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The Eulogist: A Novel
From the author of The Water Dancers and Good Family, an exquisitely crafted novel, set in Ohio in the decades leading to the Civil War, that illuminates the immigrant experience, the injustice of slavery, and the debts human beings owe to one another, witnessed through the endeavors of one Irish-American family.
Cheated out of their family estate in Northern Ireland after the Napoleonic Wars, the Givens family arrives in America in 1819. But in coming to this new land, they have lost nearly everything. Making their way west they settle in Cincinnati, a burgeoning town on the banks of the mighty Ohio River whose rise, like the Givenses’ own, will be fashioned by the colliding forces of Jacksonian populism, religious evangelism, industrial capitalism, and the struggle for emancipation.
After losing their mother in childbirth and their father to a riverboat headed for New Orleans, James, Olivia, and Erasmus Givens must fend for themselves. Ambitious James eventually marries into a prosperous family, builds a successful business, and rises in Cincinnati society. Taken by the spirit and wanderlust, Erasmus becomes an itinerant preacher, finding passion and heartbreak as he seeks God. Independent-minded Olivia, seemingly destined for spinsterhood, enters into a surprising partnership and marriage with Silas Orpheus, a local doctor who spurns social mores.
When her husband suddenly dies from an infection, Olivia travels to his family home in Kentucky, where she meets his estranged brother and encounters the horrors of slavery firsthand. After abetting the escape of one slave, Olivia is forced to confront the status of a young woman named Tilly, another slave owned by Olivia’s brother-in-law. When her attempt to help Tilly ends in disaster, Olivia tracks down Erasmus, who has begun smuggling runaways across the river—the borderline between freedom and slavery.
As the years pass, this family of immigrants initially indifferent to slavery will actively work for its end—performing courageous, often dangerous, occasionally foolhardy acts of moral rectitude that will reverberate through their lives for generations to come.
Cheated out of their family estate in Northern Ireland after the Napoleonic Wars, the Givens family arrives in America in 1819. But in coming to this new land, they have lost nearly everything. Making their way west they settle in Cincinnati, a burgeoning town on the banks of the mighty Ohio River whose rise, like the Givenses’ own, will be fashioned by the colliding forces of Jacksonian populism, religious evangelism, industrial capitalism, and the struggle for emancipation.
After losing their mother in childbirth and their father to a riverboat headed for New Orleans, James, Olivia, and Erasmus Givens must fend for themselves. Ambitious James eventually marries into a prosperous family, builds a successful business, and rises in Cincinnati society. Taken by the spirit and wanderlust, Erasmus becomes an itinerant preacher, finding passion and heartbreak as he seeks God. Independent-minded Olivia, seemingly destined for spinsterhood, enters into a surprising partnership and marriage with Silas Orpheus, a local doctor who spurns social mores.
When her husband suddenly dies from an infection, Olivia travels to his family home in Kentucky, where she meets his estranged brother and encounters the horrors of slavery firsthand. After abetting the escape of one slave, Olivia is forced to confront the status of a young woman named Tilly, another slave owned by Olivia’s brother-in-law. When her attempt to help Tilly ends in disaster, Olivia tracks down Erasmus, who has begun smuggling runaways across the river—the borderline between freedom and slavery.
As the years pass, this family of immigrants initially indifferent to slavery will actively work for its end—performing courageous, often dangerous, occasionally foolhardy acts of moral rectitude that will reverberate through their lives for generations to come.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 22, 2019
97 people are currently reading
3298 people want to read
About the author
Terry Gamble
6 books77 followersThe author of three critically acclaimed books, THE WATER DANCERS, GOOD FAMILY, and THE EULOGIST (William Morrow, to be released January, 2019), Terry Gamble lives in Northern California with her husband, balancing her life between being a productive member of the community and hiding out in a shed in the woods, trying to write.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
January 20, 2019
An Irish immigrant family arrives in Ohio in 1818 and their future in America is told through the lives of the three children through 1890. The writing is very good and without being overly descriptive, I felt as though I was there in all of the scenes. James, the eldest tries to establish a candle making business. His brother Erasmus takes to drink and the road as a preacher. Their sister Olivia was my favorite character, a strong woman with convictions about the role of women and about the injustices of slavery. She also was inquisitive and engaged in scientific endeavors with a doctor who becomes her husband . While I connected with Olivia from the start, the story seemed to move a little too slowly and I was impatient for the abolition activities to happen and to see how this family gets involved in helping slaves to freedom. It did pick up and I found myself invested also in the story of Tilly, a young slave who comes to live with Olivia and her husband Silas. From a historical perspective, it feels very accurate - the position of women in society, slavery, the cholera outbreak. Things are revealed about family members that connect them to the slaves that they try to bring to freedom. Besides, Olivia there were other admirable women, Tilly, the young slave, Hatsepha and Bethany, her sister’s in law. While the history is aptly reflected and there are strong women characters, the story seemed to jump around and didn’t feel that there was a cohesive plot. For me a mixed bag. 3 stars.
I read this with Traveling Sisters Norma, Brenda, Lindsay and Diane.
I received an advanced copy of this book from William Morrow/HarperCollins through Edelweiss.
I read this with Traveling Sisters Norma, Brenda, Lindsay and Diane.
I received an advanced copy of this book from William Morrow/HarperCollins through Edelweiss.
January 26, 2019
Antebellum America, a few decades before the Civil War, a family comes from Ireland. Due to tragedy, James, Erasmus and Olivia find themselves alone. They settle in Cincinnati, and James starts a successful candlemaking business. Reflecting a time when slavery and injustice was at the forefront of many lives. Abolitionists and the underground railroad, do what they can to help runaway slaves. Tent revivals and traveling preachers, which Erasmus takes to heart. These three siblings will come together, then grow apart as they change due to the circumstances of their lives.
I thought the author did a fantastic job reflecting the many different changes, and opinions during this time period. We get to know these characters very well, and they will change and grow, their lives taking unexpected turns. I particularly love the strength of Olivia as she takes a path that is not open to many women, and as she makes a stand against injustice. She becomes a woman of amazing strength of character, someone to admire. They find hardship in America but also satisfaction, love and a life filled with purpose. They also face a great deal of danger, as this is a period of strong opinions on slavery, and the slaveholders will do everything they can to recapture those slaves who run.
A well written book with a strong plot that ably reflects our past history.
ARC from Edelweiss.
I thought the author did a fantastic job reflecting the many different changes, and opinions during this time period. We get to know these characters very well, and they will change and grow, their lives taking unexpected turns. I particularly love the strength of Olivia as she takes a path that is not open to many women, and as she makes a stand against injustice. She becomes a woman of amazing strength of character, someone to admire. They find hardship in America but also satisfaction, love and a life filled with purpose. They also face a great deal of danger, as this is a period of strong opinions on slavery, and the slaveholders will do everything they can to recapture those slaves who run.
A well written book with a strong plot that ably reflects our past history.
ARC from Edelweiss.
February 8, 2019
Fascinating, passionate and compelling!
THE EULOGIST by TERRY GAMBLE was an interesting, steady-paced, and subtle story that I sort of have some mixed feelings about. At times the story really grabbed me and I was totally interested in what I was reading but then at other times I was a little lost with the author’s choice of words and found myself a little impatient to get to the heart of the story.
TERRY GAMBLE delivers an intriguing and well-written read here that was definitely an enjoyable and entertaining one but I felt like I wasn’t always invested in what I was reading though. The story seemed to jump around a little and where this story I felt was historically reliable in it’s telling it missed to actually fully immerse me in the lives of these characters and these so important times from history.
This was a Traveling Sisters read that I read along with Brenda, Lindsay, Angela & Diane.
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Intriguing, lovely, reflective, surreal and a fitting representation to storyline.
Title: My feelings on this title has kind of left me feeling a little bit baffled and indifferent but it did definitely initially intrigue me though.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, entertaining, telling, engaging and broken. I did quite enjoy the writing style but did question some of the narrative though.
Plot: Engrossing, interesting, anticlimactic, steady-paced, and entertaining.
Ending: A lot was explained and happened quickly in the last few pages but I was satisfied with the way the story wrapped up though.
Overall: Even though I didn’t end up loving this book, I still appreciated and certainly enjoyed the mellow escape that this book provided.
Thank you so much to Edelweiss, William Morrow/HarperCollins and Terry Gamble for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review!
Review can also be found on our blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
THE EULOGIST by TERRY GAMBLE was an interesting, steady-paced, and subtle story that I sort of have some mixed feelings about. At times the story really grabbed me and I was totally interested in what I was reading but then at other times I was a little lost with the author’s choice of words and found myself a little impatient to get to the heart of the story.
TERRY GAMBLE delivers an intriguing and well-written read here that was definitely an enjoyable and entertaining one but I felt like I wasn’t always invested in what I was reading though. The story seemed to jump around a little and where this story I felt was historically reliable in it’s telling it missed to actually fully immerse me in the lives of these characters and these so important times from history.
This was a Traveling Sisters read that I read along with Brenda, Lindsay, Angela & Diane.
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Intriguing, lovely, reflective, surreal and a fitting representation to storyline.
Title: My feelings on this title has kind of left me feeling a little bit baffled and indifferent but it did definitely initially intrigue me though.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, entertaining, telling, engaging and broken. I did quite enjoy the writing style but did question some of the narrative though.
Plot: Engrossing, interesting, anticlimactic, steady-paced, and entertaining.
Ending: A lot was explained and happened quickly in the last few pages but I was satisfied with the way the story wrapped up though.
Overall: Even though I didn’t end up loving this book, I still appreciated and certainly enjoyed the mellow escape that this book provided.
Thank you so much to Edelweiss, William Morrow/HarperCollins and Terry Gamble for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review!
Review can also be found on our blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
January 25, 2019
3.5 stars
Terry Gamble weaves some divisive issues here with race, slavery, and abolition of slavery with some real historical people and fictional characters. She creates an interesting family and I really enjoyed the family drama and dynamics between the characters. The writing and the story take on a lighter side to it as we follow Olivia's journey from a woman unaffected by these issues to strong women with a sense for justice.
