fanny Fern herself, so I will be looking for more books about her in the future.

[Rochelle Melander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shame the Devil is a great read for anyone though writers will find it especially inspiring. Though Fanny Fern (1811-1872) achieved literary success, it did not happen overnight. It took a great amount of grit for Fanny Fern to overcome the death of a husband, abuse from another, poverty, and dozens of other challenges to become the Oprah of her day. In her wonderful debut novel Shame the Devil, author Debra Brenegan has taken the details from the life of the historical Fanny Fern and given us a delicious and resonant portrait of this successful nineteenth century writer. Readers follow Fern from childhood through difficult years and into times of success and prosperity. Brenegan’s ability to create a realistic historical backdrop enhances the novel and provides the reader with a unique look into nineteenth century life for women. Shame the Devil is not only a fascinating read but also an inspiring record of a writer’s life.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a marvel! Author, Debra Brenegan introduces us to the influential and prolific American writer, Fanny Fern. From the start, Brenegan pulls in the reader: Fanny is a spirited young woman who bucks society’s boundaries for young women nearly every step of the way. Her life is filled with twists and turns, losses and victories, and, more than once, I found myself wondering how anyone could survive such challenges. But survive she did, through grit and determination. Of course, there is much research behind this fictionalized version of Fanny Fern’s life, but the writing is so masterful, the channeling of Fanny’s character so complete, that the reader feels transported to America in the 1800’s. I’m generally not a historical fiction fan, but I was captivated.

[Heavensent1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shame The Devil: A Novel is an historical fictional account of columnist Fanny Fern.

Sarah Payson Willis is the fifth child of nine, she is flamboyant, pert, sassy and nothing women are supposed to be like in the early 1800's. Her father, Nathanial Willis, was disgusted with his daughter's behaviour and often has the minister pray over her. Her mother, Hannah Parker, is thrilled with her head-strong daughter and often encourages Sarah to be the free spirit she is meant to.

Sarah doesn't believe anything is wrong with her, she thinks she is perfect and doesn't understand the frowns of the adults in her life. As she grows older, Sarah drops the "h" from her name, marries for love and has her path set before her.

After marrying Charley, they have three daughters, their eldest, Mary Stace, contracts a brain fever and dies. Her parents are devastated and move to the seaside where they can coalesce however, another tragedy strikes and Charley also passes on. Sara is left with two young daughters, a world of grief and no one in her family or that of Charley's will help her.

The families join to belittle Sara, they try to steal her children and each day she struggles to put on their table while everyone believes Sara, uppity Sara, has got her just rewards. Her older sister Julia is the only one who seems to understand and offers what solitude she is able.

On the day that Sara has to send her oldest surviving daughter, Grace, to live with Sara's in-laws, Sara vows to come for her as soon as she is able. Hezekiah and Mary Eldredge are very pious and religious and they vow to chase the devils from Grace's soul and wipe Sara from her memories forever.

Sara and Ellen, her youngest daughter, live off of bread and milk, on good days, live in a drafty living conditions with no source of heat, their clothes are hanging in tatters off their backs and still her family ridicules her and shows her no Christian outpouring of good and kindness.

One day, as Sara is walking to go visit Grace, she comes up with an idea that will change their lives forever, and Franny Fern is born. It doesn't take long before Sara/Franny becomes popular in the newspapers and now Sara has the power to right the wrongs that she has hounded her, however, she is a woman in a man's world and keeping on top of her game and keeping her children with her is a fight she always seems to be leading...unless she can change the course of history forever.

I thought this was a magnificent read. I would have loved to have known Sarah Willis a.k.a. Franny Fern, she sounds like she would have made a great friend!! I loved her sassy attitude and her faith even in adversity. I loved how she never gave up even when it would have been easy to do. I love how she stood up to the men in her life and put most of them in their places. I enjoyed reading how she and many women like her, at the time, made a difference, enabling for the women of today to have the freedoms they do.

I am totally exasperated to learn though, that even after 150 years, many men STILL think like this...truthfully, how small-minded can anyone be to believe women should be seen not heard, should be dutiful, loyal while receiving nothing of the same in return. Men, at one time, were able to put their wives in an insane asylum, just because they COULD!! Disgusting!!

I have come to realize, after reading this thought provoking novel, that most men are afraid. They are afraid of almost everything they come in contact with and I believe they try to keep women under their rule is because of this fear. Women, for the most part, are pretty resilient, how would you explain the thousands of years of abuse by men, to continue to procreate, continue to love, continue to feel. It's because women, who also fear, are able, for some reason, to shake it off and get back on the horse and ride again. Women are able to remain passive during times of great turmoil and work on auto-pilot, a trait I don't see in men.

I am very thankful I was not born in that world where men ruled all, I would've been a Sarah Willis, a Franny Fern, an Emily Bronte...

I enjoyed how each person in Sara's life had a piece in the book. It wasn't always from Sara's point of view, sometimes we seen the situation through Grace's eyes, or Hezekiah's, Sara's brother Nat, just to name a few. Giving a more rounded appeal to the persona of Franny Fern. Above each chapter is a quote from newspaper articles that Franny Fern and her other nom de plumes wrote under. Showing her gritty, no-nonsense side to current events.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good historical piece with a believable and enjoyable writing style.

[Mirella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shame the Devil is based upon the remarkable and true story of 19th century novelist, journalist, and feminist, Fanny Fern, also known as Sara Payson Willis (1811 13 1872). She was born in Portland Maine. Her father, Nathaniel Willis, owned a newspaper. Early on, she chose the pen name of Fanny Fern because it reminded her of her mother as she picked ferns.

She attended a boarding school in Hartford Connecticut where she was dubbed as one of te worst behaved but most beloved girls. In 1837 she married Charles Harrington Eldredge, a banker. Fanny bore him three daughters. Tragedy struck eight years later when her eldest daughter died of meningitis and her husband died of typhoid fever. Willis was left nearly destitute. With little help from either her father or her in-laws or her brother, she struggled to support herself and her two surviving daughters. Her father encouraged her to remarry as a means to solve their financial difficulties.

So in 1849, she married a merchant by the name of Samuel Farrington. Right from the start, they faced difficulties due to her husband 19s intense jealousy. Two years later, she left him, creating a scandal and divorced him.

On her own and with two daughters to support, Fanny began to write in earnest, publishing articles. She sent samples of her work under her own name to her brother Nathaniel, who owned a magazine, but he refused them and said her writing was not marketable. She kept her identity hidden as her abusive ex-husband continued to make strife by spreading vicious rumours. But this didn 19t stop Fanny. Her work was accepted by newspapers and journals in New York where she wrote a witty column that proved highly popular.

In the 1850 19s a children 19s novel she wrote sold 70,000 copies in its first year, quite an achievement for the times. James Parton, editor for the Home Journal, a magazine owned by Fanny 19s brother, published her columns. But when her brother discovered this, he forbade Parton from publishing any more of Fern's work. In protest, Parton resigned.

Fanny 19s first book, Fern Leaves (1853), was a best seller. It sold 46,000 copies in the first four months, and over 70,000 copies the first year. With her royalties, she bought a house in Brooklyn and lived comfortably well. She soon became the highest paid columnist in the U.S.

Fern wrote about her happy first marriage, the poverty she endured after he died and lack of help from male relatives, and her struggle to achieve financial independence as a journalist. She did not hesitate to write unflattering portrayals of those who had treated her uncharitably when she most needed help, including her father, her in-laws, her brother N.P. Willis, and two newspaper editors. When Fern's identity was revealed shortly after the novel's publication, some critics believed it scandalous that she had attacked her own relatives; they decried her lack of filial piety and her want of "womanly gentleness" in such characterizations.

Author Nathaniel Hawthorne praised her work. He said, 1C...enjoyed it a great deal. The woman writes as if the devil was in her, and that is the only condition in which a woman ever writes anything worth reading."

Fanny died of cancer in 1872.

Author Debra Brenegan did an exceptional job writing this inspiring and engrossing biography. She not only writes with very vivid detail, but she did so in a way that truly made Fanny and her surroundings seem real. It is a poignant story of the struggles women faced to survive in a world where few opportunities existed.

This is a really, really great book.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a rare and exceptional treasure it is to have a biographical, feminist novel these days. This beautifully covered book is so well researched and written that it behooves one to tread carefully when assuming it can be reviewed with justice.


Debra Brenegan leads us back to a time when women tripped what appeared to be the broad line of sensibility, as Miss Austen would say, only if they dared. A time when women kept their own kind in check, when men expected the females in their lives to be concerned with things in particular, and when some appeared to overlook or to be blind to those women who stole across the barriers to proclaim a worthy presence of their own.


The Fanny Fern of Ms Brenegan's biographical novel is a woman of this unusual making; that is, one who could bridge that broad line of sensibility, come forth as a wise woman, favored by men and women alike...sought out for conversation by both, and heralded as a social reformer, a writer and journalist of her times. A formidable woman who had opinions she was emboldened to express because of the sufferings she experienced in her own life.


It was a bash to women of the Women's Movement in the 1960's and '70's that they were "ugly, unattractive, uptight and asexual sub-women"...explaining why they were interested in being equal to men and working for "women's rights" which were "not wanted or needed by married, and/or attractive women who had men to take care of them." In those days, this bashing was a form of fear, fighting against feminine uprisings and social change.


