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Unmentionables
"Exceptionally readable and highly recommended."
-- Library Journal (starred review)
A January 2014 MIBA Midwest Connections pick!
"Engaging first work from a writer of evident ability."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"Marian Elliot Adams'...tale is contagiously enthusiastic."
-- Publishers Weekly
" Unmentionables is a sweeping and memorable story of struggle and suffrage, love and redemption...Loewenstein has skilfully woven a story and a cast of characters that will remain in the memory long after the book’s last page has been turned."
-- New York Journal of Books
"Readers will be fascinated by this timeless glimpse into a slice of American history on the brink of significant change, whose memorable characters are both vulnerable and engaging. I loved this book!"
-- Boswell Book Company (staff pick)
" Unmentionables starts small and expands to touch Chicago and war-torn France as Laurie Loewenstein weaves multiple points of view together to create a narrative of social change and the stubbornness of the human heart."
-- Black Heart Magazine
"A historical, feminist romance in the positive senses of all three a realistic evocation of small-town America circa 1917, including its racial tensions; a tale about standing up for the equitable treatment of women; and a story about two lonely people who overcome obstacles, including their own character defects, to find love together."
-- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , "96 Books For Your Summer Reading List"
Marian Elliot Adams, an outspoken advocate for sensible undergarments for women, sweeps onto the Chautauqua stage under a brown canvas tent on a sweltering August night in 1917, and shocks the gathered town of Emporia with her How can women compete with men in the work place and in life if they are confined by their undergarments? The crowd is further appalled when Marian falls off the stage and sprains her ankle, and is forced to remain among them for a week. As the week passes, she throws into turmoil the town's unspoken rules governing social order, women, and Negroes. The recently widowed newspaper editor Deuce Garland, his lapels glittering with fraternal pins, has always been a community booster, his desire to conform rooted in a legacy of shame--his great-grandfather married a black woman, and the town will never let Deuce forget it, especially not his father-in-law, the owner of the newspaper and Deuce's boss. Deuce and his father-in-law are already at odds, since the old man refuses to allow Deuce's stepdaughter, Helen, to go to Chicago to fight for women's suffrage.
But Marian's arrival shatters Deuce's notions of what is acceptable, versus what is right, and Deuce falls madly in love with the tall activist from New York. During Marian's stay in Emporia, Marian pushes Deuce to become a greater, braver, and more dynamic man than he ever imagined was possible. He takes a stand against his father-in-law by helping Helen escape to Chicago; and he publishes an article exposing the county's oldest farm family as the source of a recent typhoid outbreak, risking his livelihood and reputation. Marian's journey takes her to the frozen mud of France's Picardy region, just beyond the lines, to help destitute villagers as the Great War rages on. Helen, in Chicago, is hired as a streetcar conductor surrounded by bitter men who resent her taking a man's job. Meanwhile, Deuce struggles to make a living and find his place in Emporia's wider community after losing the newspaper.
Marian is a powerful catalyst that forces nineteenth-century Emporia into the twentieth century; but while she agitates for enlightenment and justice, she has little time to consider her own motives and her extreme loneliness. Marian, in the end, must decide if she has the courage to face small-town life, and be known, or continue to be a stranger always passing through.
-- Library Journal (starred review)
A January 2014 MIBA Midwest Connections pick!
"Engaging first work from a writer of evident ability."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"Marian Elliot Adams'...tale is contagiously enthusiastic."
-- Publishers Weekly
" Unmentionables is a sweeping and memorable story of struggle and suffrage, love and redemption...Loewenstein has skilfully woven a story and a cast of characters that will remain in the memory long after the book’s last page has been turned."
-- New York Journal of Books
"Readers will be fascinated by this timeless glimpse into a slice of American history on the brink of significant change, whose memorable characters are both vulnerable and engaging. I loved this book!"
-- Boswell Book Company (staff pick)
" Unmentionables starts small and expands to touch Chicago and war-torn France as Laurie Loewenstein weaves multiple points of view together to create a narrative of social change and the stubbornness of the human heart."
-- Black Heart Magazine
"A historical, feminist romance in the positive senses of all three a realistic evocation of small-town America circa 1917, including its racial tensions; a tale about standing up for the equitable treatment of women; and a story about two lonely people who overcome obstacles, including their own character defects, to find love together."
-- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , "96 Books For Your Summer Reading List"
Marian Elliot Adams, an outspoken advocate for sensible undergarments for women, sweeps onto the Chautauqua stage under a brown canvas tent on a sweltering August night in 1917, and shocks the gathered town of Emporia with her How can women compete with men in the work place and in life if they are confined by their undergarments? The crowd is further appalled when Marian falls off the stage and sprains her ankle, and is forced to remain among them for a week. As the week passes, she throws into turmoil the town's unspoken rules governing social order, women, and Negroes. The recently widowed newspaper editor Deuce Garland, his lapels glittering with fraternal pins, has always been a community booster, his desire to conform rooted in a legacy of shame--his great-grandfather married a black woman, and the town will never let Deuce forget it, especially not his father-in-law, the owner of the newspaper and Deuce's boss. Deuce and his father-in-law are already at odds, since the old man refuses to allow Deuce's stepdaughter, Helen, to go to Chicago to fight for women's suffrage.
But Marian's arrival shatters Deuce's notions of what is acceptable, versus what is right, and Deuce falls madly in love with the tall activist from New York. During Marian's stay in Emporia, Marian pushes Deuce to become a greater, braver, and more dynamic man than he ever imagined was possible. He takes a stand against his father-in-law by helping Helen escape to Chicago; and he publishes an article exposing the county's oldest farm family as the source of a recent typhoid outbreak, risking his livelihood and reputation. Marian's journey takes her to the frozen mud of France's Picardy region, just beyond the lines, to help destitute villagers as the Great War rages on. Helen, in Chicago, is hired as a streetcar conductor surrounded by bitter men who resent her taking a man's job. Meanwhile, Deuce struggles to make a living and find his place in Emporia's wider community after losing the newspaper.
Marian is a powerful catalyst that forces nineteenth-century Emporia into the twentieth century; but while she agitates for enlightenment and justice, she has little time to consider her own motives and her extreme loneliness. Marian, in the end, must decide if she has the courage to face small-town life, and be known, or continue to be a stranger always passing through.
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2013
62 people are currently reading
712 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Loewenstein
4 books56 followersLaurie Loewenstein, a fifth generation Midwesterner, is a descendent of farmers, butchers and salesmen. She grew up in central and western Ohio. She has a BA and MA in history.
Loewenstein was a reporter, feature and obituary writer for several small daily newspapers.
In her fifties, she returned to college for an MA in Creative Writing. Her first novel, Unmentionables (2014), was selected as a Midwest Connections pick and received a starred review from the Library Journal. Her current book, Death of a Rainmaker (October 2018), is the first of a mystery series set in the 1930s Dust Bowl.
Loewenstein is an instructor at Wilkes University’s Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing where she co-teaches Research for Writers and coordinates the Writing Resource Center.
After living in eastern Pennsylvania for many years, Loewenstein now resides in Columbia, Maryland.
Loewenstein was a reporter, feature and obituary writer for several small daily newspapers.
In her fifties, she returned to college for an MA in Creative Writing. Her first novel, Unmentionables (2014), was selected as a Midwest Connections pick and received a starred review from the Library Journal. Her current book, Death of a Rainmaker (October 2018), is the first of a mystery series set in the 1930s Dust Bowl.
Loewenstein is an instructor at Wilkes University’s Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing where she co-teaches Research for Writers and coordinates the Writing Resource Center.
After living in eastern Pennsylvania for many years, Loewenstein now resides in Columbia, Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
November 1, 2013
This is the flagship novel of my new imprint, Kaylie Jones Books, which I have started because I find there is little room for literary novels of this quality in mainstream publishing these days.
Akashic Books, which has for 15 years been championing the literary underdog, allowed me to start this imprint under their aegis. I will never be able to thank Johnny Temple, publisher, enough.
This novel reminds me of the best of Edith Wharton and Katherine Ann Porter. It feels like a great American novel, it holds between its covers all the vast space (and close-mindedness) of the Midwest; however, in keeping with the times in which we live, it is quite short. It has that breadth, but reads fast and smooth. The main characters are wonderfully complex and three-dimensional, flawed, but human, and full of compassion.
I am delighted that the book has received such vast praise already, and is not even published yet. It has been highlighted by the American Library Association; the Heartland Forum; and now has been chosen by the Midwest Booksellers Association as one of their three Midwest Connections Picks for January 2014.
Akashic Books, which has for 15 years been championing the literary underdog, allowed me to start this imprint under their aegis. I will never be able to thank Johnny Temple, publisher, enough.
