Had They But Known Her

by J.A. Clapperton

Talk continues to this day about the murder of Olive Wilmot in 1903 in small town Ontario at the hands of her 'lover'. But her life would prove to be far more intriguing than the stories of her death at the young age of 39. This beautiful woman ran away with her first husband at 17 and left him before she was 20. Her next two marriages (without evidence of divorce) provided a life of wealth and elegance in New York City and southern Ontario. This historic fiction reconstructs her life from historical records, family anecdotes and gossip and tells us that there is much more to each of us than the rumors people tell.

320 pages, Paperback

Published July 10, 2018

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading about early Ontario (1900) through the eyes of a clever woman. Olive grew up in this novel and we were able to see how women’s lives were so dependent on the men in their lives. New York City was exciting but again women were so restricted in their movements. Interesting how the author was able to show how divorce and careers were changing the lives of women.

Kudos to a new Canadian female writer.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work of historic fiction is based on the life of Olive Wilmot, daughter of a prominent Newcastle, Ontario family. The story follows Olive through three marriages to her death of a stroke in 1903 at the age of 39. J.A. Clapperton does an excellent and credible job of integrating fact with fiction. Olive's story is a far more intriguing one than I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about events that took place in our area in southern Ontario.