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Mamaw: A Novel of an Outlaw Mother
Mamaw is the story of Zerelda James, the fearless mother of Frank and Jesse James. Zerelda James watched her husband hanged and then rescued him herself, only to be defeated by the insanity that eventually overtook him. Accused of being a Confederate spy during the Civil War, she was arrested and thrown into prison with her two youngest children. Her home was even firebombed by Pinkerton agents. All of these amazing things happened while her two eldest boys became the country's most wanted, despised, yet idolized men. In this engrossing novel based on historical fact, Susan Dodd has created a new legend and her name is Mamaw.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 14, 2007
I really enjoyed this novel. Rather than being focused on Jesse James, it followed the life of his mother who was just as fascinating a character as her outlaw son. I'm not sure how much I would have enjoyed and understood the story, however, if I didn't already have a fairly good grasp of the history of Jesse James. The book jumps around and a person unfamiliar with Jesse James might be confused at points. Yet, the point remains that the story is about Mamaw, Zerelda Cole James Samuel, not her son. She lived a hard life, a life more exciting than she might have liked, but it was a full life.
October 30, 2024
3.5 stars
April 2, 2019
DNF I was surprised to have liked the book after reading the first few pages. I thought that the way of wording and the slang was something I wasn’t going to be able to stand but surprisingly it ended up being what made the story more realistic to me.
Mamaw was one hell of a feisty woman. I’m sure she was one of the few to have been so outspoken. And holy moly did she have a lot of kids! I know that was the norm in those days but wow it just made think!
The reason for the 2 stars is because frankly I didn’t care to read on about what happened to the characters, even Mamaw. Sadly I didn’t grow to like them enough to wonder what ends up happening.
This one was just not for me.
Mamaw was one hell of a feisty woman. I’m sure she was one of the few to have been so outspoken. And holy moly did she have a lot of kids! I know that was the norm in those days but wow it just made think!
The reason for the 2 stars is because frankly I didn’t care to read on about what happened to the characters, even Mamaw. Sadly I didn’t grow to like them enough to wonder what ends up happening.
This one was just not for me.
February 8, 2018
I read this book several years, nay, decades ago and loved it. At Susan Dodd's hands, Jessie and Frank James' mother was a true earth mother, a woman who lived close to the land, a woman so in tune with her sons she was to the point of being prescient. She was a strong woman who tenaciously held on to what was hers - her land, her rights, her beliefs and her sons. There are bits of history here that no one is going to learn in a high school history class; reasons for what happened to the James boys, and why. Oh, yes, I recommend this book most vigorously.
June 2, 2010
Ce livre raconte la légende des célèbres freres Frank et Jesse James, mais du point de vue de leur mère, Zerelda James.
*
Mamaw is the story of Zerelda James, the fearless mother of Frank and Jesse James. The book retrace the legend, atttaching itself to the steps of Zerelda, their mother. who endured a lot an grew into the new century and old age. We learn of Zerel as an untamed, untidy, young woman, more at ease with horses than with men. We leave her at a ripe old age crossing a new century,spitting in the eye of death.
Zerel is tall, a force of nature. At fifteen, she fell in love with Robert James, who would become her first husband. A preacher, he did not understand her natural, elemental love of nature; the father of Frank and Jesse eventually left the home. Her boys grew up in an uncertain times after the Secession war, later, they joined gangs...
Zerelda James watched her second husband, a kind doctor, hanged and then rescued him herself. Years later, she would nurse him as best while mental illness struck him. Accused of being a Confederate spy during the Civil War, she was arrested and thrown into prison with her two youngest children. Her home was firebombed by Pinkerton agents, killing another of her sons. Meanwhile, her two eldest boys became the country's most wanted, despised, yet idolized men.
Frank and Jesse called her Mamaw.
All this make for a moving story. The language used here is natural, spontaneous, as if like Zerel herself, or a close relative, tells us the story. Some episodes retrace the hardships of life, of babies dying of fevers, of the farm... The author did not idealize the brothers: there were murders, clumsy stealing attempts, but all this is heard from afar by their mother. Their mother who never stopped loving them.
***** Review tidbit *****
For the end, a real-life interview with Zerelda Cole James by a journalist. How her husband (the doctor) was interrogated by militiamen hoping to get Frank James. (Jesse was an adolescent still living at the farm)
"Doctor Samuels and Jesse were plowing when the militiamen reached the farm. They took the doctor to a tree and with a rope around his neck demanded to know where Quantrell was. He did not know, but the soldiers believed he did. So they strung him up three or four times. He was almost dead, and as they half dragged him to the house the Captain of the militia said to me,
" 'Now, we're going to take him out and shoot him and let the hogs eat him.'
"They rode over the hill and I heard several shots fired."
"I did not know for three or four days that the doctor had not been killed. The Home Guards had simply fired into the air to make me believe they had shot my husband, and had taken him to the county jail at Liberty. The soldiers pointed guns at my head and threatened to kill me, too, if I didn't tell them where Quantrell was, but I didn't tell.
"After the Home Guards had gone, Jesse said to me, 'Ma, look how those soldiers have beaten me.'
"I took off his shirt and his back was striped from the rawhides the soldiers had used on him because he could and would not tell where Frank was.
"But Jesse did not whimper. He saw me crying, and said:
'Never mind, Ma, I'm going to join Quantrell.'
"Jesse joined Quantrell in the spring of 1863 to avenge the treatment of his stepfather and himself. My son, Frank had already joined the guerrillas.
****************
*
Mamaw is the story of Zerelda James, the fearless mother of Frank and Jesse James. The book retrace the legend, atttaching itself to the steps of Zerelda, their mother. who endured a lot an grew into the new century and old age. We learn of Zerel as an untamed, untidy, young woman, more at ease with horses than with men. We leave her at a ripe old age crossing a new century,spitting in the eye of death.
Zerel is tall, a force of nature. At fifteen, she fell in love with Robert James, who would become her first husband. A preacher, he did not understand her natural, elemental love of nature; the father of Frank and Jesse eventually left the home. Her boys grew up in an uncertain times after the Secession war, later, they joined gangs...
Zerelda James watched her second husband, a kind doctor, hanged and then rescued him herself. Years later, she would nurse him as best while mental illness struck him. Accused of being a Confederate spy during the Civil War, she was arrested and thrown into prison with her two youngest children. Her home was firebombed by Pinkerton agents, killing another of her sons. Meanwhile, her two eldest boys became the country's most wanted, despised, yet idolized men.
Frank and Jesse called her Mamaw.
All this make for a moving story. The language used here is natural, spontaneous, as if like Zerel herself, or a close relative, tells us the story. Some episodes retrace the hardships of life, of babies dying of fevers, of the farm... The author did not idealize the brothers: there were murders, clumsy stealing attempts, but all this is heard from afar by their mother. Their mother who never stopped loving them.
***** Review tidbit *****
For the end, a real-life interview with Zerelda Cole James by a journalist. How her husband (the doctor) was interrogated by militiamen hoping to get Frank James. (Jesse was an adolescent still living at the farm)
"Doctor Samuels and Jesse were plowing when the militiamen reached the farm. They took the doctor to a tree and with a rope around his neck demanded to know where Quantrell was. He did not know, but the soldiers believed he did. So they strung him up three or four times. He was almost dead, and as they half dragged him to the house the Captain of the militia said to me,
" 'Now, we're going to take him out and shoot him and let the hogs eat him.'
"They rode over the hill and I heard several shots fired."
"I did not know for three or four days that the doctor had not been killed. The Home Guards had simply fired into the air to make me believe they had shot my husband, and had taken him to the county jail at Liberty. The soldiers pointed guns at my head and threatened to kill me, too, if I didn't tell them where Quantrell was, but I didn't tell.
"After the Home Guards had gone, Jesse said to me, 'Ma, look how those soldiers have beaten me.'
"I took off his shirt and his back was striped from the rawhides the soldiers had used on him because he could and would not tell where Frank was.
"But Jesse did not whimper. He saw me crying, and said:
'Never mind, Ma, I'm going to join Quantrell.'
"Jesse joined Quantrell in the spring of 1863 to avenge the treatment of his stepfather and himself. My son, Frank had already joined the guerrillas.
****************
July 8, 2011
A complete reversal of her portrayal in Ron Hansen's "The Assassination of Jesse James..." In that novel, the mother of the James brothers was characterized as an overbearing zealot prone to melodramatic outbursts. This novel instead turns her into a hillbilly earth goddess--a mythical creature overflowing with maternal mercy. I cannot vouch for the historical accuracy of that depiction, but after reading a number of aggressively masculine western novels, a feminine(feminist?)take on the era and its legends was interesting. The male characters all seem a bit lost, grounded only in their connection to the women around them. Obviously, this is most true of Jesse James, who loses more of his self/soul the further he strays from his mother.
August 9, 2016
I was riveted by the title. I didn't know anyone else out there had even had a "Mamaw", let alone the James brothers! Now that I've done a little checking, I know better, but when I was growing up, I believed that my grandparents were the only "Mamaw" and "Papaw" anyone had, a completely unique pair of nicknames.
Turns out it is a product of the wild west, which makes absolute sense, both for the James brothers' mother, and for my father's parents, who bore him in a clapboard shack on a dusty patch in eastern Wyoming and raised him in a mining town in South Dakota.
The narrative here is good work. It isn't brilliant, but it held my attention. If you are interested in historical fiction, outlaws, or the James brothers specifically, consider reading this book.
Turns out it is a product of the wild west, which makes absolute sense, both for the James brothers' mother, and for my father's parents, who bore him in a clapboard shack on a dusty patch in eastern Wyoming and raised him in a mining town in South Dakota.
The narrative here is good work. It isn't brilliant, but it held my attention. If you are interested in historical fiction, outlaws, or the James brothers specifically, consider reading this book.
October 21, 2009
An interesting story of the life of Jesse James from the point of view of his family. I found it interesting and entertaining.
April 4, 2012
This book is historical fiction, based on the life of the mother of Jesse James. Dodd brings the time period and characters to life. Great read.
February 24, 2013
Very interesting; I always love reading different perspectives than the ordinary.
October 31, 2015
really good story. for me the right extra consultation for being a mother
July 6, 2012
I thought this book was very interesting until halfway through when it started to drag somewhat.
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January 27, 2019I loved this book. Billy the Kidd's mother!!!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews