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The Widow's War
The "superb" New York Times bestselling author delivers a sweeping epic set during the early days of the Civil War.
In 1853, Carolyn Vinton is left alone and pregnant after her fiancé, abolitionist doctor William Saylor, disappears. After his stepbrother convinces her that William is dead, Carolyn accepts his offer of marriage, not realizing that she is being drawn into an elaborate ruse by her new husband and his father, a pro-slavery senator--and that William is still alive.
Their passionate reunion takes place in the midst of the violent Civil War, as abolitionists and pro-slavers battle over the Kansas Territory. Now only their willingness to sacrifice their lives for their beliefs--and for each other--can save them.
In 1853, Carolyn Vinton is left alone and pregnant after her fiancé, abolitionist doctor William Saylor, disappears. After his stepbrother convinces her that William is dead, Carolyn accepts his offer of marriage, not realizing that she is being drawn into an elaborate ruse by her new husband and his father, a pro-slavery senator--and that William is still alive.
Their passionate reunion takes place in the midst of the violent Civil War, as abolitionists and pro-slavers battle over the Kansas Territory. Now only their willingness to sacrifice their lives for their beliefs--and for each other--can save them.
368 pages, Paperback
First published August 29, 2009
10 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
About the author
Mary Mackey
42 books57 followers"New York Times" bestselling author Mary Mackey's published works include 13 novels, and 7 books of poetry including "Sugar Zone" which won the 2012 PEN Oakland Award for Literary Excellence. They have sold over a million and a half copies and been translated into twelve foreign languages including Japanese, Hebrew, and Finnish.
Mary is related through her father's family to Mark Twain. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan. During the early 1970s she lived in the rain forests of Costa Rica. For the last twenty-five years, she has been traveling to Brazil with her husband Angus Wright. The rainforests of the Amazon and the people of Brazil have been a major influence on two of her collections of poetry, "Sugar Zone" and "Travelers With No Ticket Home", and on two of her novels: "The Widow's War," and "The Village of Bones," which is a prequel to her bestselling Earthsong Serious about Prehistoric Europe.
From 1989 to 1992 she served as Chair of PEN American Center, West. Currently, she is Emeritus Professor of English at California State University, Sacramento.
While her poetry has mainly centered around the traditional lyric themes of love, death, and nature, her novels have ranged from the Midwestern United States to the Goddess-worshiping cultures of Neolithic Europe. A screenwriter as well as a novelist, she has sold feature scripts to Warner Brothers as well as to various independent film companies.
Mary has lectured at many places including Harvard and the Smithsonian. Additionally, she has contributed to such diverse print and on-line publications as The Chiron Review, Redbook, and Salon. She occasionally writes comedy under the pen name "Kate Clemens".
Her popular "People Who Make Books Happen" interview series can be found on her Blog http://marymackey.com/the-writers-jou.... A free resource for writers and readers, it contains interviews with experts on various topics including "How To Get An Agent," and "Helping Independent Bookstores Survive and Thrive." You are invited to ask Mary questions about these interviews and other topics by going to the Goodreads "Ask The Author" section of this profile page or by visiting her website at http://marymackey.com/.
The photograph of Mary Mackey was taken by Irene Young.
Mary is related through her father's family to Mark Twain. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan. During the early 1970s she lived in the rain forests of Costa Rica. For the last twenty-five years, she has been traveling to Brazil with her husband Angus Wright. The rainforests of the Amazon and the people of Brazil have been a major influence on two of her collections of poetry, "Sugar Zone" and "Travelers With No Ticket Home", and on two of her novels: "The Widow's War," and "The Village of Bones," which is a prequel to her bestselling Earthsong Serious about Prehistoric Europe.
From 1989 to 1992 she served as Chair of PEN American Center, West. Currently, she is Emeritus Professor of English at California State University, Sacramento.
While her poetry has mainly centered around the traditional lyric themes of love, death, and nature, her novels have ranged from the Midwestern United States to the Goddess-worshiping cultures of Neolithic Europe. A screenwriter as well as a novelist, she has sold feature scripts to Warner Brothers as well as to various independent film companies.
Mary has lectured at many places including Harvard and the Smithsonian. Additionally, she has contributed to such diverse print and on-line publications as The Chiron Review, Redbook, and Salon. She occasionally writes comedy under the pen name "Kate Clemens".
Her popular "People Who Make Books Happen" interview series can be found on her Blog http://marymackey.com/the-writers-jou.... A free resource for writers and readers, it contains interviews with experts on various topics including "How To Get An Agent," and "Helping Independent Bookstores Survive and Thrive." You are invited to ask Mary questions about these interviews and other topics by going to the Goodreads "Ask The Author" section of this profile page or by visiting her website at http://marymackey.com/.