This novel reminds me of the best of Edith Wharton and Katherine Ann Porter. It feels like a great American novel, it holds between its covers all the vast space (and close-mindedness) of the Midwest; however, in keeping with the times in which we live, it is quite short. It has that breadth, but reads fast and smooth. The main characters are wonderfully complex and three-dimensional, flawed, but human, and full of compassion.
I am delighted that the book has received such vast praise already, and is not even published yet. It has been highlighted by the American Library Association; the Heartland Forum; and now has been chosen by the Midwest Booksellers Association as one of their three Midwest Connections Picks for January 2014.
June 3, 2019
Loewenstein does a marvelous job of drawing readers right into the time period and the setting. It's 1917, America has entered World War I, women are struggling for equal rights, and the small town seems to be the backbone of the country. In Unmentionables, small towns are more like the last bastion of traditions and ideas that need to change: the place of women in the world, war, racism to name a few. What I liked is the fact that these topics were woven seamlessly into the narrative. There wasn't any preaching.
I picked up this book because I'd really enjoyed Loewenstein's Dust Bowl era mystery, Death of a Rainmaker. At the outset, I was lulled into thinking Unmentionables was going to be a light, enjoyable read of little consequence. I was very wrong. Each character has his or her own unmentionable secrets and desires, and each character is allowed to develop more fully than readers initially expect. Loewenstein's descriptive powers are wonderful: for example, I've tucked away the description of Mrs. Sieve to savor over and over again.
If you're in the mood for well-written historical fiction that gives you a vivid setting and characters whose interwoven lives make you think about life and love and hate and all sorts of things, I recommend you find a copy of Laurie Loewenstein's Unmentionables. It's a winner.
I picked up this book because I'd really enjoyed Loewenstein's Dust Bowl era mystery, Death of a Rainmaker. At the outset, I was lulled into thinking Unmentionables was going to be a light, enjoyable read of little consequence. I was very wrong. Each character has his or her own unmentionable secrets and desires, and each character is allowed to develop more fully than readers initially expect. Loewenstein's descriptive powers are wonderful: for example, I've tucked away the description of Mrs. Sieve to savor over and over again.
If you're in the mood for well-written historical fiction that gives you a vivid setting and characters whose interwoven lives make you think about life and love and hate and all sorts of things, I recommend you find a copy of Laurie Loewenstein's Unmentionables. It's a winner.
April 4, 2014
I thought this book was going to be funny. I was expecting a Fanny Flagg sort of small town story. But it wasn't. I found it to be mostly boring and a slow read. The ending disappointed.
June 21, 2022
I got this at the Cincy BookFest and got it signed by the author. I loved it. Couldn't put it down. Very empowering story about women in 1917. Highly recommend.
December 28, 2013
Laurie Loewenstein’s Unmentionables is the best work of historical fiction I have read in the past few years.
From the heat and excitement of the Chautauqua assemblies, to the prejudices and politics of segregated small town America, to the dangerous French countryside of World War I, the settings are firmly planted in 1917. Where some authors of the genre stop a story to relate facts they found through research, this author seamlessly integrates her research into the story, and a well researched story it is. Complete with wonderful small details such as a shirtwaist that smells of starch, a japanned tray, and the use of “criminently.”
With a story revolving mainly around a suffragette and a small town publisher, I expected the cause of the suffragette movement to be the primary impetus for conflict in the story. But rather than a story about conflicts, though there are several and they are quite interesting and serve the story well, to me this is a novel focused more on how the characters relate to each other, and how they grow through their interactions.
I expect that many readers of Unmentionables will identify with Marian or possibly Deuce or his step-daughter Helen. It surprised me, partly because I didn’t have much sympathy for her initially, when I found myself contemplating Tula after finishing the novel. She had grown on me until I began identifying with her and ended up greatly enjoying her storyline.
As much as I enjoyed this novel, and feel that this review does not do it justice, there were a few minor points that were negatives for me (and are only mentioned to give some little balance to this review):
The name Deuce somehow just sits wrong with me. I went into this novel with a prejudice against this name and did not lose my dislike of it, though it was a bit better once I knew it was a nickname and the story behind it.
The introduction of the ambulance drivers’ names was so abrupt, that it took me out of the story as I tried to figure out who these new characters were and look back to see if I had missed an explanation for the use of nicknames such as “Links” and “The Gish.”
As this was an ARC that I won through the GoodReads First Reads program (and I was thrilled to get it, the title alone had me hooked), I was very surprised to find only one typo – the omission of the word “to” on page 145 of my copy -which is an incredibly minor problem and probably fixed.
This is definitely a novel I would recommend (but maybe not so much to my mother, as she really wouldn’t approve of the brief and non-gratuitous sexual content) and will be putting it in the "re-read this" section of my bookshelves.
From the heat and excitement of the Chautauqua assemblies, to the prejudices and politics of segregated small town America, to the dangerous French countryside of World War I, the settings are firmly planted in 1917. Where some authors of the genre stop a story to relate facts they found through research, this author seamlessly integrates her research into the story, and a well researched story it is. Complete with wonderful small details such as a shirtwaist that smells of starch, a japanned tray, and the use of “criminently.”
With a story revolving mainly around a suffragette and a small town publisher, I expected the cause of the suffragette movement to be the primary impetus for conflict in the story. But rather than a story about conflicts, though there are several and they are quite interesting and serve the story well, to me this is a novel focused more on how the characters relate to each other, and how they grow through their interactions.
I expect that many readers of Unmentionables will identify with Marian or possibly Deuce or his step-daughter Helen. It surprised me, partly because I didn’t have much sympathy for her initially, when I found myself contemplating Tula after finishing the novel. She had grown on me until I began identifying with her and ended up greatly enjoying her storyline.
As much as I enjoyed this novel, and feel that this review does not do it justice, there were a few minor points that were negatives for me (and are only mentioned to give some little balance to this review):
The name Deuce somehow just sits wrong with me. I went into this novel with a prejudice against this name and did not lose my dislike of it, though it was a bit better once I knew it was a nickname and the story behind it.
The introduction of the ambulance drivers’ names was so abrupt, that it took me out of the story as I tried to figure out who these new characters were and look back to see if I had missed an explanation for the use of nicknames such as “Links” and “The Gish.”
As this was an ARC that I won through the GoodReads First Reads program (and I was thrilled to get it, the title alone had me hooked), I was very surprised to find only one typo – the omission of the word “to” on page 145 of my copy -which is an incredibly minor problem and probably fixed.
This is definitely a novel I would recommend (but maybe not so much to my mother, as she really wouldn’t approve of the brief and non-gratuitous sexual content) and will be putting it in the "re-read this" section of my bookshelves.
October 30, 2013
This was a great historical novel that, in spite of it's setting 95 years ago, has many parallels in today's society when it comes to issues of gender, race, ethnicity, and class. I felt very invested in the well-being of the protagonists, especially Marian and Helen, who are modern early 20th century women in different stages of life: one established in her career (during a time when women were generally expected to aspire only to marriage and motherhood) and the other yearning to break away from her small town and make her way in the wider world. I'm looking forward to this book's publication in January 2014 and the author's talk & book-signing at the Colgate Bookstore in February.
November 21, 2013
This book make you proud to be a woman. American, French or otherwise a proud and strong woman. Unmentionables deals with real historical issues which are still relevant today. Realistic to the time period and very engaging. You feel the book long after you are done. Ms. Loewenstein has the ability to transport you back to this time period. Very very good read.
I won this book through goodreads.
I won this book through goodreads.
February 21, 2018
Although the beginning of this novel was a slow start for me, it quickly became much more interesting and ended up being a very enjoyable and informative read. What caught my interest initially about this novel was the mention of the Chatauqua meetings. These were traveling cultural/educational programs with speakers and other performers who went from town to town in rural areas. The programs were held under tents. My mother, who was born in 1921 and grew up on a farm near a tiny community in south central KS told me about Chatauqua meetings held in a town nearby when she was growing up. She spoke of them as being very special events.
This novel starts out with a Chatauqua meeting in 1917 in Emporia, Indiana. There is also an Emporia, KS but I quickly realized it was not set there since this Emporia was described as a very small rural community and Emporia, KS is much larger with a state university. Marian, one of the speakers on the Chatauqua circuit talks about how women's underwear constricts a woman's activities---at that time women's underwear was an 'unmentionable' topic so this is how the title of the novel comes about. At the end of her talk, she stumbles and sprains her ankle which results in her having to remain in Emporia a few days. In that short time, she has a major impact on the lives of 2 other people---Deuce, a middle aged widower and editor of the town's newspaper and his 19 year old stepdaughter, Helen, who wants to get out of Emporia and get on with her life. She admires Marian and makes plans to go ahead and leave for Chicago. Deuce has always tried to please everyone and avoid confrontation at all costs resulting in his father-in-law basically running his life. Marian encourages him to be willing to take a stand on issues. After leaving Emporia, Marian goes on to volunteer in France with a Red Cross unit.
There are other secondary characters but the 3 people mentioned above are the key characters in the novel and the novel goes back and forth between these characters telling their story--each of which was equally interesting. During the course of the novel, they all face challenges and grow from those experiences to become stronger people. Deuce was my favorite character because he seemed to be the most 'human' of them---revealing character qualities so common to many people but then finally growing in courage.
This novel involves racial issues, the women's suffrage movement, a touch of romance and a vivid portrayal of the experiences of a Red Cross unit on the battlefield in France. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
This novel starts out with a Chatauqua meeting in 1917 in Emporia, Indiana. There is also an Emporia, KS but I quickly realized it was not set there since this Emporia was described as a very small rural community and Emporia, KS is much larger with a state university. Marian, one of the speakers on the Chatauqua circuit talks about how women's underwear constricts a woman's activities---at that time women's underwear was an 'unmentionable' topic so this is how the title of the novel comes about. At the end of her talk, she stumbles and sprains her ankle which results in her having to remain in Emporia a few days. In that short time, she has a major impact on the lives of 2 other people---Deuce, a middle aged widower and editor of the town's newspaper and his 19 year old stepdaughter, Helen, who wants to get out of Emporia and get on with her life. She admires Marian and makes plans to go ahead and leave for Chicago. Deuce has always tried to please everyone and avoid confrontation at all costs resulting in his father-in-law basically running his life. Marian encourages him to be willing to take a stand on issues. After leaving Emporia, Marian goes on to volunteer in France with a Red Cross unit.
There are other secondary characters but the 3 people mentioned above are the key characters in the novel and the novel goes back and forth between these characters telling their story--each of which was equally interesting. During the course of the novel, they all face challenges and grow from those experiences to become stronger people. Deuce was my favorite character because he seemed to be the most 'human' of them---revealing character qualities so common to many people but then finally growing in courage.
This novel involves racial issues, the women's suffrage movement, a touch of romance and a vivid portrayal of the experiences of a Red Cross unit on the battlefield in France. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
September 2, 2019
"Unmentionables" by Laurie Lowenstein is quite an interesting and captivating read. Marian Elliott Adams is traveling speaker for the summer Chautauqua, a series of entertainment and educational events that made it's way through rural North America in the early 1900's. She is a radical as far as women's clothing is concerned espousing freedom of movement in women's undergarments rather than the restrictive and tight corsets and petticoats of the day. How else can women compete with men in the workplace if they can't move freely? While speaking in the town of Emporia one hot August night she inadvertently falls off the stage and sprains her ankle, forcing her to stay in Emporia much longer than she had planned. Here she meets Deuce, the publisher of the local paper, his spirited daughter Helen who is desperate to get out of small town life and try her hand in the big city helping the suffragette cause, and several other interesting characters. After Marian leaves Emporia she still keeps in touch through letter writing with Deuce and Helen. The story follows the year after the Chautauqua and what befalls the characters during this time. World War I is a main focus and Marian travels to France to work with the Red Cross. Deuce confronts his demons regarding his family lineage and Helen learns that even though the world doesn't seem to want change, it is inevitable and she wants to be a part of it. I thought this was a very well written novel, full of historical accuracy and interesting characters. Highly recommended.
May 30, 2017
Maria Elliot Adams is a progressive thinking lecturer on the prairie tent show circuit, traveling from Midwest town to town. The subject of her speech was focused on the restrictive unmentionables women were forced to wear in the workplace. In 1915 the traditional five layers of undergarments like corsets restricted movement and breathing. Her trend of thinking was an off shoot of the Woman's Suffragette movement. In small town Emporia, Illinois this was controversial for the time period. On her way off the stage Marian trips and injures her ankle, and is forced to stay in Emporia while the tent show moves onto the next town. While in town she is interviewed by newspaper editor Deuce and his daughter Helen. During her stay in town she gets involved in small town life. Helen falls under her influence and goes to Chicago to become a part of the suffragette movement. While Marian goes to France to volunteer for the Red Cross during WWI. Interesting aspects into these two movements but not enough substance. Weak ending.
August 9, 2018
Amazing how "historical" fiction can get you to thinking about what all is going on right this very minute in time. History is history. Unfortunately, despite all the bad that happened, it can't be undone. This story is set during the time of WWI, when women were still fighting to get the vote and to be paid fairly for the work they were doing while the men were at war, and how unfairly they were treated by the "men" who were their bosses and co-workers. I think the women today have forgotten the sacrifices and injustices these women faced just so we could have what we have and do what we do today. Sometimes, we need to be reminded and be more appreciative.
December 29, 2023
I immensely appreciate the work put into this novel. While am not a historian, I know enough to confidently say this is a realistic work. I appreciate the nods to the Midwest and respect the content within; while maddening, it’s important to know there were great injustices done to several demographics in the 20th century. I have a renewed appreciation for the suffragettes and policymakers that advocated for civil (human) rights. The only reason I didn’t give Unmentionables 4 stars is because despite the mentions within the acknowledgments at the end, I found several spelling and grammar errors. It was still a quick read and I found myself eager to finish.
December 30, 2022
This novel had so many angles. A small Midwestern town in rural Illinois during WWI. Suffragists and modernity were rolling along with global conflict and the dawn of the industrial world. Great action and the right amount of back-in-the-day romance. This novel is narrated mostly with women’s perspectives. Small towns. I think we frequently forget how poor we all were. Not just the absence of smart phones, but the way we thought about each other. How we are an easy public to deceive yet able to work some things out.
December 8, 2019
Set in 1917 leading up to WW1. Women were still wearing corsets. This story is based on the reformists who were trying to modernize the "dress code" encouraging women to ditch the Unmentionables, which in their opinion was restricting freedom of movement and holding them back. Enjoyed this book. Different perspective on how difficult change is - whether the change is how we dress, think or behave.
January 11, 2020
This is not, as the title might make you believe, a book about underwear. Instead, it is a story of life in the Midwest in the 1910's, of love, of loss, of war. It explores women, their freedoms and lack thereof. The characters are well drawn, the story line is interesting, but the ending is rather sudden -- I would have preferred to see some of the story lines have a more detailed finish. Aside from that, recommended for fans of historical fiction.
October 18, 2022
Gripping and full of heart
I didn't know what to expect but I loved this book. The author cares about her characters without sentimentalizing. Setting and events are real without being overly sensationalized. Historical background is informative without being overbearing. I wanted to know what was going to happen and trusted the authors Cate with her readers as well. Ill be looming for more of her novels!
I didn't know what to expect but I loved this book. The author cares about her characters without sentimentalizing. Setting and events are real without being overly sensationalized. Historical background is informative without being overbearing. I wanted to know what was going to happen and trusted the authors Cate with her readers as well. Ill be looming for more of her novels!
May 13, 2017
The story itself was good--but it needed a good proof/beta reader--the word "reins" was spelled "reigns" twice--and there was a discrepancy with time--a character says a man had kissed her 34 years ago--when they were both young adults--but that spring he had met another woman with a 2 year old daughter--who was now 19. So--17 years?
December 15, 2019
So many great moments and scenes. I couldn’t put this book down. I will keep thinking about so many themes, women’s rights, friendship, bigotry, thehumancondition, hate, but most of all love. Love always wins,goodness and kindness make the difference as we navigate life. This is something in this book that everyone should read. I actually thinki willl have to read this again!
September 3, 2017
I (a Romani man) was having a rough night so turned to this for some entertainment when what else could I possibly have encountered but virulent anti-Romani racism. Great. Just what I needed from the world. Edit: And it's transphobic!
May 4, 2019
The author has a pleasant writing style. But this book is slow and dry, and I'm honestly not sure what the point was. If it simply is to give us a glimpse into small-town life during a time of social change, why not choose a more interesting town?
July 18, 2020
I like Laurie's books. I like the small town vibe, the characters, and the easy to follow and get involved in story lines. Really enjoyed "Death of a Rainmaker" and anxiously awaiting another Dust Bowl Mystery. I am a fan.
March 14, 2019
A quiet story of ordinary people and their resilience amidst trials and a changing world.
April 28, 2020
I loved watching so many characters grow and become throughout such a difficult time in both home and abroad.
July 22, 2020
A performer from Chautauqua upends a small midwestern town with her radical ideas of women's rights and freedom. An interesting novel, easy to read, easy to like the characters.
March 5, 2021
Amazing.
April 14, 2022
fljhfoieyrowe
May 31, 2023
Loved this book. The characters were so believable and endearing (except for a few scoundrels). Set in small town mid-America, Chicago & France during WWI.
June 26, 2024
An adventure that was fun and interesting to the end.
November 12, 2024
This was better than I expected!
It ended rather abruptly however.
It ended rather abruptly however.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews