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The Kentuckians #4
The Believers
In her historical novels about Kentucky, the author has become known for the integrity with which she handles her materials and for her realism with which she writes. Here, she continues her series about the settling of Kentucky with a moving story of love and marriage in the Shaker community.
Rebecca Fowler, daughter of Tice and Hannah, was only seventeen when she married Richard Cooper. She could not remember a time when she had not loved and trusted him and followed where he led. When Richard joined the Shaker community, Rebecca- as a dutiful wife at his side- became part of a strange world where men and women lived apart, coming together only for meals and worship. She learned that it took courage to follow the dictates of her heart.
Readers will find in Rebecca a heroine with her mother's steadfast loyalty and shrewd good sense but with a feminine sweetness and charm all her own.
Rebecca Fowler, daughter of Tice and Hannah, was only seventeen when she married Richard Cooper. She could not remember a time when she had not loved and trusted him and followed where he led. When Richard joined the Shaker community, Rebecca- as a dutiful wife at his side- became part of a strange world where men and women lived apart, coming together only for meals and worship. She learned that it took courage to follow the dictates of her heart.
Readers will find in Rebecca a heroine with her mother's steadfast loyalty and shrewd good sense but with a feminine sweetness and charm all her own.
214 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1957
2 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
About the author
Janice Holt Giles
39 books47 followersJanice Holt Giles was an American writer best known for her series of pseudo historical novels focusing on life on the American frontier, particularly within Kentucky.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
August 14, 2018
A few years back, I stumbled upon and read a book titled A Little Better Than Plum: A Biography of a House. This was an account of how author Janet Holt Giles and her husband has built a log house out of old and disused buildings in Kentucky. It brought back so many good memories and even a bit of sadness for me as I remember the log house I once owned.
Learning that she had written quite a few novels, I have looked around here and there for her books. They don't often show up where I am looking. But thankfully, the University of Kentucky Press is keeping this Kentucky authors' books in print.
The Believers is a great story that includes some real insights into frontier life in Kentucky, the Scots-Irish Calvinism/Presbyterianism of the rural folk, the bits and pieces of classical education some were privileged to have, and the effects of the more unusual offshoots of the Second Great Awakening.
Under men like James McGready in Kentucky and Asahel Nettleton back in the east, the Second Great Awakening was used to revive churches and reach the lost. But there were far more unusual and unorthodox and American grown offshoots from the revival movement. In the book, there is some mention that Pastor Rankin, the circuit riding Presbyterian, had aligned himself with the New Lights. Things go down from there because he manages to persuade the Richard and Rebecca Cooper to move to the county in Kentucky where things were happening.
In time, Shaker missionaries show up and families start joining the Shaker Movement and adhering to the teachings of Mother Ann Lee.
In the story, Rebecca is the central character and narrator. She loves her husband dearly and they both are devastated by the loss of two stillborn babies. Richard decides it is a judgment of God, so he abandons home and farm and takes his wife to join first a more "moderate" religious group. Then he is convinced that the Shaker way is the right way.
The key conflict now arises: Shakers don't believe in marriage. Married couples are separated when they join the group. (Profound Thought: Maybe this is why this group failed to survive.)
Rebecca's life in the Shaker community comprises the bulk of the story. She is a dutiful woman, mislead, but not suppressed in mind and spirit. This is truly the conflict of someone who wants to do what is right and traditional (as in obeying her husband), but is conflicted by what that involves.
I don't want to give away any spoilers. I must admit that I am a Christian of Presbyterian
and Reformed persuasion. I kept wanting to step into the book and bring "chapter and verse" to those both oppressed by and indulging in Shaker beliefs.
My question is this: Why isn't this woman's books, especially this novel, out there in more places? I cannot wait for my wife and hopefully for my daughters to read it. It ranks up there with books like Wuthering Heights, Gone With the Wind, and others where strong women fight to survive.