The photograph of Mary Mackey was taken by Irene Young.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
October 7, 2009
I had few skills as a child but I could read. Yes, when tested in fourth grade I was doing less than a third grade math, but I was reading at the twelfth grade level. At least she has that, I can imagine my parents and teachers thinking.
At least I had that. I read when I could, constantly. I also was an early morning riser, getting up around six despite everyone else in my family had major night owl issues. I was told I could get out of bed if I was quiet. So I would sit on the couch in the living room and read. At some point, I started going under my mother's bed for novels, having gone through all the children's books in the house not to mention the weekly library pile.
What did I turn up? Historical fiction. Lots of it. Suddenly I was in different countries, places much different that California, San Francisco, Contra Costa county, Orinda. I was in England during the olden days. I was in Africa. And lordy, these people were up to no good with each other, often!
My first was Penamarric, and I will never forget the beach tent scene! Who-ha! Here's what I found on Amazon about it:
Set against the starkly beautiful landscape of Cornwall, PENMARRIC is the totally enthralling saga of a family divided against itself. At the center of the novel is the great mansion called Penmarric. It is to Penmarric that Mark Castallack, a proud, strange, and sensitive man, brings his bride Janna--the first act in a tempestuous drama that was to span three generations....
This book came out in 1971, so I was likely about 10 when I read it. My mother and I had a little chat about all that beachy-ness and losing of "cherries," but I kept reading this type of novel, and as I grew older and could figure out where they were in the library, I pulled them off the shelves in stacks. What would I find? The plucky, strong, independent female character who had feelings that were like mine--i.e., not always pure or good or nice--and was downtrodden by someone or something. People were against her, dammit! Life was not fair but this character was no victim. She could pull herself up by her crinolines and get the hell out of Dodge, Rome, Persia, Siam, Bangkok, Manila, and Haiti. She was going to right a wrong and she often did, all the while holding true to her core beliefs and values.
Usually, she'd met one good man and one bad man along the way, and, of course, I was rooting for the good man. In a typical historical that bent truth (when using real life folks) my happy heroine and the good man were together in the end. At other times when history made it impossible, we knew that, at least, they should have been together for all time. If they'd had their way, they would have been, but wars, earthquakes, evil queens, or feuds kept them apart for all time.
These novels transported me, took me up and away from the early morning aloneness, and later, kept me vastly entertained. I learned something as I read, and I also had a very nice romance usually as well.
During my current recuperation, I read Mary Mackey's novel The Widow's War. (tiny spoilers follow) Mary has written that heroine I wrote about, the plucky strong (and beautiful) Carrie Vinton, who lives in Rio in 1854. Carrie survives a plague and an unnamed fever , only to find that her betrothed William has disappeared and is presumed dead and that she is pregnant with William's child. William is the good man.
Her father died during the plague, and Carrie finds herself wealthy and pursued by William's stepbrother Deacon Presgrove (the bad man, who brings the bad news about William's death). Deacon pressures her to return home, somehow very understanding of her pregnancy and wary of Rio's medical set up.
Off they go to the then swamp of Washington DC, where Carrie realizes that not all is as it seems with Deacon's life, beliefs, family, and values. Life isn't good in DC, and not only does she her baby die an hour after birth, but she begins to piece together the sick world she's now in. Pretty much after she finds Deacon in the brothel with his personal slave/whore (Carrie is a firm abolitionist) and realizes that he's stolen all her money, she heads out to the territories because she has reason to believe that William is alive and working there with abolitionists. Deacon lied to her about his death, and she's going to find William despite the fact that she's pregnant again with Deacon's child.
Now comes the part that that's fun in a historical. We are able to fight the pro-slave people, meet up with strong anti-slavery folk, fight the good fight, and put all that was torn asunder back into place. So damn satisfying!
Mary Mackey writes wonderfully, providing us with the story we expect but with clear, descriptive writing. The study of the Kansas Territory and the abolitionist movement there is worked in without the creaks and groans of "I am history" ringing in our ears. Carrie is of her time, but not so much that we can't have that "I am woman with you" relatable moment. William isn't as developed as I would like--I learned more about Deacon than I did him. But this isn't William's story. It's about Carrie believing in her life, following her intuition, and putting her story back together again, for her and for us.
At least I had that. I read when I could, constantly. I also was an early morning riser, getting up around six despite everyone else in my family had major night owl issues. I was told I could get out of bed if I was quiet. So I would sit on the couch in the living room and read. At some point, I started going under my mother's bed for novels, having gone through all the children's books in the house not to mention the weekly library pile.
What did I turn up? Historical fiction. Lots of it. Suddenly I was in different countries, places much different that California, San Francisco, Contra Costa county, Orinda. I was in England during the olden days. I was in Africa. And lordy, these people were up to no good with each other, often!
My first was Penamarric, and I will never forget the beach tent scene! Who-ha! Here's what I found on Amazon about it:
Set against the starkly beautiful landscape of Cornwall, PENMARRIC is the totally enthralling saga of a family divided against itself. At the center of the novel is the great mansion called Penmarric. It is to Penmarric that Mark Castallack, a proud, strange, and sensitive man, brings his bride Janna--the first act in a tempestuous drama that was to span three generations....
This book came out in 1971, so I was likely about 10 when I read it. My mother and I had a little chat about all that beachy-ness and losing of "cherries," but I kept reading this type of novel, and as I grew older and could figure out where they were in the library, I pulled them off the shelves in stacks. What would I find? The plucky, strong, independent female character who had feelings that were like mine--i.e., not always pure or good or nice--and was downtrodden by someone or something. People were against her, dammit! Life was not fair but this character was no victim. She could pull herself up by her crinolines and get the hell out of Dodge, Rome, Persia, Siam, Bangkok, Manila, and Haiti. She was going to right a wrong and she often did, all the while holding true to her core beliefs and values.
Usually, she'd met one good man and one bad man along the way, and, of course, I was rooting for the good man. In a typical historical that bent truth (when using real life folks) my happy heroine and the good man were together in the end. At other times when history made it impossible, we knew that, at least, they should have been together for all time. If they'd had their way, they would have been, but wars, earthquakes, evil queens, or feuds kept them apart for all time.
These novels transported me, took me up and away from the early morning aloneness, and later, kept me vastly entertained. I learned something as I read, and I also had a very nice romance usually as well.
During my current recuperation, I read Mary Mackey's novel The Widow's War. (tiny spoilers follow) Mary has written that heroine I wrote about, the plucky strong (and beautiful) Carrie Vinton, who lives in Rio in 1854. Carrie survives a plague and an unnamed fever , only to find that her betrothed William has disappeared and is presumed dead and that she is pregnant with William's child. William is the good man.
Her father died during the plague, and Carrie finds herself wealthy and pursued by William's stepbrother Deacon Presgrove (the bad man, who brings the bad news about William's death). Deacon pressures her to return home, somehow very understanding of her pregnancy and wary of Rio's medical set up.
Off they go to the then swamp of Washington DC, where Carrie realizes that not all is as it seems with Deacon's life, beliefs, family, and values. Life isn't good in DC, and not only does she her baby die an hour after birth, but she begins to piece together the sick world she's now in. Pretty much after she finds Deacon in the brothel with his personal slave/whore (Carrie is a firm abolitionist) and realizes that he's stolen all her money, she heads out to the territories because she has reason to believe that William is alive and working there with abolitionists. Deacon lied to her about his death, and she's going to find William despite the fact that she's pregnant again with Deacon's child.
Now comes the part that that's fun in a historical. We are able to fight the pro-slave people, meet up with strong anti-slavery folk, fight the good fight, and put all that was torn asunder back into place. So damn satisfying!
Mary Mackey writes wonderfully, providing us with the story we expect but with clear, descriptive writing. The study of the Kansas Territory and the abolitionist movement there is worked in without the creaks and groans of "I am history" ringing in our ears. Carrie is of her time, but not so much that we can't have that "I am woman with you" relatable moment. William isn't as developed as I would like--I learned more about Deacon than I did him. But this isn't William's story. It's about Carrie believing in her life, following her intuition, and putting her story back together again, for her and for us.
November 18, 2021
DNF. Read over 200 pages but was not compelling enough to finish.
September 29, 2024
I liked this book and enjoyed learning more about this time period- pre civil war in Kansas. The heroine is a force to be reckoned with.
January 25, 2013
Great book! It was really nice to read a historic novel that looks at a time period that isn't talked about as much. The battle over Kansas was really the beginning of the Civil War, and Mary Mackey explores what it took for people to settle there during this time period, they put their faith and their lives on the line to make their life better. Carrie is a strong faith filled woman who follows her heart and soul all the way. Would recommend it for anyone who is a historic fiction reader, and even if you aren't!
October 7, 2009
How interesting, I had no idea Kansas territory was such a hotbed over the slavery issue well before the Civil War. Raised in Brazil, Carrie Vinton recovers from a sickness that has swept over Rio de Janeiro and taken both her father and her fiancé, Dr. William Saylor. Finding herself pregnant (but wealthy), she is gulled into trusting William's step-brother and agrees to marry him and return to Washington. She loses the baby on the voyage, but worse is yet to come as she discovers her husband and father in law (a powerful senator) are pro-slavery and plan to use her wealth to promote their agendas in Kansas Territory. Carrie discovers that William did not die and she abandons her husband in the hopes of finding her beloved in Kansas. Will she succeed? Can the two lovers survive as the pro slavery and abolitionist factions ignite the countryside? Will Desmond be able to wrest his child back from Carrie and William?
That all sounds pretty promising and while I did enjoy the book and learning about this period along with such a strong willed female character (no helpless victim here), there were just a few shortfalls that kept this from being a great book. I'm not terribly fond of the present tense, which supposedly brings an *immediacy* to the story, but I just didn't find myself getting sucked into either the story or the characters - I was always on the outside looking in. Worse yet, was the black and white nature of the characters pro-slavers = very very bad evil mean awful people and abolitionists = very very good kind honest people. It's a shame, because the history the story is based upon sounds fascinating and I'd love to see a big fat meaty book on the topic. If it's a period you want to learn more about, don't be afraid to give it a whirl, it usually is just me who's in the minority (but I'm used to that). Three stars.
That all sounds pretty promising and while I did enjoy the book and learning about this period along with such a strong willed female character (no helpless victim here), there were just a few shortfalls that kept this from being a great book. I'm not terribly fond of the present tense, which supposedly brings an *immediacy* to the story, but I just didn't find myself getting sucked into either the story or the characters - I was always on the outside looking in. Worse yet, was the black and white nature of the characters pro-slavers = very very bad evil mean awful people and abolitionists = very very good kind honest people. It's a shame, because the history the story is based upon sounds fascinating and I'd love to see a big fat meaty book on the topic. If it's a period you want to learn more about, don't be afraid to give it a whirl, it usually is just me who's in the minority (but I'm used to that). Three stars.
July 17, 2021
From the same author as The Nortorius Mrs. Winston comes another fantastic love story set during the Civil War. Fans of this era will love the historical detail included but won't be overwhelmed as the love story is the focus and will take the reader on a thrilling adventure along side the heroine. I encourage you to pick this one up!
The Widow's War is an exceptional novel masterfully penned by Mary Mackey. History comes acutely and palpably alive in this thrilling adventure.
Written mostly in first person from the characters points of view we meet Carrie Vinton as she struggles with the loss of her fiance abolitionist Dr. William Saylor in the midst of a cholorla plague sweeping acrross her beloved home of Brazil. Discovering she is pregnant she is cleverly coerced into marrieing her lover's stepbrother Deacon Presgrove who offers to give her child a father after notifying her of William's death.
A year later she realises that she has been lied to and manipulated at every turn, and when she learns that her lover is alive she sets out to find him.
The Widow's War is a real page turner and a more formidable heroine is yet to be found. Full of courage and passion Carrie Vinton fights for love and stands for freedom in the face of its oppressors. From the tropical forests of Brazil to pre civil war era America, Carrie will stop at nothing to save the ones she loves even in the midst of a bloody battle between abolistoinalist and proslavers as they battle over the Kansas territory.
The Widow's War is an exceptional novel masterfully penned by Mary Mackey. History comes acutely and palpably alive in this thrilling adventure.
Written mostly in first person from the characters points of view we meet Carrie Vinton as she struggles with the loss of her fiance abolitionist Dr. William Saylor in the midst of a cholorla plague sweeping acrross her beloved home of Brazil. Discovering she is pregnant she is cleverly coerced into marrieing her lover's stepbrother Deacon Presgrove who offers to give her child a father after notifying her of William's death.
A year later she realises that she has been lied to and manipulated at every turn, and when she learns that her lover is alive she sets out to find him.
The Widow's War is a real page turner and a more formidable heroine is yet to be found. Full of courage and passion Carrie Vinton fights for love and stands for freedom in the face of its oppressors. From the tropical forests of Brazil to pre civil war era America, Carrie will stop at nothing to save the ones she loves even in the midst of a bloody battle between abolistoinalist and proslavers as they battle over the Kansas territory.
March 2, 2013
The Widow's War by Mary Mackey. It is about Kansas becoming a free state and the fight it took in 1856. GO FIGURE that the book is centered with real history about John Brown. I knew nothing about him when I went to Harper's Ferry a few years back. A building of his is still there down by the bridge. John Brown is known to have started the Civil War. Then when I randomly took a different route back to our hotel, I went through the town that George Washington gave to his brother. Across the street from where I grabbed a sandwiche, ironically, was the courthouse that they hung John Brown from! This book talks about John Brown and how he helped Kansas become a free state before the Civil War. So it explained how he started it and was using slaves to raid against pro-slavers. I enjoyed reading this little piece of history and reflected back on my little day trips. I so enjoyed them.
December 16, 2016
I needed a book set in Kansas and I have a love of historical fiction. I ran across this book, which features the fight for Kansas Territory between the abolitionists and the pro-slavers during the mid 19th century, and it seemed like a great fit.
There were parts of this novel that I really liked. Mackey told how both sides flooded Kansas with sympathizers and predictably, violence broke out. She detailed information about John Brown and his sons, how groups of abolitionists stole slaves in Missouri and brought them north, and how pro-slavers took the law into their own hands, burning the property of abolitionist and even hanging them.
The story of Carrie Vinton as a woman wronged by a fortune seeker was a bit out there. It reminded me of a romance novel, but didn't quite go that far. Her story just wasn't that believable. 2 1/2 stars.
There were parts of this novel that I really liked. Mackey told how both sides flooded Kansas with sympathizers and predictably, violence broke out. She detailed information about John Brown and his sons, how groups of abolitionists stole slaves in Missouri and brought them north, and how pro-slavers took the law into their own hands, burning the property of abolitionist and even hanging them.
The story of Carrie Vinton as a woman wronged by a fortune seeker was a bit out there. It reminded me of a romance novel, but didn't quite go that far. Her story just wasn't that believable. 2 1/2 stars.
April 9, 2015
Although this book is full of implausibilities, it's a quick and engrossing read. There are several editing errors, and I'm skeptical that a young woman in pre-Civil War times would have done the things Carrie Vinson did, but the message "slavery is bad" comes through clearly. She's an Abolitionist, raised in Brazil, trained in botany by her father, a well-known expert in orchids. She loses both her father and lover in a small-pox plague in Brazil, then travels to the USA as the pregnant bride of her lover's step- brother. Lies upon lies are uncovered, and she flees to Kansas. Don't worry, it makes sense as you read it. A satisfying ending, and light but satisfying read. It helps not to be too critical of unlikely events.
September 26, 2014
First book from this author. I didn't realize how much Kansas contributed in the start of the Civil War. Overly dramatic at times for me.
July 19, 2020
It's been a really long time since I read this (probably a decade), but I remember really liking it. The plot revolves around a woman from South America who ends up in the United States during the build up to the Civil War. Like Mary Mackey's other book, the heroine is pretty easily duped into a marriage, but since she's from another country where I guess women had more property rights, she didn't realize the marriage would be completely surrendering her independence. (My gripe with Mary Mackey's other book I read, The Notorious Mrs. Winston, is that Claire Winston is really stupidly naive about what rights she will have in terms of property and divorce after she marries her evil husband.) Anyway this heroine's husband turns out to be super pro-slavery and wants to use her money to campaign its expansion westward. She has his baby and then runs away from DC to Kansas with the baby where she meets up with her old boyfriend and the two start working with abolitionists in the middle of the Kansas-Nebraska conflict, which, quite frankly, needs more books written about it. There's also a cool plot where they're trying to keep her evil husband from finding them and taking the baby back. I don't remember how well-written the book is, but I remember thinking it was fun at the time I read it.
May 16, 2017
I liked how the story started on Brazil.Goes on to how the main character was duped. The ending part on Kansas was interesting but got to politcal for my tastes and the story dragged.
October 5, 2009
I enjoyed this.. I really like Mark MacKey's writing style. I do think The Notorious Mrs. Winston is a bit better than this one tho. Whereas Mrs. Winston takes place during the Civil War, Widow's War occurs in just before the war in a much divided Kansas. The book starts in Brazil where the heroine, Carrie thinks her lover has died of disease and being left with child and unmarried, she accepts the most appealing option available to her and marries Deacon, her lover's stepbrother and travels back to the States. What Carries doesn't realize is the States is on the verge of a civil war, the main topic being slavery and she has unknowingly married into a pro-slavery family. Carrie and her former lover, William, are both abolitionists. However, that is the not the only surprise awaiting her stateside arrival. Carries soon discovers that she has been duped. William is very much alive out there somewhere, her new husband is a liar and con artist, and she is now broke to boot. Not a woman to be easily deterred, a pregnant Carrie holds a gun to her husband's head, threatens him, and runs off to Kansas to find William.
She not only finds William, but gets involved in an underground railroad movement. As tensions mount as to whether or not Kansas is going to be a slave or free state and abolotionists face constant attacks from slave holders, Deacon is hunting her down and intends to take his child away from her. Can she outrun him, protect her child, and keep her lover in the process?
The battle of good and evil is fought between two men. John Brown, an abolotionist and Henry Clark, a loose model of William Quantrill. Both of these men are portrayed as somewhat psychotic. Their characterizations were a bit extreme, causing the loss of half a star in my opinion. The other half of the star is missing due to the story being a bit rushed at times. Too much story is summed up too quickly in at least two locations. When Carrie loses a baby on the ship to America, the situation is quickly told to reader via letters she is writing to her dead mother. Later, at her Kansas home, traumatizing raids are briefly mentioned, but Carrie's own experiences with them are summed up in two sentences saying she has bad dreams and cannot remember what they are.
Good book. Great historical detail about Kansas and pre civil war tensions. I didn't realize till now how big of a role Kansas played in it. Recommended.
She not only finds William, but gets involved in an underground railroad movement. As tensions mount as to whether or not Kansas is going to be a slave or free state and abolotionists face constant attacks from slave holders, Deacon is hunting her down and intends to take his child away from her. Can she outrun him, protect her child, and keep her lover in the process?
The battle of good and evil is fought between two men. John Brown, an abolotionist and Henry Clark, a loose model of William Quantrill. Both of these men are portrayed as somewhat psychotic. Their characterizations were a bit extreme, causing the loss of half a star in my opinion. The other half of the star is missing due to the story being a bit rushed at times. Too much story is summed up too quickly in at least two locations. When Carrie loses a baby on the ship to America, the situation is quickly told to reader via letters she is writing to her dead mother. Later, at her Kansas home, traumatizing raids are briefly mentioned, but Carrie's own experiences with them are summed up in two sentences saying she has bad dreams and cannot remember what they are.
Good book. Great historical detail about Kansas and pre civil war tensions. I didn't realize till now how big of a role Kansas played in it. Recommended.
September 23, 2009
I really loved Mary Mackey’s The Widow’s War . It’s a wonderful novel set in Kansas in the violent and dangerous days leading up to the Civil War. Part love story, part adventure, part intriguing exploration of a lesser known piece of Civil War history, it's both beautifully written and an exciting read.
Mary Mackey’s strong, beautifully drawn heroine is Carrie Vinton, an abolitionist tricked into a marriage to a pro-slaver when her fiancé, William Saylor, disappears during a smallpox epidemic in Brazil. Alone and pregnant, Carrie has no reason to doubt William’s half-brother, Deacon, when he tells her William is dead. When Deacon promises to take care of Carrie and her child, and to help her work to end slavery, Carrie agrees to marry him. When she discovers that Deacon has married her to gain access to her money (in order to give it to the pro-slavers) and that he has lied about William’s death, she wastes no time weeping into her handkerchief. She strikes out to seek William, and finds herself in one of the most dangerous places in the country—Lawrence, Kansas.
I had no idea of the pivotal role that Kansas played in the days leading up the Civil War, and Mary Mackey brings the era to vibrant life. Carrie is fierce, engaging, and unapologetically bold as she battles for the Abolitionist cause, yet is entirely believable. I was immediately drawn into Carrie's world, and loved following her from Brazil to the cutthroat politics of Washington, to the abolitionist town of Lawrence. All of the characters in the book are beautifully depicted and as soon as I started reading I felt like I was part of Carrie's world. Can't wait to delve into the rest of Mary Mackey's work.
Mary Mackey’s strong, beautifully drawn heroine is Carrie Vinton, an abolitionist tricked into a marriage to a pro-slaver when her fiancé, William Saylor, disappears during a smallpox epidemic in Brazil. Alone and pregnant, Carrie has no reason to doubt William’s half-brother, Deacon, when he tells her William is dead. When Deacon promises to take care of Carrie and her child, and to help her work to end slavery, Carrie agrees to marry him. When she discovers that Deacon has married her to gain access to her money (in order to give it to the pro-slavers) and that he has lied about William’s death, she wastes no time weeping into her handkerchief. She strikes out to seek William, and finds herself in one of the most dangerous places in the country—Lawrence, Kansas.
I had no idea of the pivotal role that Kansas played in the days leading up the Civil War, and Mary Mackey brings the era to vibrant life. Carrie is fierce, engaging, and unapologetically bold as she battles for the Abolitionist cause, yet is entirely believable. I was immediately drawn into Carrie's world, and loved following her from Brazil to the cutthroat politics of Washington, to the abolitionist town of Lawrence. All of the characters in the book are beautifully depicted and as soon as I started reading I felt like I was part of Carrie's world. Can't wait to delve into the rest of Mary Mackey's work.
April 29, 2012
Let me start by saying that I have not been known to read a lot of historical fiction. However, the cover of my copy of this book intrigued me. I like stories with strong women and this book certainly fits that.
I had a lot of trouble with the writing style at first. The present tense really threw me off because I'm so used to reading stories written in past tense. After about 50 pages I stopped noticing it so much. The positives about this are that it flowed quickly, the descriptions were just enough to give you a feel for the settings without bogging you down in details, and the characters were likeable.
Overall, it was a pretty good book. It kept me interested and gave me more motivation to read other historical novels. I never realized how interested I was in the Civil War era but I found a lot of the information to be fascinating. And who can argue with a story about a woman who travels alone and pregnant across territorial Kansas? I loved Carrie and it was refreshing to read about powerful and brave females, not only her.
I had a lot of trouble with the writing style at first. The present tense really threw me off because I'm so used to reading stories written in past tense. After about 50 pages I stopped noticing it so much. The positives about this are that it flowed quickly, the descriptions were just enough to give you a feel for the settings without bogging you down in details, and the characters were likeable.
Overall, it was a pretty good book. It kept me interested and gave me more motivation to read other historical novels. I never realized how interested I was in the Civil War era but I found a lot of the information to be fascinating. And who can argue with a story about a woman who travels alone and pregnant across territorial Kansas? I loved Carrie and it was refreshing to read about powerful and brave females, not only her.
August 17, 2013
Every once in awhile I need a civil war, abolitionism novel fix. The Widow's War is just that. It starts out in 1853 with our heroine, Carolyn Vinton, living in Rio De Janeiro. The book follows her to Washington, DC and then to Lawrence, Kansas. Carolyn is a staunch abolitionist dedicated to the fight against slavery. It describes the many challenges that she faces along the way.
The Widow's War combines our history of the fighting between the pro-slavers and abolitionists in Kansas 1854 with the love story of Caroline and William Saylor. I loved reading about Caroline's strength and determination to fight for and protect the people that she loves! She is only one of the many great characters throughout this novel. Some are fictional and others are based on real persons e.g., John Brown.
I found The Widow's War while browsing through Barnes & Noble's sale rack one afternoon and I'm very happy that I did! I'm going to give it four stars. Nice writing Mary Mackey!
The Widow's War combines our history of the fighting between the pro-slavers and abolitionists in Kansas 1854 with the love story of Caroline and William Saylor. I loved reading about Caroline's strength and determination to fight for and protect the people that she loves! She is only one of the many great characters throughout this novel. Some are fictional and others are based on real persons e.g., John Brown.
I found The Widow's War while browsing through Barnes & Noble's sale rack one afternoon and I'm very happy that I did! I'm going to give it four stars. Nice writing Mary Mackey!
May 14, 2011
Note to self...it would have been good to check the author before buying this book. I had a book of the same title on the TBR list, so when I saw this on sale at Borders I picked it up. It wasn't what I was expecting, but still a good book.
This novel is set primarily in the US during the late 1850s, as abolitionists and slavers battle over Kansas. It's part of the run-up to the Civil War that I don't know much about, so was interested to learn. Carrie Vinton is the "Widow" and her battle is a personal one. While she has strong opinions on slavery herself, her primary issue is finding her husband and child.
I had some issues with the writing as I'm not a fan of first person present tense. I also think some of the plot threads were left hanging (too many characters pop in and omit without resolution) But overall, this was an enjoyable novel.
This novel is set primarily in the US during the late 1850s, as abolitionists and slavers battle over Kansas. It's part of the run-up to the Civil War that I don't know much about, so was interested to learn. Carrie Vinton is the "Widow" and her battle is a personal one. While she has strong opinions on slavery herself, her primary issue is finding her husband and child.
I had some issues with the writing as I'm not a fan of first person present tense. I also think some of the plot threads were left hanging (too many characters pop in and omit without resolution) But overall, this was an enjoyable novel.
October 30, 2015
Before the Civil War, the territory of Kansas was in a turmoil. People were fighting between a claiming the state as pro-slavery or free. It's historical fiction with a lot of history intertwined in the tale. Makey does include a chronology and historical note in the beginning of her novel as well as an author's note at the end.
Makey's writing style was very unique. It was a mix of italicized insights from the characters and present tense. I felt bogged down at times because I am not accustomed to her style of writing, but I was determined to finish the novel. The story is brutal because of the strong feelings and beliefs that bring fights and battles.
Time Period: Pre-Civil War, 1853-1856
Location: Brazil, Washington D.C., Kansas
Reviewed from a library copy.
Makey's writing style was very unique. It was a mix of italicized insights from the characters and present tense. I felt bogged down at times because I am not accustomed to her style of writing, but I was determined to finish the novel. The story is brutal because of the strong feelings and beliefs that bring fights and battles.
Time Period: Pre-Civil War, 1853-1856
Location: Brazil, Washington D.C., Kansas
Reviewed from a library copy.
