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The Blue Trunk
"Ann Lowry weaves a miracle of storytelling . . . seamlessly blending past and present and the complications of gender, infidelity, and family battles . . ." -Randy Susan Meyers, international bestselling author of The Murderer's Daughters
"This novel will enrage you, it will make you laugh and cry, and it will broaden your empathy a thousand miles. Tremendous." -Peter Geye, author of The Ski Jumpers
Rachel Jackson's idyllic life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers a woman's scarf in her politician husband's computer bag. But in an election year, seeking answers to questions of infidelity is not an option. When her mother gives her a family heirloom, a travel trunk owned by an ancestor, she finds a distraction. As she immerses herself in its contents, she discovers a woman whose life is vastly different from her own. Or is it? Determined to dispel the notion that her ancestor Marit was insane, Rachel sets out to unveil her unknown story. In the interwoven narratives of these two women, who are bound by blood and a shared struggle, The Blue Trunk is a poignant exploration of identity, love, and unwavering strength.
"This novel will enrage you, it will make you laugh and cry, and it will broaden your empathy a thousand miles. Tremendous." -Peter Geye, author of The Ski Jumpers
Rachel Jackson's idyllic life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers a woman's scarf in her politician husband's computer bag. But in an election year, seeking answers to questions of infidelity is not an option. When her mother gives her a family heirloom, a travel trunk owned by an ancestor, she finds a distraction. As she immerses herself in its contents, she discovers a woman whose life is vastly different from her own. Or is it? Determined to dispel the notion that her ancestor Marit was insane, Rachel sets out to unveil her unknown story. In the interwoven narratives of these two women, who are bound by blood and a shared struggle, The Blue Trunk is a poignant exploration of identity, love, and unwavering strength.
392 pages, Paperback
Published September 10, 2024
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August 16, 2024Ann Lowry ’77
Author
From the author:
Rachel Jackson’s idyllic life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers a woman’s scarf in her politician husband’s computer bag. But in an election year, seeking answers to questions of infidelity is not an option. When her mother gives her a family heirloom, a travel trunk owned by an ancestor, she finds a distraction. As she immerses herself in its contents, she discovers a woman whose life is vastly different from her own. Or is it?
Determined to dispel the notion that her ancestor Marit was insane, Rachel sets out to unveil her hidden story. In the interwoven narratives of these two women, who are bound by blood and a shared struggle, The Blue Trunk is a poignant exploration of identity, love, and unwavering strength.
Author
From the author:
Rachel Jackson’s idyllic life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers a woman’s scarf in her politician husband’s computer bag. But in an election year, seeking answers to questions of infidelity is not an option. When her mother gives her a family heirloom, a travel trunk owned by an ancestor, she finds a distraction. As she immerses herself in its contents, she discovers a woman whose life is vastly different from her own. Or is it?
Determined to dispel the notion that her ancestor Marit was insane, Rachel sets out to unveil her hidden story. In the interwoven narratives of these two women, who are bound by blood and a shared struggle, The Blue Trunk is a poignant exploration of identity, love, and unwavering strength.
August 29, 2024
Interwoven stories of two spirited women who, in different ways, try in vain to meet strict social expectations, then find the strength to escape their figurative and literal captivity. A great read.
June 24, 2025
I think this book would have been so much better without Rachael’s story in it! Marit was enough. Rachel’s story felt too forced. I do love the local references to Eau Claire, WI though.
September 8, 2024
I just loved Marit's story! Told through a dual time line, current day Rachel Jackson has to show the picture perfect life with her husband once again running in the election. All it seems to be is events and shaking hands and saying the correct coached answer, so when she finds a scarf in her husbands computer bag and goes way off script during an interview, she is in some hot water and fearing her husband is cheating on her. This would devastate the campaign and all he has worked for. So when her mother gives her an old blue trunk heirloom that has been passed down in the family, Rachel uses this to distract her from everything else going on around her. Marit has loved her life in Norway, after a devastating fire her parents decide that the best life for her is in America and she too shall head there with her brother and sister to have a new life and for her brother to find her a husband. Dreading this journey, Marit has never gotten along with her brother but hopes she can find some work and maybe get a place of her own. But things quickly turn from worse to a nightmare as Jorgan continues to control her life and find her a husband that will only benefit him financially. Marriage is not what she wants, so when she goes to visit the only friend she has made, Jorgan uses his control of guardianship to put her in an asylum. Where she is left to be forgotten. But Marit wasn't going to be forgotten nor would she forget what happened in Norway before everything changed for the worse. I really enjoyed Marit's story and the historical facts woven within. Thank you to the author and BooksForward for the complementary novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord.
October 28, 2024
This book will definitely have you wondering about your family's past. With dual timelines, good characters and fascinating history this is a great read! With each switch of the timeline the suspense builds and you get closer to figuring it all out! I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to get lost in the pages! Thank you Books Forward PR and Ann E Lowry for sharing this book with me!
February 10, 2025
AHHH! This book. So. Good.
You know those books that are so good that you don't want to do them dirty by writing a lame book review? Yeah, that's this book.
This book follows the lives of two women simultaneously: Rachel Jackson who is the wife of a Republican politician running for re-election in red state Arizona in the present day, and Marit Sletmo: Rachel's great, great Aunt who immigrated to Eau Claire, WI (shout out EC!) from Norway with her brother and sister in the early 1900s after a fire destroyed her hometown and her parents were no longer able to care for them.
Shortly after arriving in Eau Claire, Marit's older brother, Jorgen, has her committed to the Eau Claire mental asylum after he catches her kissing a friend on the cheek. Marit knows a big secret about Jorgen that he can't risk getting exposed, so, as her new legal guardian, he claims she is suffering from hysteria and lesbianism, and needs to be locked up.
The topic of women's rights is heavy in this book. Marit spends a great deal of her life with her rights continuously being stripped away every time she fights to get them back.
Meanwhile, Rachel is trying to play the role of doting wife to her Republican nominee husband, but neither Rachel nor her husband really buy into the message they are trying to sell. Both are miserable and living lies. Rachel sets out on the course to find out more about her great, great Aunt as sort of a distraction from the political race. But then Rachel's life gets a major upheaval thrown in that rocks her world! I personally LOVED the plot twist.
Women's rights, gender identity, gangsters, murder, tuberculosis nursing, unethical priests....all themes in this book. The Cemetery of the Unknown is a real place in Eau Claire, though it's called Old Orchard Cemetery and it too houses those who died while living in the asylum and working at the county poor farm.
As someone who hails from the Eau Claire area and is about as Norwegian as one can get without actually have been born in Norway, this story about characters living on the fringes of society trying to find their identities that transcended traditional norms of acceptability really resonated with me.
You know those books that are so good that you don't want to do them dirty by writing a lame book review? Yeah, that's this book.
This book follows the lives of two women simultaneously: Rachel Jackson who is the wife of a Republican politician running for re-election in red state Arizona in the present day, and Marit Sletmo: Rachel's great, great Aunt who immigrated to Eau Claire, WI (shout out EC!) from Norway with her brother and sister in the early 1900s after a fire destroyed her hometown and her parents were no longer able to care for them.
Shortly after arriving in Eau Claire, Marit's older brother, Jorgen, has her committed to the Eau Claire mental asylum after he catches her kissing a friend on the cheek. Marit knows a big secret about Jorgen that he can't risk getting exposed, so, as her new legal guardian, he claims she is suffering from hysteria and lesbianism, and needs to be locked up.
The topic of women's rights is heavy in this book. Marit spends a great deal of her life with her rights continuously being stripped away every time she fights to get them back.
Meanwhile, Rachel is trying to play the role of doting wife to her Republican nominee husband, but neither Rachel nor her husband really buy into the message they are trying to sell. Both are miserable and living lies. Rachel sets out on the course to find out more about her great, great Aunt as sort of a distraction from the political race. But then Rachel's life gets a major upheaval thrown in that rocks her world! I personally LOVED the plot twist.
Women's rights, gender identity, gangsters, murder, tuberculosis nursing, unethical priests....all themes in this book. The Cemetery of the Unknown is a real place in Eau Claire, though it's called Old Orchard Cemetery and it too houses those who died while living in the asylum and working at the county poor farm.
As someone who hails from the Eau Claire area and is about as Norwegian as one can get without actually have been born in Norway, this story about characters living on the fringes of society trying to find their identities that transcended traditional norms of acceptability really resonated with me.
November 23, 2024
Rachel Jackson is entering another election season with her husband, Blake for his seat in Congress. Saddled with acting like a perfect wife and dealing with Blake's father's ideals about how she should act, the last thing Rachel needs is to find a women's scarf in Blake's briefcase. Pushing her own needs aside, Rachel dives into a family mystery of her own, researching her great aunt Marit. Rachel is in possession of Marit's trunk, but can't seem to find any information about her, other than the fact that her family has always called her crazy Aunt Marit. Rachel begins research in earnest about Marit, finding devastating details about women's rights and the state of asylums and experiences for herself how easy it is for a woman to lose control of her body.
The Blue Trunk is a compelling dual-time story told from alternating points of view for Rachel and Marit. I absolutely love dual time stories where the past and present collide and truths from the past are uncovered to help those in the present. Marit's story captured me from the beginning with her upbringing in Norway in the early 1900's and the secret that she kept for her brother, Jorgan that eventually led to her imprisonment in the asylum in Wisconsin after she and her siblings immigrated. Marit's commitment into the asylum and time there is unfortunately all too familiar with misunderstandings of the female body and hurtful treatments. I was also awed by her time as a tuberculosis nurse Marit's strength and resilience through her many trials, abuse and false accusations directly contributed to her survival when she was out. In the present, Rachel is unfortunately reliving some of the same inequalities as Marit as she discovers just how much control others can have over her body. Marit and Rachel both want to fulfill their roles for the happiness of others, but find that they need to find their own happiness first. Marit and Rachel's journeys showcase the power of forgiving yourself for the actions others have posed on you.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Blue Trunk is a compelling dual-time story told from alternating points of view for Rachel and Marit. I absolutely love dual time stories where the past and present collide and truths from the past are uncovered to help those in the present. Marit's story captured me from the beginning with her upbringing in Norway in the early 1900's and the secret that she kept for her brother, Jorgan that eventually led to her imprisonment in the asylum in Wisconsin after she and her siblings immigrated. Marit's commitment into the asylum and time there is unfortunately all too familiar with misunderstandings of the female body and hurtful treatments. I was also awed by her time as a tuberculosis nurse Marit's strength and resilience through her many trials, abuse and false accusations directly contributed to her survival when she was out. In the present, Rachel is unfortunately reliving some of the same inequalities as Marit as she discovers just how much control others can have over her body. Marit and Rachel both want to fulfill their roles for the happiness of others, but find that they need to find their own happiness first. Marit and Rachel's journeys showcase the power of forgiving yourself for the actions others have posed on you.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
October 14, 2024
This story is told in two timelines with two FMCs. In the late 1890s to the mid 1930s, Marit travels from Norway to the US with her older siblings, Jorgen and Ingrid. When Jorgen finds an opportunity to get rid of his youngest sister, someone who tries to think for herself and knows too much about thinks he wants to hide, Jorgen promptly puts her away in an insane asylum. Marit then spends the rest of her adult life trying to prove that she is not insane and suffering the cruel experimental treatments used in the asylum.
In 2022, Rachel is questioning her marriage to her husband Blake, a politician, who listens to everything his campaign team, father and ultraconservative voters ask of him. Rachel no longer wants to play the role of obedient wife, especially when it comes to topics like LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights and being told what she can and can't believe or do. When Rachel inherits a mysterious blue trunk that belonged to a great great aunt from Norway who supposedly was in an insane asylum but otherwise is almost unknown to the family, she begins doing some research and learning more.
The two stories have many similarities, including forced to receive psychiatric services, limited control over reproductive rights, and familial relationships impacted by the loss of a sibling, among others, which shows the reader that despite living a century apart, mental health services and women's rights are still an issue today.
This was a cool story and one I really enjoyed. My great grandmother immigrated to Canada from Sweden in around the same time period, and I've always wanted to learn more about her, so I definitely connected with Rachel. Thanks to @booksforwardpr for giving me the chance to read and review this awesome book!
In 2022, Rachel is questioning her marriage to her husband Blake, a politician, who listens to everything his campaign team, father and ultraconservative voters ask of him. Rachel no longer wants to play the role of obedient wife, especially when it comes to topics like LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights and being told what she can and can't believe or do. When Rachel inherits a mysterious blue trunk that belonged to a great great aunt from Norway who supposedly was in an insane asylum but otherwise is almost unknown to the family, she begins doing some research and learning more.
The two stories have many similarities, including forced to receive psychiatric services, limited control over reproductive rights, and familial relationships impacted by the loss of a sibling, among others, which shows the reader that despite living a century apart, mental health services and women's rights are still an issue today.
This was a cool story and one I really enjoyed. My great grandmother immigrated to Canada from Sweden in around the same time period, and I've always wanted to learn more about her, so I definitely connected with Rachel. Thanks to @booksforwardpr for giving me the chance to read and review this awesome book!
January 5, 2025
Startling tale of a current day late thirty's women and her aunt at age seventeen who emigrated from Norway with her siblings in the early 1900's. A more similar and dissimilar stories could not be imagined. Loss of a sibling, estranged family and family abandonment are just a few of the gut wrenching, heart breaking, life affirming and torture that pervades these stories. Marit is seventeen years old when circumstances force her family to send all three children to the U.S.. An older sister has a fiancee in Wisconsin and older brother Jorgan is to "marry off" Marit. All seems to be okay until Jorgan finds a total looser for Marit to marry. This sets off unimaginable and timeless consequences for all three siblings as well as ruins Marit's life. Racheal is married to a politician who is running for re-election in present day Arizona. Her life has settled into a steady rhythm with a beautiful house, fairly perfect husband and a functioning relationship with her mother. A difficult childhood due to the loss of a beloved older sister has always been a driving force in her life. A old blue travel trunk with a family name is given to Racheal by her mother and the connection is made.
Both stories are compelling, filled with emotion and at time a tough read.
I don't usually comment on stupidity but anyone with a grammar school education would remember the term of a congress person versus a senator. Author/editor/someone should have flagged it.
Both stories are compelling, filled with emotion and at time a tough read.
I don't usually comment on stupidity but anyone with a grammar school education would remember the term of a congress person versus a senator. Author/editor/someone should have flagged it.
October 14, 2024
5.0
Thank you to Ann E. Lowry , Jackie and Ellen of Books Forward for this gifted copy!
Hysteria, declutter, news cycle…
A tale of 2 women:
1904 ->
Marit is obscure, an unknown, only known by a few people. She leaves Norway after some tragic happenings and travels to several US cities. She is estranged from her brother and sister, once in the US. Her brother Jorgan has a dark secret which will cause him to control Marit’s life for many years.
2022-
38yo politician wife Rachel feels her “ image is being managed” by her father-in-law Richard and the campaign manager Justin. She’s not quite sure when she “lost control of her life.”
Rachel’s mother gives her an ancestor’s blue trunk, which provides a distraction to Rachel’s hectic life. All she knows is that the trunk belonged to Mother’s insane great aunt Marit. She searches for more information.
Thoughts:
*A great debut! What a story!
*Steadfast strength in a person who has been emotionally abandoned. Uncertainty & rejection.
*Hard to imagine surviving rejection like this.
*Lots of self-doubt - but strong female characters.
& 2 VERY nasty male characters!
*Suspense builds when the story cuts from one time to another.
*The campaigning by Blake & Rachel was very timely. A big stress on news cycles and projected images.
*Yes, Ann! You reclaimed her life! (WQOW). A great unmasking of a story!
Thank you to Ann E. Lowry , Jackie and Ellen of Books Forward for this gifted copy!
Hysteria, declutter, news cycle…
A tale of 2 women:
1904 ->
Marit is obscure, an unknown, only known by a few people. She leaves Norway after some tragic happenings and travels to several US cities. She is estranged from her brother and sister, once in the US. Her brother Jorgan has a dark secret which will cause him to control Marit’s life for many years.
2022-
38yo politician wife Rachel feels her “ image is being managed” by her father-in-law Richard and the campaign manager Justin. She’s not quite sure when she “lost control of her life.”
Rachel’s mother gives her an ancestor’s blue trunk, which provides a distraction to Rachel’s hectic life. All she knows is that the trunk belonged to Mother’s insane great aunt Marit. She searches for more information.
Thoughts:
*A great debut! What a story!
*Steadfast strength in a person who has been emotionally abandoned. Uncertainty & rejection.
*Hard to imagine surviving rejection like this.
*Lots of self-doubt - but strong female characters.
& 2 VERY nasty male characters!
*Suspense builds when the story cuts from one time to another.
*The campaigning by Blake & Rachel was very timely. A big stress on news cycles and projected images.
*Yes, Ann! You reclaimed her life! (WQOW). A great unmasking of a story!
October 23, 2024
I really enjoyed Marit and Rachel’s interconnected stories. Rachel is living a seemingly perfect life as the wife of a congressman running for reelection. However, finding a scarf in her husband’s work bag shook her sending her on a journey to learn more about Marit, whose trunk she was passed down to her from her mother. Rachel uses the trunk to distract herself from her husband and his campaign, where she is supposed to just be the perfect housewife despite not agreeing with many of the campaign policies. Marit immigrated from Norway to Wisconsin with her brother and sister where her life is uprooted and controlled entirely by her brother. Marit doesn’t want to marry, so Jorgen uses his control to have her institutionalized. Marit wasn’t going to let that stop her as she fought to have her own life and make something of herself in her own way. Marit’s story was very compelling, and I liked all the historical references included. The story is captivating and kept me hooked from the beginning. Thank you to BFF for sending me a copy.
April 15, 2025
I learned about this book from an interview with the author on Wisconsin Public Radio. She was inspired to write the novel after discovering genealogical information about a great-great aunt who likely died in an asylum for the insane and impoverished in the author’s hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The book is a fictionalized story of Marit, a Norwegian immigrant who comes to Eau Claire as a young woman with her brother and sister. She is eventually committed to an asylum under false and exaggerated assertions. The companion story concerns Rachel who is a modern day political wife who learns about her great-great Aunt Marit and discovers parallels to her own life. The book features themes of women’s freedoms, health care, poverty, attitudes toward LGBTQ people, and the longing for self-determination. This was a particularly poignant read for me since I also discovered a distant aunt who was interred in an asylum in the early 1900’s. I had never heard her mentioned until I found a newspaper notice of her body coming home for burial from an asylum 80 miles away.
September 18, 2024
Marit Sletmo carries from Norway not only The Blue Trunk but several secrets. Her great-great niece, Rachel, more than a century later, faces her own trials in a marriage to a legislator who’s controlled by his father. Lowry creates an intriguing story full of twists and turns and riddled with family turmoil. You’ll gradually find that Rachel and Marit, though generations apart, have lives that sometimes follow similar paths. Based on Lowry’s imaginings about her actual great-great aunt, this is a page turner, and well-crafted story, with abundant colorful descriptive passages. What secrets are hidden in your family’s baggage? This book will pique your curiosity about that!
June 11, 2025
This book was engaging from the start. I enjoyed the parallel stories and was horrified by reading about the asylum conditions and thinking of relatives who had endured similar treatment. I appreciated the way the past storyline felt like the past and the present felt modern and relatable. I wasn’t sure about the ending and am excited to talk to my mini-book club ladies about their perspectives.
January 20, 2025
Over the weekend I finished reading The Blue Trunk, by Ann E. Lowry. This book pulled me into the story about identity and how the people around us are so influential on that identity. It's a great read.
December 14, 2025
This book is one that I would definitely recommend. Well written with great characters. The story touches on the past and the present, with social issues that relate to both times. Ready to read more from this author.
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