This book will not be, Lord willing, my only Janice Holt Giles novel to read.
Learning that she had written quite a few novels, I have looked around here and there for her books. They don't often show up where I am looking. But thankfully, the University of Kentucky Press is keeping this Kentucky authors' books in print.
The Believers is a great story that includes some real insights into frontier life in Kentucky, the Scots-Irish Calvinism/Presbyterianism of the rural folk, the bits and pieces of classical education some were privileged to have, and the effects of the more unusual offshoots of the Second Great Awakening.
Under men like James McGready in Kentucky and Asahel Nettleton back in the east, the Second Great Awakening was used to revive churches and reach the lost. But there were far more unusual and unorthodox and American grown offshoots from the revival movement. In the book, there is some mention that Pastor Rankin, the circuit riding Presbyterian, had aligned himself with the New Lights. Things go down from there because he manages to persuade the Richard and Rebecca Cooper to move to the county in Kentucky where things were happening.
In time, Shaker missionaries show up and families start joining the Shaker Movement and adhering to the teachings of Mother Ann Lee.
In the story, Rebecca is the central character and narrator. She loves her husband dearly and they both are devastated by the loss of two stillborn babies. Richard decides it is a judgment of God, so he abandons home and farm and takes his wife to join first a more "moderate" religious group. Then he is convinced that the Shaker way is the right way.
The key conflict now arises: Shakers don't believe in marriage. Married couples are separated when they join the group. (Profound Thought: Maybe this is why this group failed to survive.)
Rebecca's life in the Shaker community comprises the bulk of the story. She is a dutiful woman, mislead, but not suppressed in mind and spirit. This is truly the conflict of someone who wants to do what is right and traditional (as in obeying her husband), but is conflicted by what that involves.
I don't want to give away any spoilers. I must admit that I am a Christian of Presbyterian
and Reformed persuasion. I kept wanting to step into the book and bring "chapter and verse" to those both oppressed by and indulging in Shaker beliefs.
My question is this: Why isn't this woman's books, especially this novel, out there in more places? I cannot wait for my wife and hopefully for my daughters to read it. It ranks up there with books like Wuthering Heights, Gone With the Wind, and others where strong women fight to survive.
This book will not be, Lord willing, my only Janice Holt Giles novel to read.
April 28, 2011
This is a book about a Kentucky Shaker community in the early 1800's. Although it was written in 1957, both the writing style and content are amazingly up-to-date. It is a very readable book, written from the point of view of a fictitious wife whose husband becomes enamored with the Shakers after they pass through town. The reader finds herself cheering for the main character, hoping for her life to turn out well. This kept my interest until the last page, when I turned to the first and skimmed the entire book again, to pick up details as well as reread my favorite parts. This is a very interesting glimpse into a utopian community that most of us don't get a chance to view in 2011.
May 5, 2011
I thought this book was very intriguing. I currently live in the Logan County where the book is set, and have driven past the South Union site frequently. I had a basic understanding of the Shaker groups, but it was great to get such an in depth feel for their way of life. And not only is this a great historical piece, it's a great story in and of itself. I always find stories of a woman's struggles in her community to be fascinating and inspiring. Her husband was maddening, and, to me, the very essence of what is wrong with most religions today. That so many people are willing to buy into whatever is being fed to them with complete disregard for common sense completely negates the best aspects of organized religion, which are a sense of community, being able to rely on others when in need, while also offering all that you have to make sure others are being taken care of. The Shakers had the sense of community right on the money (though extreme), but, unfortunately, failed in the other areas.
This area still has many groups that practice the communal living and shunning of the outside world (Amish, Mennonite) and there is a great presence of charismatic churches, I'm assuming all relating back to the religious movements during westward expansion. This book has encouraged me to learn more about the different groups and their history. I think a trip to the South Union museum is in my near future!