Terry Gamble creates an interesting character here with our main character Olivia. She is fearless (maybe a bit too much), strong, smart and engaging. I grew to really like her a lot. Even though I enjoyed these characteristics of her, I felt she didn't really provoke much emotion from me and leaving me wanting a bit more emotional depth to the story.
As I was reading this one I was a little distracted and found it hard to keep my focus and I would of like to see more depth to some of the issues explored here to drive the story forward for me.
The end left me thinking wow but not the way you might think. A lot of explanation for the story and characters happens in a few pages that left my head spinning. I would of like a few more clues around the way instead of it all being told to me at once. I don't think I was the only one because after reading this one we and our Traveling sisters had a few questions for each other.
Overall I enjoyed this one and I recommend it to readers who like to keep things light by not delving too deep into issues and enjoy some interesting family drama.
Thank you so much from both of us to Edelweiss, William Morrow/HarperCollins and Terry Gamble for the opportunity to read an advanced copy to read and review.
Terry Gamble weaves some divisive issues here with race, slavery, and abolition of slavery with some real historical people and fictional characters. She creates an interesting family and I really enjoyed the family drama and dynamics between the characters. The writing and the story take on a lighter side to it as we follow Olivia's journey from a woman unaffected by these issues to strong women with a sense for justice.
Terry Gamble creates an interesting character here with our main character Olivia. She is fearless (maybe a bit too much), strong, smart and engaging. I grew to really like her a lot. Even though I enjoyed these characteristics of her, I felt she didn't really provoke much emotion from me and leaving me wanting a bit more emotional depth to the story.
As I was reading this one I was a little distracted and found it hard to keep my focus and I would of like to see more depth to some of the issues explored here to drive the story forward for me.
The end left me thinking wow but not the way you might think. A lot of explanation for the story and characters happens in a few pages that left my head spinning. I would of like a few more clues around the way instead of it all being told to me at once. I don't think I was the only one because after reading this one we and our Traveling sisters had a few questions for each other.
Overall I enjoyed this one and I recommend it to readers who like to keep things light by not delving too deep into issues and enjoy some interesting family drama.
Thank you so much from both of us to Edelweiss, William Morrow/HarperCollins and Terry Gamble for the opportunity to read an advanced copy to read and review.
October 16, 2018
Taking place in booming pre-Civil War Cincinnati, this novel charts the lives of Irish immigrant siblings. Capitalistic James rises from abject poverty to prominence. Erasmus becomes an evangelical preacher living hand to mouth. Independent thinker, Olivia, stumbles into a marriage with a like minded doctor. Olivia wryly recounts the oppression of women and social conventions during this time period. An event leads Olivia to Kentucky where she comes face to face with the barbarity of slavery. Distinctly depicted is the clash of slaveholders, abolitionists and abettors as one side pursues runaway slaves and the other works towards freedom. These incidents echo throughout future generations.
February 11, 2019
"In a broken nest there are few whole eggs." (Proverb)
Terry Gamble presents a novel lined with broken, wayward people seeking new beginnings built on the fissures of the past. She sets us onboard a rickety craft drifting alongside the banks of the river. We view the Givens family dressed in the tattered remnants of their long worn clothes. They've lost everything from their Northern Ireland home here in 1819. America seems to be the Land of Promise.....but not all promises come to be.
Family will be the central focus from here on out. We will come to know that that same lineage that binds us together by blood can also veer off into the treacherous paths of abandonment, rejection, and betrayal. Gamble does a remarkable job of inserting threads of historical markings throughout. The Givens family will be visited upon by the impact of religious evangelism, early immigration, business entrepreneurship, slavery, and the struggle for emancipation.
Olivia is the youngest of the three Givens children with older brothers, James and Erasmus. After the early-on death of their mother and the quick exit of their father, these three will approach life in Ohio from far differing planes. James will meet tremendous hardship in setting up a candle making business while the wanderlust of Erasmus will bring quite the challenges to his brother and sister. But it is Olivia who is the voice of this story and who maintains a remarkable continuous strength in all things. Her outspoken nature alienates her at times and rescues her almost in the same breath.
You can read a more detailed summary of events online. I'll leave you to that. The Eulogist is quite the undertaking as Terry Gamble hangs many a hat on the historical rack here. This, at times, tends to send the story adrift in places with its weighty excursions. I wished that the character of William would have been fleshed out more. He sincerely deserved some chapters of his own and not relegated to a phantom character of sorts. The wrap-up was like laying bricks too quickly upon each other with a trowel of explanations. Less intricate detail in the beginning stages and more character-driven actions in the finale would have worked far better.
In spite of those concerns, The Eulogist was an entertaining read. Terry Gamble put enormous research and enormous heart within its pages. As always, see what your own heart tells you.
Terry Gamble presents a novel lined with broken, wayward people seeking new beginnings built on the fissures of the past. She sets us onboard a rickety craft drifting alongside the banks of the river. We view the Givens family dressed in the tattered remnants of their long worn clothes. They've lost everything from their Northern Ireland home here in 1819. America seems to be the Land of Promise.....but not all promises come to be.