I found it interesting from that perspective, to consider how much worse it might have been in the 1800s, for Fanny Fern to withstand the social outcry against her, who may not have been seen as the most attractive of women. Yet, like a multitude of women who've risen to the surface with great minds, great spirits and great works for peace, freedoms, and the education of others, Ms Fern's beauty was so radiant she drew thousands to her. She was a face and a place of mercy and understanding.


With contemporaries such as Alcott, Hawthorne, Walden, Emily Dickinson and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Ms Fern's is a life and world filled with beautiful detail and imagery, as well as with literary importance and excitement.


Debra Brenegan is an author who is obviously in love with her subject and did her research with a detailed hand. She is poetic in her delivery and fiery when she needs to be in defining her characters. Though it's meant to be biographical, Ms Brenegan's book reads fully like a feminist novel, reminding me of my studies in women's literature and what a powerful impact it made towards the discovery of my "self" as a woman.


If there were one minor adjustment I'd make with "Shame the Devil," it would be that it sometimes became stilted when it read like a history book in parts. This reflects the difficult transition one is asked to make when switching from a biographical study to a novel form, and some of the residual of that lingered.


I'm delighted to have this lovely little book on my personal library shelf. I highly recommend it to all of my friends. I recommend it to all who are interested in the exciting times of women of the American Civil War Era notably and finally having a voice in literature, journalism and in the politics of the times.


4 stars

[Arleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fanny Fern, 19th Century American literary wit and prolific author, spoke out against inequality through her novels, weekly columns and collections. Though not quite a household name, she was one of the first women to demand a pre-nuptial agreement, started the idea that lead to copyright, and sarcastically coined the phrase, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

Born Sarah Willis, Fanny was a spirited child and grew into a sparkling and sassy young woman. Her strict father despaired of her throughout her young life until he handed her off to her first husband, Charles Eldredge. For Fanny, it was a love match, and she spent a few blissful years basking in her freedom as Charly’s wife. Unlike many husbands, Charly allowed Fanny to be herself, even if others thought her unfeminine and unfit.

After Charles Eldredge’s early death from typhoid fever, Fanny was pressured into a second marriage with a man who turned out to be an abusive alcoholic bent on taming Fanny and molding her into his view of a dutiful wife. Rather than live a miserable existence with a man she neither loved nor admired, Fanny chose to divorce him and work to raise her children. Society, however, deemed her a fallen woman, cruelly soiling her reputation and cutting her off from family and friends.

The treatment she endured and her subsequent poverty affected her profoundly and further fed her unconventional thinking that women are equal to men and deserve to be treated as such. Her columns were met with acclaim for the most part, by men and women alike, for her sarcastic witticisms and brow-raising observations. Once her fame spread, and money—or lack of–was no longer her master, she still had to contend with the divorce and move forward with her newly found public persona.

The story has many facets, and I don’t think I could touch on them all, and certainly couldn’t do them justice—this is a must read book! The storyline flows perfectly, is never stilted or boring and is true to historical fact. The characters are fleshed out—though I’d like to have seen the reaction of a few once they discovered the identity of the famed Fanny Fern—with quite a few well-known names throughout (Harriet Beecher Stowe, Walt Whitman, Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, etc.)

I’m astonished that I was not familiar with Fanny Fern upon receiving this book, although my American history knowledge is (ironically) somewhat lacking for a history enthusiast. Even so, it just seems that her name should be set alongside other American greats, as she was a forward thinking, clever and utterly courageous woman who was undeniably one of the stepping stones to encouraging women’s rights. On searching for quotes and websites on Fanny Fern, I found very little in depth written about her—she produced three novels (Ruth Hall being the most popular), three children’s books and six collections, as well as weekly articles for almost 20 years. Much of her writing seems to be repeated but not credited to her.

This is hands down one of my favorite books this year—I enjoyed it from start to finish, and though it is a sizable hardcover with a textbook feel, it reads with the ease of a genre paperback. Book clubs should add this to their line-up and historical fiction lovers (even those not well versed in American history) will devour this book!

[Amy L. Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Review copy received from publicist.

This is one of the better novelizations of a factual person's life I've read. There seems to be a tendency to be a little too in awe of the subject to create a well-rounded story. Luckily, Brenegan avoids this by writing from several different viewpoints. Just when you get tired of the almost fawning tone, we get to see Fanny Fern from the viewpoint of her in-laws or some other less favorable account.

The story itself is captivating, particularly for those who enjoy a rags to riches type of story. Fanny Fern is sure to become a favorite hero as she makes her own way in the world, starting as a spunky youth, marrying well and then losing a good husband, later to become a wise widow who struggles to make enough money to raise her children and find success in a world where it was considered improper to even leave the house once a pregnancy began to show. Brenegan does an excellent job of capturing this time period and emphasizing the struggles of women, black Americans, and slaves during this time. That many of the themes in this book are still problems today is saddening, but also allows the book to resonate all the more with the modern reader.

[Gayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Fanny Fern was a famous, mid 1800's columnist who pricked the conscious of the public as she wrote about the inequality in women's lives and the severe hardships it caused for many. How was this incredible woman lost in history?! Fanny Fern was the chosen nom de plume of Sarah Willis. She had to protect her identity so that she could speak freely. At the time when she started writing a column to earn a meager living for herself and her two young daughters, she had left her abusive husband and was ridiculed, scorned, considered a fallen woman, even by most members of her own family. Disguised in "widow's weeds" (a veil and black dress), she approached a newspaper editor and convinced him to buy her unique commentary on society from a woman's point of view. The readers were fascinated and many believed that only a man could be writing such pointed, thoughtful, witty pieces. Only a few people knew her real identity. What this woman accomplished in a world that was organized to keep women quiet, docile, and dependent, is remarkable. Brenegan tells this story by revealing the character and inner thoughts that would drive a woman like Fanny to live a life true to who she was, as she struggled to raise her daughters alone.

[Jenny Yates · Rating 3 out of 5]

How come I never heard of Fanny Fern before reading this book? It just goes to show how many remarkable women have been forgotten.

This is the fascinating story of Sarah Payson Willis, the 19th century writer whose nom de plume was Fanny Fern. She was famous in her day, celebrated as much as her contemporaries – Dickens, Whitman, Emerson, Thoreau. But she was also reviled as an unnatural woman for leaving her second husband, making her living by her pen, and being outspoken and frank in all her writing. She wrote about things that women were never suppose to notice – and soon everyone in Boston and New York was talking about her.

This is a fictionalized biography, and Brenegan is quite partisan, and tends to scold the people that Fanny didn’t like. The point of view changes from chapter to chapter, and can feel more or less authentic. Still, I was riveted by Fanny Fern’s life and experiences, and welcomed the chance to learn about this important figure in feminist history.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book not to rush through but one to be savoured. Not only was the historical perspective a joy but the writing style was uniquely refreshing. What a remarkable women Fanny Fern was. Getting to know this women while appreciating her motto "speak the truth and shame the devil" AND appreciating how far us women have come to be seen as equals to men had me pleasantly entrapped. Fanny's (Sara Payson Willis) passion to write honestly about society's faults that people knew about but wouldn't discuss or face as facts truly captured the attention of her readers during the 19th century and still touch the readers of today. Thoughtful quote by Brenegan "why was it that some subjects were so cloaked in taboos and others were trotted out and discussed to death?" Is just one aspect of how well she portrayed this overlooked author and her firsthand account of American society.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and really liked the character of Fannie Fern. The book is historical fiction but the author made Fannie fern come to life. I liked the way the beginning of each chapter had an article or a piece of an article actually written by Fannie Fern. I enjoyed the determination of Fannie Fern to make a living to support her family during a time when it was only acceptable for a man to have a successful career. Divorce was frowned upon and women were at the mercy of thier father or husband but Fannie Fern became a voice for change to allow women to have the right to contol their finances and lives.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is based on the real life of writer "Fanny Fern." I wish I had first read a biography of her because I kept wanting more information, rather than the depiction of her daily struggles. In the end it is amazing what she was able to accomplish in her career, and it makes me again grateful for such trailblazing women.

[Linn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know anything about 19th century writer Fanny Fern (although my American Studies experts knew her right away). This novelization of her life made me want to read a biography. Each section of narration starts with an excerpt from her writing. The tone of the narration didn't seem to match the sharp sarcasm of Fanny Fern's actual writing, which was a little jarring to me.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare gem of historical fiction--not only reflecting the Fannie's struggles in a male-oriented, neanderthal by any standards culture, but also in reflecting interesting personality traits of her Fannie's male and female contemporaties. I will never think of Charles Dickens and Walt Whitman in the same way again.

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was very well written. Historical fiction is my favorite book genre; it was fun to read about an incredible and influential woman, especially when I hadn't heard of her before. Now I will never be able to see the name Walt Whitman without thinking about Fanny Fern.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book about mid-19th century writer/feminist. An amazing woman who had incredible courage to free herself of society's harsh treatment of women. The story dragged sometimes, but overall an interesting read.

[Julie_Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible journey of a woman as she goes through drastic measures to save her daughters and herself from a life of hell. An interesting read through time, with many pun intended.

[Callee · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Tara]

omg i got one in the giveaway & it came today!! (2-4-12). i'm sooooo excited & i can't wait to get started!! 2 books in the mail in a day is sooooo awesome!!!

[Andrea Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read! It's about Fanny Fern, nineteenth-century "Oprah" to her fans and a progressive, independent woman who was well ahead of her time.

[Cook Memorial Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by staffer Andrea.

Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/...

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting historical novel about the life of a woman I didn't know existed. It made me read more about her.