This area still has many groups that practice the communal living and shunning of the outside world (Amish, Mennonite) and there is a great presence of charismatic churches, I'm assuming all relating back to the religious movements during westward expansion. This book has encouraged me to learn more about the different groups and their history. I think a trip to the South Union museum is in my near future!
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February 26, 2013I really enjoyed this book on two levels: the historical setting around the Great Awakening of the early 19th century and the 1950s when Holt Giles wrote this book.
The characters and plot are fine -- Rebecca marries Richard, they get caught up in the Evangelical movement and eventually join a Shaker community. Rebecca joins for the love of her husband, but as he becomes more rigid, she becomes more disillusioned with a religion that segregates the sexes and practices celibacy, and generally represses emotion and self-expression in favor of communal work and ecstatic religious meetings.
I've heard about the Great Awakening, but this novel helped me imagine it with greater clarity and understanding.
What's more, the book reflects 1950s America in its denunciation of communal living (i.e. anti-Communist) as well as a budding feminism as REbeccas comes into her own.
Oh, one other thing: this is set in the time of slavery but not about slavery. The casual referencing of this institution without strong opinions of it was unusual.
Not a book I would have chosen for myself, but as a book club entry, I enjoyed it.
The characters and plot are fine -- Rebecca marries Richard, they get caught up in the Evangelical movement and eventually join a Shaker community. Rebecca joins for the love of her husband, but as he becomes more rigid, she becomes more disillusioned with a religion that segregates the sexes and practices celibacy, and generally represses emotion and self-expression in favor of communal work and ecstatic religious meetings.
I've heard about the Great Awakening, but this novel helped me imagine it with greater clarity and understanding.
What's more, the book reflects 1950s America in its denunciation of communal living (i.e. anti-Communist) as well as a budding feminism as REbeccas comes into her own.
Oh, one other thing: this is set in the time of slavery but not about slavery. The casual referencing of this institution without strong opinions of it was unusual.
Not a book I would have chosen for myself, but as a book club entry, I enjoyed it.
May 22, 2010
"The Believers" takes us inside one of the odder religious sects to exist in this country in the 19th century. Rebecca Fowler is a gentle girl who wants only to marry her childhood sweetheart Richard and raise a family - so she is stunned when her husband decides to join the Shakers, a religious sect believing in peace, chastity, communal living, and the total dissolution of family. Rebecca follows her husband into the Shaker community, hoping he will come to his senses, and forges friendships with the other women - some devout believers in the Shaker creed, others missing the husbands and children they are no longer allowed to see or speak with. Rebecca's doubts grow as her husband's fanaticism deepens, and in the end she must decide whether to stay in the Shaker community or strike out alone to make a new life for herself. A deep and tender story with a satisfying romance and a fascinating backdrop of religious intolerance.
October 6, 2025
It gave a fairly realistic view of the Shaker life.
December 5, 2011
This is an amazing look at the beginnings of the Shaker movement in Kentucky. During the time of the Great Awakening in the country, different preachers would travel around and share the Gospel with people; the Shakers were part of this movement.
Until I read this book, I always had a rather idealized picture of the Shakers. I grew up near a Shakertown that I have visited often. I admired their simplicity and their commitment to God.
That said, after I read this book, I began to see them as nothing more than home wreckers. They went around converting people and breaking up families in the process. The men and women lived separately and any children that were brought into the community were communal children.
The story centers on one such family. The husband converted and the wife followed him because she loved him and wanted to keep her family together. What follows is a heart breaking account of the wife trying to be a mother to her children who were not really hers anymore and she also had to deal with her husband who has more or less abandoned her.
This book is so enthralling that once you start to read it, you won't be able to put it down!
Until I read this book, I always had a rather idealized picture of the Shakers. I grew up near a Shakertown that I have visited often. I admired their simplicity and their commitment to God.
That said, after I read this book, I began to see them as nothing more than home wreckers. They went around converting people and breaking up families in the process. The men and women lived separately and any children that were brought into the community were communal children.
The story centers on one such family. The husband converted and the wife followed him because she loved him and wanted to keep her family together. What follows is a heart breaking account of the wife trying to be a mother to her children who were not really hers anymore and she also had to deal with her husband who has more or less abandoned her.
This book is so enthralling that once you start to read it, you won't be able to put it down!
September 2, 2013
Janice Holt Giles paints a picture of Shaker life that you don't get at the few Shaker villages open as tourist destinations, such as Pleasant HIll in Kentucky. At these sites the image of a utopian community with a strong work ethic and faith pervades the place. The beautiful and well-made furniture is also a draw. However, what did the practices of this splinter 'Christian' group have on the actual members? This is the question that Giles explores in this historical novel that follows Rebecca Fowler into this new community - not because she felt called by God to join, but because her husband did. The tension that comes from this forced, celibate living situation - of which she tries to make the best as a faithful wife - is palpable as we see a skewed reading and understanding of scriptures that overlooks the larger story. In the midst of this Shake village poetry, education, and a desire for freedom make remaining in this community impossible for many members. Though a large group is committed to this new life as their means of salvation.
September 12, 2012
I'll freely admit that before I read this book, what I knew about the Shakers was that they were a religious group who were celibate, and they made nice furniture. I wasn't super interested in learning more about them really, but I'd enjoyed Janice Holt Giles other books (The Kentuckians and Hannah Fowler) so much, I went ahead and picked this one up.
The two main characters are actually children of the main characters of the two other books, which made for a nice continuation of the story. But what was really fascinating was the entire Shaker lifestyle, and how the characters were drawn into it. This book is very much a study in psychology, and I found it hard to put down it was so interesting! So even if you don't have a burning desire to learn more about the Shakers, be sure to give this one a try. :)
The two main characters are actually children of the main characters of the two other books, which made for a nice continuation of the story. But what was really fascinating was the entire Shaker lifestyle, and how the characters were drawn into it. This book is very much a study in psychology, and I found it hard to put down it was so interesting! So even if you don't have a burning desire to learn more about the Shakers, be sure to give this one a try. :)
April 30, 2018
This is the second book I have read on Shakerism. The first book was by Ann Garhart. This second book, a classic dated 1957, is by Janice Holt Giles. Unlike Garhart, Giles book is based on fact. Three of the missionaries were real people, and “most of the incident...have their origins in actual happenings.”
Whenever I read a book like this, it saddens me how easily people are led astray when they do not have a working knowledge of the truth. Had they known the sacred scriptures perhaps they would not have been taken in by such falsehood.
The person who should have known better was a real person named John Rankin. He began as a Presbyterian minister, who was first taken in by the revival winds of the time, and later by the Shakers. As a Presbyterian-trained minister it seems he should have rejected thinking which dismisses some of the cardinal truths of historical Christianity. From this book I learned that the Shakers believed the only way to eternal salvation was by full dedication to Shaker theology, which included the rejection of the Trinity, original sin, the Bible as God’s final revelation, the bodily resurrection of Christ and marriage as God’s plan for men and women. But who can know what motivated him?
And finally, I appreciated the reason given why Shakerism would evidently fail: “Man’s mind and his spirit and his human dignity were meant for freedom. There is no place where freedom is so constrained as here…no place where it is exchanged so willingly for safety…For by his very nature, man must seek his own destiny, not have it prescribed for him. Authority will kill the very thing it seeks to control. All dead civilizations prove that.”
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free." Galatians 5:13 NIV
Whenever I read a book like this, it saddens me how easily people are led astray when they do not have a working knowledge of the truth. Had they known the sacred scriptures perhaps they would not have been taken in by such falsehood.
The person who should have known better was a real person named John Rankin. He began as a Presbyterian minister, who was first taken in by the revival winds of the time, and later by the Shakers. As a Presbyterian-trained minister it seems he should have rejected thinking which dismisses some of the cardinal truths of historical Christianity. From this book I learned that the Shakers believed the only way to eternal salvation was by full dedication to Shaker theology, which included the rejection of the Trinity, original sin, the Bible as God’s final revelation, the bodily resurrection of Christ and marriage as God’s plan for men and women. But who can know what motivated him?
And finally, I appreciated the reason given why Shakerism would evidently fail: “Man’s mind and his spirit and his human dignity were meant for freedom. There is no place where freedom is so constrained as here…no place where it is exchanged so willingly for safety…For by his very nature, man must seek his own destiny, not have it prescribed for him. Authority will kill the very thing it seeks to control. All dead civilizations prove that.”
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free." Galatians 5:13 NIV
September 25, 2019
An interesting but dated story about life in the Shaker community around 1810. This is not a book for everyone; it was written in a very old-fashioned style that I happen to enjoy, but it’s not fast-paced and it is very reminiscent of L. M. Montgomery’s writing style or similar. I did particularly enjoy Giles’ exploration of fanaticism versus freedom... and how tyranny can masquerade as religion. This is something that I’ve been wrestling with lately and thinking about a lot, which is probably one of the reasons I felt drawn to this book when I first read the blurb at the library. It’s funny, isn’t it, how religion has been used for control by so many...
One thing that was consistently grating and horrible for me to read, was any discussion relating to the African Americans in the book. I had to remind myself that not only was this a story being told from the perspective of a white women in 1810, it was also written by a white woman in 1957, when racism was alive, well, and very unchallenged. The same language would never be used today in a popular novel, but I do wish that it hadn’t been used at all in this book no matter when it was published, despite its historical accuracy.
One thing that was consistently grating and horrible for me to read, was any discussion relating to the African Americans in the book. I had to remind myself that not only was this a story being told from the perspective of a white women in 1810, it was also written by a white woman in 1957, when racism was alive, well, and very unchallenged. The same language would never be used today in a popular novel, but I do wish that it hadn’t been used at all in this book no matter when it was published, despite its historical accuracy.
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January 7, 2020When I first started reading The Believers, I didn't know what to expect from the novel at all. It first starts off very sweet as Rebecca begins to develop her feelings for Richard, her childhood sweetheart. Which escalates to Rebecca and Richard getting married, living in the house Richard built, and finding comfort. However, things began to take a turn as they lost their first child after Becky gave birth to it. Though Becky and Richard were very heart-broken during the funeral, the once Presbyterian preacher came to bring unheard of preaching as he was converted by the teachings of the New Lights. When Richard heard of this, he became fascinated as he was a very devout religious man. During these ongoing events, I felt as if Becky's devotion for her husband, Richard, was in vain due to the fact that Richard, was more committed into following a religion rather than granting his wife's wishes. Overall, the novel itself provides an idea of how devotion is viewed by the different perspectives of Rebecca and Richard. As Becky continues to be devoted to her husband, Richard falls deeper into the devotion of Shakerism.
September 10, 2022
Worst book I have ever read. Very difficult to feel anything for slave owning hypocrites. I kept reading hoping that these people would finally see that these slaves they owned were actually people too... but alas, it was not to be. TOTALLY oblivious to their own sins these bible thumpers were... a bunch of self-loving Nazis. I found it to be racist trash. About half of the book was trivial details and petty wining and childish squabbling; if I where the editor for this manuscript, I would have cut and cut and cut it DOWN. Some thoughtful musings of human nature and the early days of settling this country where presented, but definitely from the point of view of the victor (or slave master). In this book all the black slaves are soooooo happy to be in the care of their masters... because after all, we are reminded, their minds are simple.... Sure, it reflects the racism of the time, but that does not excuse the lack of... awareness of the author.
August 7, 2017
Really pretty good. The only objection is that Becky believes that you should adhere to whatever faith you're happiest in, which as I Christian, I can't support. It's a really good look at all the problems with Shakerism and modern-day Charismaticism as they are much the same in regards to their behavior. Interesting to see how the women in this book keep saying that the Shaker ways aren't natural (men and women being celibate, children being raised apart from their parents, no speaking during certain times of the day). It's a real heart-breaker as it begins with a loving husband and wife and deteriorates into a hard-hearted man, fed-up woman, and an ugly divorce. Recommended except for Becky's sketchy thoughts on truth and faith.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2021
I first read this book when I was a pre-teen and found it in my parents' bookcase. I remember thinking that it was really strange for people to live like that. I had no clue that there was a group really known as the Believers or "Shakers". I first realized that they really existed when a friend and I visited the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky back in 1989. When I got home, I re-read the book with a bit more understanding. On April 22, 2021, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit the South Union Shaker Village, outside of Bowling Green, KY for the first time. This book is set at South Union. After touring the village, it drove me to once again read "The Believers," this time with a whole new understanding. I could see where it took place, walk the grounds Janice Holt Giles wrote about and the story came to life for me in a whole new way.
Even though this is an old book, I highly recommend it.
Even though this is an old book, I highly recommend it.
July 16, 2022
Reading this richly imagined, vividly detailed novel after touring the restored Shaker community at Pleasant Hill deepened my experience of a unique time and place in Kentucky history. Author Janice Holt Giles, writing in the 1950s, masterfully captures both dialogue and dialect. More important, her insights into one young woman’s painful ordeal reveal a seldom recognized truth: that most wives who entered 19th-century utopian communities were compelled to do so by their husbands. A woman’s unhappiness, no matter how intense, often did not matter. Giles also comments on the institution of slavery by showing the wide range of treatment bestowed upon the same three slaves.
September 16, 2018
I wasn’t expecting anything very complex but when it was more nuanced than I expected, I guess that’s why I give it 5 stars. Also, I just enjoyed the Kentucky setting and the swipe at ridiculous religious views.
April 5, 2019
This book might have been an interesting look at Shakerism and what it did to families. However the extreme racism that was part of this book takes away any enjoyment I could have.
August 31, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great description of everyday life in the community of Shakers.
October 11, 2021
Good historical fiction
July 12, 2025
I read this book in high school and was very impressed by the picture of Shaker life. Reading it again now, the characters leaped out at me. Quite a story.
December 11, 2025
A reread of one of my favourite historical fiction novels by a favourite author. Get your hands on anything by Janice Holt Giles if you can. Happy to have this old friend on my shelf.
January 7, 2022
I'd never heard of this author and I was surprised at how well-written and well-imagined this was. I could not put this down. I'm already looking for more by this author.
March 19, 2017
A blast from the past! I remembered reading and enjoying this book over 20 years ago, and even now it still did not disappoint. Yes, the book has a somewhat dated writing style and uneven depictions of dialect. Also the depiction of slaves and slavery itself is quite at odds with today's knowledge and sensibilities. In spite of this, I was taken with the story of Rebecca and her time spent in the early Shaker community.
February 8, 2018
Good story about the Shakers that exposed the flaw in their belief...discouraging members to “think”...but the story was told without disrespecting the faith
February 17, 2010
This book was so enjoyable!
I was fascinated by the Shaker religious movement and the paralells I could draw between it and the LDS upstarts.
I questioned myself: 'How far would I go to follow what my 'soul' told me was right?' I was astounded at the lengths some of the settlers took to be a part of this 'new religion,' yet I was also really understanding; many of my ancestors took almost as drastic of measures to follow their 'new religeon.'
The difference between my ancestors' religious convictions and the Shakers' are many, but I really felt a connection with the characters of this book.
I enjoyed the forshadowing in the first chapter. The descriptions of farm life and the differences between the two sisters were enlightening and entertaining.
This book is a great study of how we make decisions and our reasons behind those decisions.
Great twist in the plot, too!
I was fascinated by the Shaker religious movement and the paralells I could draw between it and the LDS upstarts.
I questioned myself: 'How far would I go to follow what my 'soul' told me was right?' I was astounded at the lengths some of the settlers took to be a part of this 'new religion,' yet I was also really understanding; many of my ancestors took almost as drastic of measures to follow their 'new religeon.'
The difference between my ancestors' religious convictions and the Shakers' are many, but I really felt a connection with the characters of this book.
I enjoyed the forshadowing in the first chapter. The descriptions of farm life and the differences between the two sisters were enlightening and entertaining.
This book is a great study of how we make decisions and our reasons behind those decisions.
Great twist in the plot, too!
February 13, 2012
Interesting book. I had little or no knowledge of the Shaker religious groups before this. It was very captivating. Heart breaking in some ways, infuriating in others. I enjoyed reading it, especially right after reading Hannah Fowler.
This is the story of Hannah Fowler's daughter, but the story lines are virtually unrelated. She mentions once or twice that her mom was a good woman, strong and loving, that she killed an Indian once, but other than that, the story is about Rebecca. It was eye-opening to me to think about how each generation lives their own lives and they can't really appreciate the story of their own parents lives and loves because they weren't there. I just read about Hannah, so I felt like Rebecca was blind to what an amazing woman her mother was! Then I realized that I am probably the same with my own mother. Anyways, a bit off subject, but interesting to me.
This is the story of Hannah Fowler's daughter, but the story lines are virtually unrelated. She mentions once or twice that her mom was a good woman, strong and loving, that she killed an Indian once, but other than that, the story is about Rebecca. It was eye-opening to me to think about how each generation lives their own lives and they can't really appreciate the story of their own parents lives and loves because they weren't there. I just read about Hannah, so I felt like Rebecca was blind to what an amazing woman her mother was! Then I realized that I am probably the same with my own mother. Anyways, a bit off subject, but interesting to me.
October 8, 2013
This was such an interesting look into the life in a Shaker community in the early 1800s. I learned so much and the more I learned, the more difficult it was for me to read. It's so hard to understand how the most beautiful parts of human relationships: marriage, family, etc. could be deemed as lustful and unholy practices. The author did a wonderful job of showing the gradual conversion of some while also illustrating the many who became disillusioned and left the community. More than anything, this book helped me better appreciate the joy and gift my husband and family are to me. Some days I must admit, the idea of relinquishing all responsibility and focusing solely on my personal development sounds like a dream, but having read about it and the sacrifices required, I'll take my endless piles of laundry and sticky kisses any day!
August 30, 2025
This book is one of my all-time favorites. It's a pleasure to reread it regularly. The prose is clean, precise, and flows beautifully. The story of Rebecca Fowler, daughter of Hannah Fowler, daughter-in-law to Bethia and David Cooper, who make up the first two books of the Kentuckians saga written by Janice Holt Giles, is far and away my favorite book of the entire series. I visited the Shaker village in Kentucky as a child and was fascinated by their lifestyle. Reading this story of how Rebecca is brought into the fold of the Shakers and the many trials and tribulations she faced within its boundaries gave me a fascinating view of a lifestyle long gone and largely forgotten.
This is one of the best-written books I've ever had the pleaure to read. I highly recommend it. I just can't praise it enough.
This is one of the best-written books I've ever had the pleaure to read. I highly recommend it. I just can't praise it enough.
August 15, 2009
This book was published in 1957, when I'm guessing the subject matter must have been tantilizing (maybe it still is to some). For an historical novel, it is decently accurate in places - badly inaccurate in others. And, most of all, it is completely unkind to the sect of people who believe and live as Shakers. It portrays them as unkind and mean overall. There is occasional mention of a kind Shaker, but always backed up with that the unusual human being who would choose this lifestyle is rare and this is one of those rare specimens. I suppose it's a good beach read; but I hope no one reads it with the expectation of learning accurate things about the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Coming, known as Shakers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews