The Empresario's Wife: The Woman at the Center of the Texas Revolution

by Barbara H Seeber

2025 Winner of the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY)— Bronze for South, Best Regional Fiction

2025 Readers' Favorite Finalist in the Fiction - Historical - Personage Category

"This is a story of female grit and determination in the face of overwhelming challenges. There is enough romance, tragedy, and excitement to keep the pages turning. An engrossing, drama-fueled addition to Lone Star State chronicles." -- Kirkus Reviews May 15, 2025

It is 1827 and Sarah Seely DeWitt finds herself at the center of Texas history in its earliest and bloodiest period. Sarah's journey from St. Louis to Texas catches her up in a love triangle, forces her into a struggle for her family's survival, and pitches her headlong into the whirlwind of war. Based on actual events leading up to the 1836 Texas Revolution, The Empresario's Wife chronicles the struggles of a young American Everywoman and the events that change her and the nation forever.

410 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Jacquelinelondon · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don’t want to miss this book! Barbara Seeber has written a unique, engaging, historical novel for the ages. If you want to be captivated by Sarah Seely DeWitt—a strong, determined, budding Texan feminist of the early 19th century—while learning about a fascinating and uproarious period of our nation’s history, read this book. DeWitt is a role model for women and girls everywhere (and has much to teach men and other genders at the same time).

I love Seeber’s fluid, evocative prose. Can’t wait for her next novel!

[Betty G · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, B. Seeber, deeply engages us in the settlement of Texas by anglos in the 1820’s and 30’s. Sarah Seeley DeWitt, who tells this story, is the wife of Green DeWitt, an empresario who is granted, by the Mexican governor, nearly 4,000 sq. milles (2,560,000 acres) of untamed land near Gonzales, TX. DeWiit’s job is to attract settlers to “claim and tame” this raw land. Sarah faces enormous responsibilities following Green in the pursuit of his dream. We experience her personal evolution as she assumes greater responsibilities establishing the essential institutions of a community. She starts the first school and teaches and is soon growing in her participation in politics alongside her husband. Seeber clearly knows and loves this land giving us beautiful descriptions of the landscape, flora and fauna.. It’s a very engaging story told by a strong, sensitive and adventurous woman. We learn Texas history from a perspective we’ve seldom heard. I loved it!

[Mary C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving Texas Tale
If you know anything about early Texas history and the people who shaped it, you are familiar with Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston. But what about Sarah Seely DeWitt? This determined, fair-minded woman played an essential role in the founding of Texas, too.
Based on actual facts, author (and DeWitt descendant) Barbara Seeber shares Sarah’s compelling story about helping to found the colony town of Gonzales, Texas, in the 1820s and 30s. The book vividly portrays how Indians, Mexicans, and Anglos all struggled to survive there. It is also a tale about the natural beauty of Texas land and wildlife, about the prevailing power of friendship, and about the resilience of the human spirit.
Seeber’s book is a substantive and enjoyable read that continues to linger in my thoughts.

[Louise Millikan · Rating 5 out of 5]

you grow up in Texas as I did, the history of the state seeps into your bones. Until now, that history has been told by and about men. These men—Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett—are still celebrated, of course, but, at last, The Empresario’s Wife puts a strong, determined woman at the forefront of the 1836 Texas Revolution.

Barbara Seeber’s terrific novel is based on actual events leading up to the 1836 Texas Revolution. We are introduced to Sarah Seely DeWitt, who followed her husband, Empresario Green DeWitt, from Missouri to Coahuila y Tejas, at the western edge of the United States. Sarah is a brave and stalwart woman who struggles to help her family survive in a new land as the threat of war is ever-present. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn about this woman’s pivotal role in the war for Texas independence.

[Turner Houston]

True Grit Story That Inspires in Troubling Times
The plucky protagonist of The Empresario’s Wife, a character based on the life of Seeber’s fifth great grandmother, brings Texas history alive in a visceral way. Written in first person, present tense, the story of Sarah DeWitt's courageous journey and evolution kept me turning page after page. Sarah’s story was yes, historical, but more remarkably, it was relatable, flesh and blood, and inspirational to me, a woman, in the challenging times of today’s America. ~ Turner Houston, former senior producer, Disney Interactive

[Allen Seeber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read historical fiction to learn facts I don't otherwise know. This work engages readers through the daily lives of frontier women, threats to their persons and lives, people they meet and rely upon, and the power they exert in unison to create their Texas Republic and the expansion of the American adventure toward the Pacific coast. The author's storytelling is alive with characters and action seriously researched and gracefully reported.

[David Beacom · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you held a gun to my temple, I’d assure you that neither Texas nor its founding history held the slightest interest for me.

But reading Barbara Seeber’s “The Empresario’s Wife” made a liar out of me. Courtesy of this book, I was plunged into an entirely new world—and emerged with a greatly expanded world-view.

Go ahead and take that same journey—read this book.

[Kelly Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book if you enjoy learning about history through story telling. I knew next to nothing about the founding of Texas and thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The rich history is brought to life by Barbara through the lens of our main character-a woman. It was refreshing to see and hear a woman's perspective as history unfolds.

[susan ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical fiction

A wonderful book about the early colonization of Texas and the Revolution. It tells not only history , but the daily lives and hardships of the first settlers in Texas. Easy to read, but so inspiring and informative. I highly recommend it!

[Jason Molin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Empresario's Wife" offers fascinating insights into a compelling piece of Texas history. The story began when the author discovered her own descent from Green DeWitt, the empresario who founded the DeWitt Colony where Gonzales, Texas stands today.

While Green's name appears in history books, it was the untold story of his wife Sarah that captured the author's imagination. This discovery launched her on a decades-long journey to uncover what life must have been like for this petite Presbyterian woman who balanced supporting her husband's ambitious vision while protecting her children on the Texas frontier.

The author's meticulous research and unwavering dedication to historical accuracy are evident throughout the book. She has illuminated an important piece of forgotten history that enriches our shared understanding of Texas and the early American pioneering spirit.

[Anne Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Seeber has written a fascinating historical novel based on her early ancestor’s life in Texas in the 1830’s. The novel is well crafted and well researched. Her main character interest, Sarah Dewitt is a strong woman who gave up a comfortable life in Missouri to take her young family and go with her husband to Texas . I so admired Sarah’s wisdom and intelligence.
Definitely a 5 star book.