Family will be the central focus from here on out. We will come to know that that same lineage that binds us together by blood can also veer off into the treacherous paths of abandonment, rejection, and betrayal. Gamble does a remarkable job of inserting threads of historical markings throughout. The Givens family will be visited upon by the impact of religious evangelism, early immigration, business entrepreneurship, slavery, and the struggle for emancipation.
Olivia is the youngest of the three Givens children with older brothers, James and Erasmus. After the early-on death of their mother and the quick exit of their father, these three will approach life in Ohio from far differing planes. James will meet tremendous hardship in setting up a candle making business while the wanderlust of Erasmus will bring quite the challenges to his brother and sister. But it is Olivia who is the voice of this story and who maintains a remarkable continuous strength in all things. Her outspoken nature alienates her at times and rescues her almost in the same breath.
You can read a more detailed summary of events online. I'll leave you to that. The Eulogist is quite the undertaking as Terry Gamble hangs many a hat on the historical rack here. This, at times, tends to send the story adrift in places with its weighty excursions. I wished that the character of William would have been fleshed out more. He sincerely deserved some chapters of his own and not relegated to a phantom character of sorts. The wrap-up was like laying bricks too quickly upon each other with a trowel of explanations. Less intricate detail in the beginning stages and more character-driven actions in the finale would have worked far better.
In spite of those concerns, The Eulogist was an entertaining read. Terry Gamble put enormous research and enormous heart within its pages. As always, see what your own heart tells you.
Read
January 18, 2019DNF at 20%. Not connecting with writing or characters.
December 25, 2018
I'm giving this 5 stars recorded but if it was possible on Goodreads my exact rating would be 4 1/2 stars.
This was a very interesting story of abolition told from a very different perspective. The setting was Cincinnati, the Ohio river Valley, and Northern Kentucky instead of the Deep South. The Ohio river being a border between slave holding Kentucky and "free" Ohio. While the story was quick paced, nuanced, and interesting I do fault the occasional odd vocabulary choices of the author as my reason for the half star deduction. I hate to seem nit picky but the words or turn of phrase often marred the tempo or feeling of the story. But alas I've decided to record this as 5 stars on Goodreads. It's often times hard to decide whether to go up or down when rounding.
In compliance with FTC guidelines------I received this book free from a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The content of this review is not influenced by that fact. The feelings expressed are solely mine. I sincerely appreciate the chance to read and review this book.
5* (4.5)/ 3.57
This was a very interesting story of abolition told from a very different perspective. The setting was Cincinnati, the Ohio river Valley, and Northern Kentucky instead of the Deep South. The Ohio river being a border between slave holding Kentucky and "free" Ohio. While the story was quick paced, nuanced, and interesting I do fault the occasional odd vocabulary choices of the author as my reason for the half star deduction. I hate to seem nit picky but the words or turn of phrase often marred the tempo or feeling of the story. But alas I've decided to record this as 5 stars on Goodreads. It's often times hard to decide whether to go up or down when rounding.
In compliance with FTC guidelines------I received this book free from a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The content of this review is not influenced by that fact. The feelings expressed are solely mine. I sincerely appreciate the chance to read and review this book.
5* (4.5)/ 3.57
February 22, 2019
I tried! I really, really tried...but I just couldn't get into this book. It was not at all what I was expecting. I thought it would focus more on slavery and historical events leading up to the civil war. However, it is really about an Irish family that immigrates to Cincinnati and how each of them transforms during the rising tensions of the time. At the heart of the story is Presbyterian and Methodist religions.
There are moments when the plot picks up and veers into an interesting tangent. For the most part, though, it lacks depth and the writing is odd. At times, the author uses Quaker-like prose with "thee's" and "thou's" and "said I". It didn't really work for me and subtracted from the authenticity of the story.
If the writing had been consistently good and the story carved out more thoroughly, I would have enjoyed this book much more. I received an ARC from Harper-Collins through Eidelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
There are moments when the plot picks up and veers into an interesting tangent. For the most part, though, it lacks depth and the writing is odd. At times, the author uses Quaker-like prose with "thee's" and "thou's" and "said I". It didn't really work for me and subtracted from the authenticity of the story.
If the writing had been consistently good and the story carved out more thoroughly, I would have enjoyed this book much more. I received an ARC from Harper-Collins through Eidelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2019
This is the story of an Irish immigrant family that comes to America in the early 1800's. It isn't long after their arrival that the children lose their parents, so the story is actually told as their lives unfold from 1818-1890. I tend to be most excited about historical fiction when I'm reading books that are set in the time period around the Civil War simply because there was so much going on and there is still so much to learn about this time period, so when I started this book I really dug into the story and felt in there. I had no idea how genuinely GOOD it was going to be though. Gosh, what a treat.
Of the three children: brother James ends up starting a business in candle-making and has a tough time getting started but eventually finds great success and name recognition; brother Erasmus, always sort of a wild-card, converts and becomes a preacher, traveling along the river trying to save the souls of everyone he meets; and sister Olivia ends up marrying someone with interests similar to hers-a doctor with strange curiosities-and bases her life on not only the choices that she makes but the opinions that she carries. It is Olivia that tells us the story. And it is Olivia that I felt most deeply connected to throughout the tale. She does not waver in her convictions. She understands that this will cost her, and yet she does everything that she does anyway.
Throughout the story, there are a couple of characters that carry the whole thing, whether they're on the page or not. They are enslaved by Olivia's in-laws and make such a huge impression on Olivia that the reverberations of these relationships are felt outward like ripples for generations.
The synopsis for this story captured my attention, but it really doesn't tell how big this story is. By about 10-15 pages, I was hooked. And the more the story progressed, I just couldn't put it down. To me, The Eulogist goes beyond just another 1800's historical fiction in so many ways. For one: This family has to settle into being immigrants and all that comes with that status while also navigating their views on slavery or not and I was fascinated by this. This story also tackles abolition from the point of view of three siblings and their spouses, where not everyone agrees perfectly on how to tackle the "problem" with slavery. Ultimately one hopes that ignoring the subject will make it go away, one immerses him/herself fully into abolition regardless of the potential cost, and the other works hard behind-the-scenes, being sneaky and propping up those that did the more visible work. I loved the way the news stories telling the fates of those that escaped and those that were caught assisting were woven into the narrative like small details because I think this added to the tension that this family felt over the decades as their business endeavors and their families grew. And they certainly added depth to the story because they helped to create a more full picture of what was happening right here in the United States at the time.
I also loved that there was a little bit of humor written into the story. Not too much as to take away from anything, but Olivia's sense of humor made me smile multiple times while was reading. She was such a cool character-she is certainly more progressive than most anyone around her, and sometimes her mouth and her views got her into a little bit of trouble. I love that the author went in this direction with this character.
I also love that the author took the opportunity to have Olivia tell the history of her own family as well as the history of her husband's family. By the time the story ended after barely over 300 pages, I felt so much for this family, for how far their reach extended, and for how they had blended themselves with other families to help America become the melting pot that we are. Honestly, the last chapter choked me up. It was hard not to be emotional at some of the revelations right there, at the very end. The way that I felt after I finally closed the book-that feeling-is why I love to read and why I bumped my rating up from 4.5 to 5.
I expected to like this one, but I had no idea how much I would love it. It's a little bit more quiet than some novels because there are no huge action or dramatic scenes anywhere. I think the wondrous thing about this one is in the characterization and the way the author was able to spread this family out so, and then connect so many people by way of these three siblings. At the end, I felt like the story had come full circle. This is a top-shelf, definitely-reread story for me and I would love to hear Cassandra Campbell's narration of this entire book on the audiobook. I'd LOVE that.
So, so good. I recommend this one to readers that enjoy those stories that really sneak up on you and leave big impressions. That's what happened to me here.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, William Morrow Books!
Find this review and more like it on my blog, Into the Hall of Books!
Of the three children: brother James ends up starting a business in candle-making and has a tough time getting started but eventually finds great success and name recognition; brother Erasmus, always sort of a wild-card, converts and becomes a preacher, traveling along the river trying to save the souls of everyone he meets; and sister Olivia ends up marrying someone with interests similar to hers-a doctor with strange curiosities-and bases her life on not only the choices that she makes but the opinions that she carries. It is Olivia that tells us the story. And it is Olivia that I felt most deeply connected to throughout the tale. She does not waver in her convictions. She understands that this will cost her, and yet she does everything that she does anyway.
Throughout the story, there are a couple of characters that carry the whole thing, whether they're on the page or not. They are enslaved by Olivia's in-laws and make such a huge impression on Olivia that the reverberations of these relationships are felt outward like ripples for generations.
The synopsis for this story captured my attention, but it really doesn't tell how big this story is. By about 10-15 pages, I was hooked. And the more the story progressed, I just couldn't put it down. To me, The Eulogist goes beyond just another 1800's historical fiction in so many ways. For one: This family has to settle into being immigrants and all that comes with that status while also navigating their views on slavery or not and I was fascinated by this. This story also tackles abolition from the point of view of three siblings and their spouses, where not everyone agrees perfectly on how to tackle the "problem" with slavery. Ultimately one hopes that ignoring the subject will make it go away, one immerses him/herself fully into abolition regardless of the potential cost, and the other works hard behind-the-scenes, being sneaky and propping up those that did the more visible work. I loved the way the news stories telling the fates of those that escaped and those that were caught assisting were woven into the narrative like small details because I think this added to the tension that this family felt over the decades as their business endeavors and their families grew. And they certainly added depth to the story because they helped to create a more full picture of what was happening right here in the United States at the time.
I also loved that there was a little bit of humor written into the story. Not too much as to take away from anything, but Olivia's sense of humor made me smile multiple times while was reading. She was such a cool character-she is certainly more progressive than most anyone around her, and sometimes her mouth and her views got her into a little bit of trouble. I love that the author went in this direction with this character.
I also love that the author took the opportunity to have Olivia tell the history of her own family as well as the history of her husband's family. By the time the story ended after barely over 300 pages, I felt so much for this family, for how far their reach extended, and for how they had blended themselves with other families to help America become the melting pot that we are. Honestly, the last chapter choked me up. It was hard not to be emotional at some of the revelations right there, at the very end. The way that I felt after I finally closed the book-that feeling-is why I love to read and why I bumped my rating up from 4.5 to 5.
I expected to like this one, but I had no idea how much I would love it. It's a little bit more quiet than some novels because there are no huge action or dramatic scenes anywhere. I think the wondrous thing about this one is in the characterization and the way the author was able to spread this family out so, and then connect so many people by way of these three siblings. At the end, I felt like the story had come full circle. This is a top-shelf, definitely-reread story for me and I would love to hear Cassandra Campbell's narration of this entire book on the audiobook. I'd LOVE that.
So, so good. I recommend this one to readers that enjoy those stories that really sneak up on you and leave big impressions. That's what happened to me here.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, William Morrow Books!
Find this review and more like it on my blog, Into the Hall of Books!
February 12, 2019
Started out really enjoying this with a strong female at the helm, but my interest didn't hold firm for the entirety. Thought it was good, but I meandered like the river drifting off with the disgust of slavery, queasy with the surgeries, found I was keeping myself at bay and not as invested in the story as I should be. Think it was me, not the book, so disappointed in the news that I want kinder books, not a reminder of our wretched past.
September 20, 2019
Well, another surprising read! The Eulogist tells the story of a Plantation of Ulster family(Ulster, an area in Ireland, was colonized by the British and Scottish Protestants who were loyal to the Crown. Here is more information on that):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantat...
Our protagonist, Olivia, is one of three children who emigrate to The New World with their parents. They arrive in America in 1819 and settle in Cincinnati. The story follows Olivia and her two brothers for 70 years, as each of them takes a different path in carving out a life for themselves. One of the main topics being abolitionists and the river that separates free men on the Ohio side from slavery on the Kentucky side.
I was at a firm 3 stars through out most of the story. The story was well told, the characters well formed. Still something always seemed to be missing for me. Then I got to the closing chapter. The last 5 pages of the book brought everything together-all the pieces I thought were missing had been there all along. Bravo!Terry Gamble Bravo!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantat...
Our protagonist, Olivia, is one of three children who emigrate to The New World with their parents. They arrive in America in 1819 and settle in Cincinnati. The story follows Olivia and her two brothers for 70 years, as each of them takes a different path in carving out a life for themselves. One of the main topics being abolitionists and the river that separates free men on the Ohio side from slavery on the Kentucky side.
I was at a firm 3 stars through out most of the story. The story was well told, the characters well formed. Still something always seemed to be missing for me. Then I got to the closing chapter. The last 5 pages of the book brought everything together-all the pieces I thought were missing had been there all along. Bravo!Terry Gamble Bravo!
January 26, 2019
THE EULOGIST is an interesting book that hits on some compelling themes. It's atmospheric and filled with intriguing historical details and figures. Unfortunately, it's also pretty plotless, which makes it a slow, episodic story that I could have easily put down at any point. The characters interested me, though, so I kept reading. In the end, I liked THE EULOGIST enough to finish it, but I didn't love it. I'd give it somewhere between a C+ and a B-.
March 18, 2019
This wasn't a bad read, but it was rather scattershot and unfocused. There were a lot of different angles going on, such as Erasmus becoming a preacher, the abolitionist movement, the runaway slave who did hair, the doctor who dissected corpses, etc. There wasn't enough solid attention to any one angle in order to let it develop out. At times it also felt like the plot dragged and the ending was wrapped up in a hurry.
December 4, 2018
I received an arc of this book! This story sounded like everything I would love and I couldn’t wait to dive in. I loved the writing of the story and that kept me turning pages. However I found the main character in the book feel flat I was expecting a little more from her and I was disappointed in that. Good read. Just not great!
March 8, 2019
This book was a bit odd, but I did like it. Odd how? Well...there's not much of a plot. I mean, it's really just a story of three Irish-immigrant siblings and what their lives become once they hit America. They settle in Cincinnati, and being on top of the Kentucky border means that slavery, the Underground Railroad, and abolitionists come into greater focus during the second half.
What I liked? The writing is very good. The setting is very evocative. This particular era isn't mined all that often in historical fiction, and putting most of the action in southern Ohio was inspired. I became invested in Olivia's character although, to be blunt, her "revelation" at the end of the book came out of left field for me. I also liked that the abolitionists weren't portrayed as one-dimensional saints.
It's a hard book to describe but maybe a family saga in less than 350 pages? I mean, there aren't a lot of those around. Added note: the audiobook version is very, very good if audio is your thing.
What I liked? The writing is very good. The setting is very evocative. This particular era isn't mined all that often in historical fiction, and putting most of the action in southern Ohio was inspired. I became invested in Olivia's character although, to be blunt, her "revelation" at the end of the book came out of left field for me. I also liked that the abolitionists weren't portrayed as one-dimensional saints.
It's a hard book to describe but maybe a family saga in less than 350 pages? I mean, there aren't a lot of those around. Added note: the audiobook version is very, very good if audio is your thing.
August 17, 2025
A young woman’s journey from Ireland to Cincinnati in 1920. So much Cincinnati history! The flood, the cholera epidemic, the Underground Railroad and of course religion! I enjoyed the writing and really liked the very strong main character.
September 5, 2019
The story is about an Irish family that comes to America in 1819. They settle on the banks of the Ohio in Cincinnati. It is the story of 2 brothers and their sister and abolitionism and The Underground railroad. It was just an ok read for me.
November 20, 2018
I received an advanced reader copy from William Morrow through an early reviewer program and was really excited to get this book. Everything from the description made me think it'd be just the book for me and would no doubt be one of my favorites for the year. Unfortunately, it left me disappointed. The writing on its own was really well done and completely transported me back into time. It wasn't hard to envision the main character in place and time. So in that regard, I applaud the author, and I think the writing is really most worthy of the star rating.
What fell flat for me, what was more disappointing, was the main character. Based on the back of the book, I envisioned a main character (a recent immigrant from Ireland) who, with her family, changed their course of mind towards slavery and then ACTIVELY sought to bring about its end. I felt the main character was incredibly stagnant throughout the entire book. She didn't really change much, and she seemed consistently hesitate about where she fell when it came to slavery ... the actions she took were not decided actions but were meek, and I can't think of any time in the book when she took straight action on her own without just following along with another character who had more purposeful actions than she did. I felt she was somewhere in the middle of abolition - she wanted to see things righted, yet she was only willing to put her toe out rather than throw her full force into the cause. It was somewhat shameful. I had hoped for a strong character and instead found one on the sidelines who only came out onto the field to kick a field goal but wasn't present when the really hard work was being done by everyone else around her.
I think this book will appeal to those who just want a small taste of a time period told from the point of view of an immigrant (though even then, her story, I felt, did not really give us as much of an immigrant's experience as what I would have expected). It has a mix of religion, social issues, and historical issues all bundled into just over 300 pages, so the reader really only gets a taste of these things rather than a sweeping historic portrayal of the time.
What fell flat for me, what was more disappointing, was the main character. Based on the back of the book, I envisioned a main character (a recent immigrant from Ireland) who, with her family, changed their course of mind towards slavery and then ACTIVELY sought to bring about its end. I felt the main character was incredibly stagnant throughout the entire book. She didn't really change much, and she seemed consistently hesitate about where she fell when it came to slavery ... the actions she took were not decided actions but were meek, and I can't think of any time in the book when she took straight action on her own without just following along with another character who had more purposeful actions than she did. I felt she was somewhere in the middle of abolition - she wanted to see things righted, yet she was only willing to put her toe out rather than throw her full force into the cause. It was somewhat shameful. I had hoped for a strong character and instead found one on the sidelines who only came out onto the field to kick a field goal but wasn't present when the really hard work was being done by everyone else around her.
I think this book will appeal to those who just want a small taste of a time period told from the point of view of an immigrant (though even then, her story, I felt, did not really give us as much of an immigrant's experience as what I would have expected). It has a mix of religion, social issues, and historical issues all bundled into just over 300 pages, so the reader really only gets a taste of these things rather than a sweeping historic portrayal of the time.
January 29, 2019
This started a little slow for me, and I wasn't sure I would finish it. But that feeling was short-lived; I was soon reluctant to set it aside, and anxious to return to the story. Set in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in northern Kentucky in the 1820's -1850's, this tells the story of three adult siblings who immigrate from Ireland, and move to southern Ohio for the opportunities they hope they will find there. The central character is Olivia, whose life is closely intertwined with her two brothers, one who becomes a successful business owner, and the other who tries his hand at various enterprises, including being an evangelist, and a transporter of escaped slaves, ferrying many across the Ohio River. I enjoyed all the characters, but my favorite was Olivia, a strong and independent woman, who had strong views about slavery, women's role, and family. The relationships between the siblings is close and enduring, and the other characters are also well developed and integral parts of the story.
My thanks to LibraryThing, Terry Gamble, and William Morrow Publishing for the copy of the book I received.
My thanks to LibraryThing, Terry Gamble, and William Morrow Publishing for the copy of the book I received.
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September 2, 2020Olivia Givens was not happy about leaving Ireland and not really pleased about ending up in Ohio. She watched as her mother died shortly after childbirth and a few years later her father set off down river never to be heard from again. She’s left with her two brothers, the elder one quite enterprising, the younger one courting trouble with every breath. The Eulogist is a panoramic novel covering the almost 70 years that Olivia spends in Ohio and the vast changes that occur prior to the Civil War. It’s a primitive time period when she first arrives, Cincinnati is a muddy frontier town. By the end of her life, her relatives are thinking about moving to California and the gold rush beckons. In contrast, Cincinnati is becoming quite civilized. Olivia makes a sympathetic protagonist as she slowly learns the ways of American life: the horrors of slavery, the lack of women’s rights and grinding poverty. This is a fantastic book with history and fiction that delight. -Suzanne R.
May 29, 2019
I really wanted to like this book, but as it dragged on, the stars melted away. Olivia's story was good and at first I thought she was true to the women of the 1800s, but as the story continued, there were little innuendos of 21st century that made it a more unbelievable for me. The ending left me wanting.
It jumped ahead two plus decades and gave a quick synopsis of the time that elapsed, leaving it feeling rushed. For my gentle reader friends: non-graphic rape and sexual discussion, descriptive scenes of women's health issues and the horrors of slavery.
It jumped ahead two plus decades and gave a quick synopsis of the time that elapsed, leaving it feeling rushed. For my gentle reader friends: non-graphic rape and sexual discussion, descriptive scenes of women's health issues and the horrors of slavery.
January 17, 2020
I listened to this audio book on a recent road trip, and enjoyed the story very much. The novel tells the story of a family of Scots-Irish immigrants who settle in Cincinnati in the early 1800's. It follows their successes and troubles through the decades from then until the Civil War, portraying the tensions of living on the border between the North and South, and the clash of abolitionists and pro-slavery forces.
May 29, 2025
This was a very good historical novel. A story of Irish immigrants to America in the decades before the Civil War. A tale of family, of the inhumane enterprise of slavery, abolition, and of human nature. Olivia was a very likable character for me. I enjoyed her telling of the story and I appreciated her unwillingness to believe what everyone else believed when it came to religion. In a conversation with her future husband, he said this to her: "It is one thing to stand in opposition to Christianity as you have done. Another altogether to truly understand people too compromised to worry about the condition of their souls. If there is a God--and like you, I wonder--would He not want us to turn our efforts toward saving each other rather than madly fretting if we ourselves are saved?" Later on, her brother says this to her in a letter: "But it is in human flesh they mostly deal...the trading of which would curdle your blood. I tell you, Livvie. It's as if these people had no heart or mind or sense of pain. I would deny that this was the very country to which we came so long ago, and with the highest of expectations."
These are the stories we need to read and continue reading, lest we forget the horrors in history and the people who suffered so greatly.
These are the stories we need to read and continue reading, lest we forget the horrors in history and the people who suffered so greatly.
February 16, 2019
This is a beautifully written novel set in antebellum America along the Ohio River, the natural division between North and South, told by a spunky, unconventional narrator: Olivia Givens.
The Givens family had some wealth and prestige in Northern Ireland, where they'd lived for generations, but came to America after their father was cheated out of his land. They find themselves in Cincinnati in 1819 with almost nothing to their name. Very quickly, the mother dies in childbirth and the father leaves on a riverboat to seek his fortune, and is never seen again. The three children—James, Olivia, and Erasmus—teenagers, are left to fend for themselves. Olivia chronicles their poverty, their rise to prosperity, marriages and deaths, births and adoptions in the decades before the Civil War. From cholera epidemics to runaway slaves to grave robbers to Victorian autopsies —this novel has everything. Through it all, Gamble rightfully and without flinching portrays the terrible facts of slavery, as the Givens family go from their initial indifference to slavery, to many courageous acts helping slaves escape to freedom.
The Givens family had some wealth and prestige in Northern Ireland, where they'd lived for generations, but came to America after their father was cheated out of his land. They find themselves in Cincinnati in 1819 with almost nothing to their name. Very quickly, the mother dies in childbirth and the father leaves on a riverboat to seek his fortune, and is never seen again. The three children—James, Olivia, and Erasmus—teenagers, are left to fend for themselves. Olivia chronicles their poverty, their rise to prosperity, marriages and deaths, births and adoptions in the decades before the Civil War. From cholera epidemics to runaway slaves to grave robbers to Victorian autopsies —this novel has everything. Through it all, Gamble rightfully and without flinching portrays the terrible facts of slavery, as the Givens family go from their initial indifference to slavery, to many courageous acts helping slaves escape to freedom.
December 29, 2018
This book is an interesting view of life in the 1800's of the lives of an Irish immigrant family in free Ohio and their interaction with the slave state of Kentucky, as told by Olivia, the sister in the family. Life at that time was difficult, at best. The author lets you see the terrible world of slaves, and the slave auctions, family separations and abuse. It also details the efforts by those in the free states to help slaves along the underground railroad. Olivia's personal story describes the lack of options for women at the time, and her struggles to be an independent woman. I enjoyed the book. I did receive an ARC of the book to read.
February 17, 2019
3.5 stars. It started off slow for me, but did pick up some steam. I just felt the timeline seemed strange at times, as we’d spend quite a few pages in one year, and then suddenly jump 4/5 years. Powerful picture at evils of slavery. Thanks to Goodreads for an advance copy win. (Own)
September 6, 2019
I enjoyed the story primarily for the setting of pre-Civil War Cincinnati. It is always interesting to imagine what home must have been like in an earlier time. Gamble is an excellent storyteller.
May 24, 2024
For me, this was just below a 4. An enjoyable read, but not a memorable one. I did however like the ending and the turns that took, but otherwise an average enjoyable read.
June 24, 2025
This was a four star read up until the ending. There were a few things included in the finale that just detracted from the story, in my opinion
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