June 30, 2010
I did not enjoy this book as much as I did The Notorious Mrs. Winston by the same author. However, this book is the definition of historical fiction. The book starts in cholera infested Brazil, travels to politically charged Washington D.C., then into the Kansas Territory as pro-slavers and abolitionist duke it out in the decades leading up to the Civil War. While I could not get emotionally connected to the love story between William and Carrie; you are definitely made to feel something--anger, fear, horror-- as the story weaves through the lives of fugitive slaves, abolitionist, pro-slavers, and narcissistic guerrilla leaders.
It is a good read and I do recommend it!
It is a good read and I do recommend it!
August 11, 2012
Huh, historical fiction.. who knew I liked it?
The story provides a very personalized account of some of the events preceding the Civil War. I enjoyed that Mackey begins the novel in Rio de Janiero, it was a refreshing change of scenery for a Civil War era novel, and afforded the narrative an opportunity to compare cultures.
Stylistically, Mackey employs a variety of writing strategies, often switching from first to third person, and switching from standard paragraph form to letter format, or occasionally dream sequence (which is done surprisingly well). I had no problem with this, but I could see it being a future criticism from other readers.
The story provides a very personalized account of some of the events preceding the Civil War. I enjoyed that Mackey begins the novel in Rio de Janiero, it was a refreshing change of scenery for a Civil War era novel, and afforded the narrative an opportunity to compare cultures.
Stylistically, Mackey employs a variety of writing strategies, often switching from first to third person, and switching from standard paragraph form to letter format, or occasionally dream sequence (which is done surprisingly well). I had no problem with this, but I could see it being a future criticism from other readers.
April 20, 2010
Loved the originality of a Civil War era novel starting out in Brazil. A first for me. Will say that the heroine (is it Carrie? I forget) is the toughest gal I've ever met between the covers of a book. Admirable. Hanging scene at the end was the most sadistic I've ever read. How cruel was that?
Other than that, I didn't feel like there was a lot of depth or character development. I wasn't engrossed at any point.
Other than that, I didn't feel like there was a lot of depth or character development. I wasn't engrossed at any point.
June 2, 2011
I REALLY enjoyed this book. I don't normally get into Civil War era American history (maybe it's because I made it through the Wisconsin public school system without ever studying the Civil War). But I do enjoy book about strong, independent women, especially in eras where women had very little rights (ie Civil War era America). I found the book to be a page-turner at times, and other times it was slow, albeit enjoyable throughout. I finished the book in only 2 days...I couldn't put it down!
September 20, 2017
Mary Mackey has masterfully blended the history of pre-civil war Kansas' struggle to become either a slave or free state, sitting on the edge of your seat plot twists and fascinating characters in THE WIDOWS WAR. Carrie is the perfect heroine. Sometimes romantic others brutal, this outstanding historical novel will shock and inform the reader regarding the evils of slavery, white supremacy and the horrific crimes committed on American soil.
February 5, 2015
This is a really good story about the years leading up to the Civil War, the setting a state one normally does not associate with that War and the subject of slavery..... with a strong woman as the main character...the story includes many true facts and locations and moves along quite nicely....until the end when unfortunately I feel it becomes a bit unrealistic.
July 18, 2015
This book was terrible. I couldn't even finish it. When a book has such awful foreshadowing and sentences that say such things as "I should have paid more attention to his eyes" or "I should have realized he was a sugar broker in a coffee country" how can I be expected to take it seriously? So bad!!!
April 1, 2016
Quite simply, I loved this book. Easy read, main character I liked, takes place in the mid-1800s. Strong woman. Loved it. Highly recommend it.
Carolyn Vinton heads from Brazil to the US after hard times. She ends up in the Kansas Territory as the territory fights over it will be free or pro-slavery. Don't want to give anything away. Great read.
Carolyn Vinton heads from Brazil to the US after hard times. She ends up in the Kansas Territory as the territory fights over it will be free or pro-slavery. Don't want to give anything away. Great read.
June 11, 2012
I had started reading this book about a year ago and for some reason it didn't grab me at that time. I restarted it 2 days ago and am almost done. This book is really intriguing. I am hooked! any history buff will love this telling of the fight to bring Kansas into the Union as a free state.
August 7, 2012
Not at all what I was expecting, the characters were a little shallow for me, underdeveloped (at least, william and deacon were. And they were sorta main characters). It wasn't without its good points, but overall lacking that final detail which I love in a historical novel.
March 17, 2013
031712. This book started out really good I good understand why Carrie would want to kill her husband which you find out in the beginning of the book. The middle of the book a little slow then it gets really good again. This a book worth reading. The facts in the book are true to our history.
November 5, 2016
This was a historical romance set at during the mid-to late 1850s when Kansas was the center of attention pre-Civil War as to whether or not it would enter the Union as a slave or free state. Good read.
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