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The Sea Captain's Wife: A True Story of Love, Race, and War in the Nineteenth Century
"What a terrific book! I could hardly put it down….A story of triumph over adversity."�James McPherson
Award-winning historian Martha Hodes brings us into the extraordinary world of Eunice Connolly. Born white and poor in New England, Eunice moved from countryside to factory city, worked in the mills, then followed her husband to the Deep South. When the Civil War came, Eunice's brothers joined the Union army while her husband fought and died for the Confederacy. Back in New England, a widow and the mother of two, Eunice barely got by as a washerwoman, struggling with crushing depression. Four years later, she fell in love with a black sea captain, married him, and moved to his home in the West Indies. Following every lead in a collection of 500 family letters, Hodes traced Eunice's footsteps and met descendants along the way. This story of misfortune and defiance takes up grand themes of American history�opportunity and racism, war and freedom�and illuminates the lives of ordinary people in the past. 47 illustrations.
Award-winning historian Martha Hodes brings us into the extraordinary world of Eunice Connolly. Born white and poor in New England, Eunice moved from countryside to factory city, worked in the mills, then followed her husband to the Deep South. When the Civil War came, Eunice's brothers joined the Union army while her husband fought and died for the Confederacy. Back in New England, a widow and the mother of two, Eunice barely got by as a washerwoman, struggling with crushing depression. Four years later, she fell in love with a black sea captain, married him, and moved to his home in the West Indies. Following every lead in a collection of 500 family letters, Hodes traced Eunice's footsteps and met descendants along the way. This story of misfortune and defiance takes up grand themes of American history�opportunity and racism, war and freedom�and illuminates the lives of ordinary people in the past. 47 illustrations.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
87 people are currently reading
750 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
September 27, 2015
She was a poor female born into a hardscrabble New England family in 1831. Little did she know that she would go on to live a life that would later be examined by a 21st-century author via letters handed down as family heirlooms.
I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you - Nobody - too?
(Emily Dickinson)
Eunice Richardson had a harsh early life. Her father was an alcoholic who abandoned his family so he could go live up the way with another woman and his new bag of children. Mother Lois was strong and kept the family together, so Eunice grew up with that Yankee fortitude and spirit which allowed her to get through the years of working in mills and following her working class carpenter husband to the South...just as the American Civil War erupted. Her already rough lifestyle took a downward turn from there, leading her to eventually move back North, even though she had to cross enemy lines. Poverty took hold as she had to compete with the newly arrived Irish who worked for less, thus driving down pay for the local girls.
In time, Eunice married a man of African descent and went to go live in the Cayman Islands. Extraordinary, really. She simply up and married a man of colour at a time when such a thing was simply not done. The poor white woman became wealthier, but became separated by her family by distance and racism.
He may go to that place where they buy brimstone by the wholesale.
"I discovered Eunice in a box of letters." That is the best way to describe the reason Martha Hodes wrote this book, as she completed a years-long quest to find out more about this woman who defied convention, yet was as ordinary as they came. Eunice and her family enjoyed writing letters throughout their lives and it is the overall family history we get to see because of this. At the same time, one of the most momentous historical events of all time was occurring which makes Eunice's adventures even more fascinating.
The amazing detective work of the author was much appreciated by me as I quietly went through the book. I say, 'quietly', because there is tragedy within the family and there is a grudging respect for what these people had to endure just to get through life. If nothing happens was a constant phrase within the letters, showing how fragile life could really be.
But mostly, I thought about cemeteries. Tombstones that can no longer be read because of erosion. Shifting earth that causes those same blocks to fall over, never to rise again. When do the next generations stop visiting the dead? Are there any descendants left to even know about the forgotten graves? Without letters of correspondence, how can someone be remembered from days gone by? Perhaps it is better to end one's days at sea. Perhaps.
I admit it took me a bit to get into the book, and I didn't always agree with the author's conclusions, but it was an adventure nevertheless and a job well done.
Book Season = Autumn (forgotten graves)
I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you - Nobody - too?
(Emily Dickinson)
Eunice Richardson had a harsh early life. Her father was an alcoholic who abandoned his family so he could go live up the way with another woman and his new bag of children. Mother Lois was strong and kept the family together, so Eunice grew up with that Yankee fortitude and spirit which allowed her to get through the years of working in mills and following her working class carpenter husband to the South...just as the American Civil War erupted. Her already rough lifestyle took a downward turn from there, leading her to eventually move back North, even though she had to cross enemy lines. Poverty took hold as she had to compete with the newly arrived Irish who worked for less, thus driving down pay for the local girls.
In time, Eunice married a man of African descent and went to go live in the Cayman Islands. Extraordinary, really. She simply up and married a man of colour at a time when such a thing was simply not done. The poor white woman became wealthier, but became separated by her family by distance and racism.
He may go to that place where they buy brimstone by the wholesale.
"I discovered Eunice in a box of letters." That is the best way to describe the reason Martha Hodes wrote this book, as she completed a years-long quest to find out more about this woman who defied convention, yet was as ordinary as they came. Eunice and her family enjoyed writing letters throughout their lives and it is the overall family history we get to see because of this. At the same time, one of the most momentous historical events of all time was occurring which makes Eunice's adventures even more fascinating.
The amazing detective work of the author was much appreciated by me as I quietly went through the book. I say, 'quietly', because there is tragedy within the family and there is a grudging respect for what these people had to endure just to get through life. If nothing happens was a constant phrase within the letters, showing how fragile life could really be.
But mostly, I thought about cemeteries. Tombstones that can no longer be read because of erosion. Shifting earth that causes those same blocks to fall over, never to rise again. When do the next generations stop visiting the dead? Are there any descendants left to even know about the forgotten graves? Without letters of correspondence, how can someone be remembered from days gone by? Perhaps it is better to end one's days at sea. Perhaps.
I admit it took me a bit to get into the book, and I didn't always agree with the author's conclusions, but it was an adventure nevertheless and a job well done.
Book Season = Autumn (forgotten graves)
June 6, 2017
My 2nd great grandmother was a sea captain's wife and I read the book to see how this researcher plotted her story. I think there is a great danger in falling in love with your own research to the point of turning the story into something that is too long and overly detailed. There were certain writing elements that were very well done, however the actual story of this woman at times got lost in the surrounding details.
November 17, 2010
I found this book incredibly interesting, but at the same time kind of dry. I thought maybe the author repeated things too much, in order to flesh the book out. However, it was well researched. The book did much to explain how things were in New England during the industrial revolution. You don't tend to think in terms of the first settlers having so much land, and so many kids that as parcels get split up upon death and bequeathed to thier lot of children...that by the time the mid 1800's rolled around, people didn't have much to leave kids and unless girls married well....it wasn't pretty, particularly for a widow and two kids. The civil war stuff was interesting, and I guess it's just not that surprising how a family would react to a white girl marrying a black guy. I for one, am happy that poor old Eunice got a few years of being let off the poverty hook and being happy and content.
June 14, 2015
The story of a pretty normal white Yankee woman who lived through the Civil War and struggled with poverty. But, then the story changes, and she marries a colored man from the West Indies - something white women just did not do! The book was well researched and well written; and especially timely given the recent news articles about a white woman who has passed herself off as black for years. Turns out, that was fairly common for white women who married black men during the Jim Crow years since it was illegal for people to marry across color lines. And, in the eyes of society she couldn't be considered white anymore, since she was no longer "pure". This American attitude was contrasted with the family she found in the Caymans where everyone was all mixed up (race-wise) and nobody cared what you were (yet still valued pale skin over dark).
July 19, 2016
I loved this book. Reads like historical fiction of the 19th century working class even though it's a book of history because she had such detailed letters to work with she makes the characters come alive. Highly recommended.
August 18, 2017
This is a somewhat speculative biography based on letters written by the subject. Unfortunately no letters exist that were sent in reply. There were also periods during which no letters exist, leaving the author to do a lot of speculating as to what actually happened. Although an interesting read, due to the missing information the author should probably have taken a slightly different focus and included more historical information about the era in which the woman lived. Some was included but if this was written more as a sociologic study than a biography I think it would have been better.
December 2, 2023
This was a marvelous book. And reading it just a few weeks after I finished the biography of another New England woman of that same period -- Mary Baker Eddy -- was extremely illuminating. Elements of their lives echoed each other, sometimes in unexpected and strange ways, even as they diverged wildly -- Eunice became completely forgotten, even by her family, while Mary Baker Eddy became the most famous woman in America during her lifetime.
So forgive me for a moment, because I'm going to review the light both books throw on each other. I highly recommend reading them together. (The Eddy biography was by Sibyl Wilbur.)
Eunice Richardson Stone Connolly and Mary Baker Eddy were born about 10 miles and 10 years apart -- each growing up on New Hampshire farms near the Merrimack River, born to families with long New England lineages and long histories in the Congregational church.
Both women were taken to the South by their first husbands. Both had husbands who proved feckless and unable to support their families. Both found themselves husbandless during the Civil War due to foolish decisions by their husbands. Both used the opportunity of being alone to make bold, independent decisions and chart new directions for themselves. Both experienced the devastation that came to women and families at that time when a husband or father deserted his family and ran off with another woman. Both were widowed, both knew poverty, both struggled to find ways to support themselves and their young children in a world that provided few such opportunities for women. Both faced hardships that separated them from their sons at least for a time -- and in a very odd coincidence, the woman who cared for Eunice's son was named Mehitabel Quimby -- sharing the unusual last name of a famous figure in Mary's life. One of the women, Mary, was almost taken to the West Indies, at least for a time, by her husband, and the other, Eunice, actually was taken to the West Indies, for the rest of her life, by her husband. Both women found true happiness and companionship in their last marriages. Both women had a spiritual sense they trusted which led them to break from the Calvinist beliefs of their forefathers and embrace theologies that revealed a far more loving God. And both women pursued what they felt was right, though the world found their actions shocking because they flouted the (sexist or racist) social norms of the day.
The family that Eunice was born into was a half-step down on the economic ladder from the one Mary was born into. The Richardson family's land had been split too many times over the centuries, and her father's portion was too small to support his family. That half-step of economic difference in the two women's early family's circumstances contrast marvelously to reveal a much fuller picture of New England life to anyone who reads both biographies. When Mary found herself widowed, impoverished and bedridden after a difficult childbirth, her parents and siblings were able to support her. And when her health improved enough to think of independence, she tried writing and teaching as means of support. Whereas when Eunice found herself a virtual widow with her husband in the South during the Civil War, she had to turn to the starvation-wages drudgery of housecleaning and clothes washing because her family couldn’t support her (factory work —a huge step up — was also available to her, but not when she had two small children at home. The factories required their female workers to live together in tenements, and children weren't allowed).
All this history -- revealing rich detail of 19th century New England life for a woman having to forge her own way through adversity -- is just the first half of the book.
The second half of The Sea Captain's Wife is the truly fascinating bit. It chronicles the decision of Eunice, who was white, to marry a wealthy, black sea captain from the Cayman Islands and move to the West Indies. Really no other description needs to be made of what makes this book interesting. At a time when racism was so deeply ingrained in America and the Caribbean (though race was defined differently in the two places), the revelation of how one such union came to be, and the joy it brought them, is a marvelous story to read. Although it is a far more sketchy story than we would like, due (almost certainly) to her family’s attempt to destroy the memory of her romance by destroying all family letters from key years. And this is a historical book, not a novel, so it is dependent upon sources.
Full disclosure: part of my family is from the Cayman Islands, so Eunice and Captain Connolly are distant, distant cousins of mine (who I never knew about before this book). At least one other Caymanian ancestor of mine was said to come from Maine or somewhere in New England, though I’ve never been able to trace him. So finding such a finely-grained history of a Cayman family with a similar background is a true treasure. And it hints that perhaps one reason I can’t trace my ancestor, is that no one in New England wanted him or his Cayman family remembered.
But whether or not you’re descended from a bunch of mariners on a tiny speck of rock in a vast sea, this is a fascinating history. I highly recommend it.
So forgive me for a moment, because I'm going to review the light both books throw on each other. I highly recommend reading them together. (The Eddy biography was by Sibyl Wilbur.)
Eunice Richardson Stone Connolly and Mary Baker Eddy were born about 10 miles and 10 years apart -- each growing up on New Hampshire farms near the Merrimack River, born to families with long New England lineages and long histories in the Congregational church.
Both women were taken to the South by their first husbands. Both had husbands who proved feckless and unable to support their families. Both found themselves husbandless during the Civil War due to foolish decisions by their husbands. Both used the opportunity of being alone to make bold, independent decisions and chart new directions for themselves. Both experienced the devastation that came to women and families at that time when a husband or father deserted his family and ran off with another woman. Both were widowed, both knew poverty, both struggled to find ways to support themselves and their young children in a world that provided few such opportunities for women. Both faced hardships that separated them from their sons at least for a time -- and in a very odd coincidence, the woman who cared for Eunice's son was named Mehitabel Quimby -- sharing the unusual last name of a famous figure in Mary's life. One of the women, Mary, was almost taken to the West Indies, at least for a time, by her husband, and the other, Eunice, actually was taken to the West Indies, for the rest of her life, by her husband. Both women found true happiness and companionship in their last marriages. Both women had a spiritual sense they trusted which led them to break from the Calvinist beliefs of their forefathers and embrace theologies that revealed a far more loving God. And both women pursued what they felt was right, though the world found their actions shocking because they flouted the (sexist or racist) social norms of the day.
The family that Eunice was born into was a half-step down on the economic ladder from the one Mary was born into. The Richardson family's land had been split too many times over the centuries, and her father's portion was too small to support his family. That half-step of economic difference in the two women's early family's circumstances contrast marvelously to reveal a much fuller picture of New England life to anyone who reads both biographies. When Mary found herself widowed, impoverished and bedridden after a difficult childbirth, her parents and siblings were able to support her. And when her health improved enough to think of independence, she tried writing and teaching as means of support. Whereas when Eunice found herself a virtual widow with her husband in the South during the Civil War, she had to turn to the starvation-wages drudgery of housecleaning and clothes washing because her family couldn’t support her (factory work —a huge step up — was also available to her, but not when she had two small children at home. The factories required their female workers to live together in tenements, and children weren't allowed).
All this history -- revealing rich detail of 19th century New England life for a woman having to forge her own way through adversity -- is just the first half of the book.
The second half of The Sea Captain's Wife is the truly fascinating bit. It chronicles the decision of Eunice, who was white, to marry a wealthy, black sea captain from the Cayman Islands and move to the West Indies. Really no other description needs to be made of what makes this book interesting. At a time when racism was so deeply ingrained in America and the Caribbean (though race was defined differently in the two places), the revelation of how one such union came to be, and the joy it brought them, is a marvelous story to read. Although it is a far more sketchy story than we would like, due (almost certainly) to her family’s attempt to destroy the memory of her romance by destroying all family letters from key years. And this is a historical book, not a novel, so it is dependent upon sources.
Full disclosure: part of my family is from the Cayman Islands, so Eunice and Captain Connolly are distant, distant cousins of mine (who I never knew about before this book). At least one other Caymanian ancestor of mine was said to come from Maine or somewhere in New England, though I’ve never been able to trace him. So finding such a finely-grained history of a Cayman family with a similar background is a true treasure. And it hints that perhaps one reason I can’t trace my ancestor, is that no one in New England wanted him or his Cayman family remembered.
But whether or not you’re descended from a bunch of mariners on a tiny speck of rock in a vast sea, this is a fascinating history. I highly recommend it.
February 25, 2022
I know it took me a year to finish this but it wasn’t due to the quality of the story. I just kept getting distracted.
The story is so good. I love Eunice and her family. I wish this could be turned into a movie.
The story is so good. I love Eunice and her family. I wish this could be turned into a movie.
May 28, 2018
Format: Paperback
A captivating read about a New England woman who moved to Mobile right before the Civil War and ultimately married a man from the Caribbean and was partially ostracized from her family because of it. The story has many twists and turns. I like the details about the extended family dynamics and the epilogue. It's a great piece of American history that includes politics, family, economic struggles, and racial divide.
A captivating read about a New England woman who moved to Mobile right before the Civil War and ultimately married a man from the Caribbean and was partially ostracized from her family because of it. The story has many twists and turns. I like the details about the extended family dynamics and the epilogue. It's a great piece of American history that includes politics, family, economic struggles, and racial divide.
June 20, 2008
I've started this book because I went to a lecture at the Navy Museum, where Martha Hodes spoke on the topic of love and race in the nineteenth century, as exemplified by this exceptional woman, who lived an unconventional life and defied racial categorization...
The rest of it was just as incredibly interesting. What a life story!
The rest of it was just as incredibly interesting. What a life story!
July 30, 2015
An interesting history but a bit thin in spots, the actual romance between Smiley and Eunice is hidden in the folds of time with the letters probably destroyed by relatives. Good bits about New England mill towns and Mobile along with the Cayman's and an unusual woman who went her own way in a time that was considered beyond the pale.
July 24, 2009
Can a book be both interesting and boring? I don't know, but that's how I would describe this one. It reads like 300 pages of a history book about only one person and the people and times affecting her. I didn't get quite through it all but I'm moving on.
June 16, 2023
I love buying and reading these types of books.
Boats, yachts, historical events and books about the sea are generally excellent. If there are sequels in your series, I would love to read them.
The beauties of owning the books of important authors cannot be discussed. I'm looking forward to your new books.
For friends who want to read this book, I leave the importance of reading a book here. I wish good luck to the sellers and customers...
Top 10 benefits of reading for all ages:
1. Reading Exercises the Brain
As we read, we need to remember the different characters and settings of a particular story. Even if you enjoy reading a book in one sitting, you need to remember the details during the time you devote to reading the book. Therefore, reading is an exercise for your brain that improves memory function.
2. Reading Is a (free) Form of Entertainment
Did you know that most of the popular TV series and movies are based on books? So why not indulge in the original form of entertainment by immersing yourself in reading? Most importantly, it's free with your Markham Public Library card.
3. Reading Improves Concentration and Focus
We all agree that there can be no reading without focus, and we need to concentrate on every page we read to fully understand the story. In a world where gadgets only speed up and shorten our attention span, we must constantly practice concentration and focus. Reading is one of the few activities that requires your undivided attention, so it improves your ability to concentrate.
4. Reading Improves Literacy
Have you ever read a book where you come across a word you don't know? Books have the power to improve your vocabulary by introducing you to new words. The more you read, the more your vocabulary will improve as well as your ability to communicate effectively. Also, reading improves writing skills by helping the reader understand and learn different writing styles.
5. Reading Improves Sleep
By creating a bedtime routine that includes reading, you can signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Now more than ever, we rely on increased screen time to get through the day. That's why you put your phone away and pick up a book and tell your brain it's time to calm down. Also, since reading helps you relieve stress, reading right before bed helps calm your mind and anxiety and improve your sleep quality.
6. Reading Increases General Knowledge
Books are always full of fun and interesting facts. Whether we read fiction or non-fiction, books have the ability to provide us with information we might not otherwise know. Reading various topics can make you a more knowledgeable person and therefore improve your speaking skills.
7. Reading Is Motivating
By reading books about heroes overcoming adversity, we are often encouraged to do the same. Whether it's a romance novel or a self-help book, the right book can motivate you to never give up and stay positive.
https://numberoneboats.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/everglades-3...
https://numberoneboats.com/everglades...
https://theboatyacht.com/jupiter-34-f...
https://numberoneboats.com/jupiter-34...
Boats, yachts, historical events and books about the sea are generally excellent. If there are sequels in your series, I would love to read them.
The beauties of owning the books of important authors cannot be discussed. I'm looking forward to your new books.
For friends who want to read this book, I leave the importance of reading a book here. I wish good luck to the sellers and customers...
Top 10 benefits of reading for all ages:
1. Reading Exercises the Brain
As we read, we need to remember the different characters and settings of a particular story. Even if you enjoy reading a book in one sitting, you need to remember the details during the time you devote to reading the book. Therefore, reading is an exercise for your brain that improves memory function.
2. Reading Is a (free) Form of Entertainment
Did you know that most of the popular TV series and movies are based on books? So why not indulge in the original form of entertainment by immersing yourself in reading? Most importantly, it's free with your Markham Public Library card.
3. Reading Improves Concentration and Focus
We all agree that there can be no reading without focus, and we need to concentrate on every page we read to fully understand the story. In a world where gadgets only speed up and shorten our attention span, we must constantly practice concentration and focus. Reading is one of the few activities that requires your undivided attention, so it improves your ability to concentrate.
4. Reading Improves Literacy
Have you ever read a book where you come across a word you don't know? Books have the power to improve your vocabulary by introducing you to new words. The more you read, the more your vocabulary will improve as well as your ability to communicate effectively. Also, reading improves writing skills by helping the reader understand and learn different writing styles.
5. Reading Improves Sleep
By creating a bedtime routine that includes reading, you can signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Now more than ever, we rely on increased screen time to get through the day. That's why you put your phone away and pick up a book and tell your brain it's time to calm down. Also, since reading helps you relieve stress, reading right before bed helps calm your mind and anxiety and improve your sleep quality.
6. Reading Increases General Knowledge
Books are always full of fun and interesting facts. Whether we read fiction or non-fiction, books have the ability to provide us with information we might not otherwise know. Reading various topics can make you a more knowledgeable person and therefore improve your speaking skills.
7. Reading Is Motivating
By reading books about heroes overcoming adversity, we are often encouraged to do the same. Whether it's a romance novel or a self-help book, the right book can motivate you to never give up and stay positive.
https://numberoneboats.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/everglades-3...
https://numberoneboats.com/everglades...
https://theboatyacht.com/jupiter-34-f...
https://numberoneboats.com/jupiter-34...
May 10, 2019
I enjoyed reading about this remarkable woman and found her story fascinating. I do think, however, that the author's speculation about Eunice's and Smiley's relationship and how it began is off-base. I think that the author so wanted to make Eunice even more daring than she might have been that she ignored the obvious.
How would a poor northerner in a deep south seaport meet a ship's captain? The obvious is at that seaport while trying desperately to find a way back north. It is also not adequately explained how Eunice could afford the trip home for herself and her little boy. I think it is likely that she begged Smiley to have mercy and take her back north. It is also likely that she could not afford the trip home and Smiley, taking pity on her perhaps initially because her little boy reminded him of his own boys at home, loaned her the money with the promise that she pay him back later. That loan would also have given a reason to stay in touch long after her disembarkation from his ship. The author actually knows nothing about her trip home other than she experienced "troubles" as referenced in another family member's letter and really just glosses over how a pregnant woman and toddler were able to travel north during wartime.
To speculate that Eunice met Smiley and had an affair with him while still in Mobile is ridiculous. Eunice wanted nothing more than to achieve middle-class respectability. An affair would have been anathema to that. And Clara most certainly was not Smiley's child, of which Eunice must have been absolutely certain, otherwise she would have never returned north to live with her in-laws to give birth to a baby who could be a dead giveaway of marital infidelity. She would have instead stayed with her own family and hidden from her in-laws. Descriptions about the baby's appearance, specifically her whiteness, are probably nothing other than making sure her mother knows how beautiful the baby is. Clara is no red-faced squall-er. The author's attempt to make Eunice seem anything other than white are equally far-fetched. The photo on the book jacket, if indeed Eunice, show a young, possibly teen-aged, white-skinned, dark-haired woman, with blue eyes and a button nose. It's the danger of reading too much into the letters and scant historical record of a woman who lived so long ago. None of which makes Eunice's story any less remarkable.
The family listing at the beginning of the book would have been more clearly explained as standard genealogical pedigree charts.
I think this would make an interesting book club read. There are a lot of relevant discussions it could provoke.
How would a poor northerner in a deep south seaport meet a ship's captain? The obvious is at that seaport while trying desperately to find a way back north. It is also not adequately explained how Eunice could afford the trip home for herself and her little boy. I think it is likely that she begged Smiley to have mercy and take her back north. It is also likely that she could not afford the trip home and Smiley, taking pity on her perhaps initially because her little boy reminded him of his own boys at home, loaned her the money with the promise that she pay him back later. That loan would also have given a reason to stay in touch long after her disembarkation from his ship. The author actually knows nothing about her trip home other than she experienced "troubles" as referenced in another family member's letter and really just glosses over how a pregnant woman and toddler were able to travel north during wartime.
To speculate that Eunice met Smiley and had an affair with him while still in Mobile is ridiculous. Eunice wanted nothing more than to achieve middle-class respectability. An affair would have been anathema to that. And Clara most certainly was not Smiley's child, of which Eunice must have been absolutely certain, otherwise she would have never returned north to live with her in-laws to give birth to a baby who could be a dead giveaway of marital infidelity. She would have instead stayed with her own family and hidden from her in-laws. Descriptions about the baby's appearance, specifically her whiteness, are probably nothing other than making sure her mother knows how beautiful the baby is. Clara is no red-faced squall-er. The author's attempt to make Eunice seem anything other than white are equally far-fetched. The photo on the book jacket, if indeed Eunice, show a young, possibly teen-aged, white-skinned, dark-haired woman, with blue eyes and a button nose. It's the danger of reading too much into the letters and scant historical record of a woman who lived so long ago. None of which makes Eunice's story any less remarkable.
The family listing at the beginning of the book would have been more clearly explained as standard genealogical pedigree charts.
I think this would make an interesting book club read. There are a lot of relevant discussions it could provoke.
October 9, 2017
The power of archives - one woman's unique life hidden in a group of letters and papers acquired for their connection to the Civil War. Hodes digs into the life Eunice Richardson Stone Connolly - a lower class white woman in New England who marries a carpenter, moves to the South right before the Civil War, leaves him when he joins the Confederate army and moves north with her two children, lives on the brink of ruin relying on the charity of family and community until she learns of her husband's death and marries William "Smiley" Connolly - a well-off sea captain from Grand Cayman, who also happens to be a colored man, thus setting her apart from some members of her own family.
While most of the book relates to Eunice's life before marrying Smiley, it is their relationship and the consequences that are the most intriguing to me. Eunice's brother, Henry, fought for the Union, yet disowned his favorite sister over the matter. Hodes notes that it was easier for him to mend the Union/Confederate divide during reconstruction than to reconcile his sister marrying a person of color. His actions illustrate how quickly slavery being the reason for the Civil War were overshadowed by the issue of state's rights, etc. And while many in the North fought to protect the Union, there was not necessarily a desire to overcome a separation between black and white.
As a side note - their story illustrates the social construction of racism and identification of race. In the United States, Eunice was a white woman, Smiley was a black or colored man and their marriage was forbidden socially if not legally. One black ancestor meant that you were black, no matter what your physical complexion was. Compared to Grand Cayman which divided its population into various grades in between black and white and "colored" was closer to white than black. Another difference was that the higher a person's class, the "whiter" they were considered by society. Fluidity in a person's race.
Hodes ends her work by sharing her journey in tracing Eunice and meeting descendants of the Richardson and Connelly families! Way cool to see the connections being shared with modern generations. A worthwhile read!!
While most of the book relates to Eunice's life before marrying Smiley, it is their relationship and the consequences that are the most intriguing to me. Eunice's brother, Henry, fought for the Union, yet disowned his favorite sister over the matter. Hodes notes that it was easier for him to mend the Union/Confederate divide during reconstruction than to reconcile his sister marrying a person of color. His actions illustrate how quickly slavery being the reason for the Civil War were overshadowed by the issue of state's rights, etc. And while many in the North fought to protect the Union, there was not necessarily a desire to overcome a separation between black and white.
As a side note - their story illustrates the social construction of racism and identification of race. In the United States, Eunice was a white woman, Smiley was a black or colored man and their marriage was forbidden socially if not legally. One black ancestor meant that you were black, no matter what your physical complexion was. Compared to Grand Cayman which divided its population into various grades in between black and white and "colored" was closer to white than black. Another difference was that the higher a person's class, the "whiter" they were considered by society. Fluidity in a person's race.
Hodes ends her work by sharing her journey in tracing Eunice and meeting descendants of the Richardson and Connelly families! Way cool to see the connections being shared with modern generations. A worthwhile read!!
September 18, 2025
This was like reading history. Photos and drawings were excellent. These included buildings and town views too and not just portraits or photo clips surviving from the period.
It's super, super sad, IMHO. This woman lead a very unusual life in marriages and in locations but died in Grand Cayman (with her entire 2nd marriage family) during a 1870's hurricane. The focus in reading for me was the levels of health and longevity within her larger surrounds that did not exist for healthy long life. But the focus of the author in the writing was the color (racial) barriers she crossed.
Being alive with large numbers of siblings during the Civil War seems horrendous to me. Status quo or not until "something happens" or "something happened". The passages with those letters and repeats are cognitive reality for nearly every minute. Also with mothers having sons or brothers on different sides. But beyond that the real potentials of the humans never being able to begin or progress. Terrible general health and backgrounds not "right" for both sexes but even more for widows! No comparison to the 20th or 21th century, IMHO. Very, very dire.
This was a hard book to read because there were large portions of her (Eunice) writings in Italics. And the book is old and the print faint. I wouldn't take on another like it in form for eons. My poor eyes!
It's super, super sad, IMHO. This woman lead a very unusual life in marriages and in locations but died in Grand Cayman (with her entire 2nd marriage family) during a 1870's hurricane. The focus in reading for me was the levels of health and longevity within her larger surrounds that did not exist for healthy long life. But the focus of the author in the writing was the color (racial) barriers she crossed.
Being alive with large numbers of siblings during the Civil War seems horrendous to me. Status quo or not until "something happens" or "something happened". The passages with those letters and repeats are cognitive reality for nearly every minute. Also with mothers having sons or brothers on different sides. But beyond that the real potentials of the humans never being able to begin or progress. Terrible general health and backgrounds not "right" for both sexes but even more for widows! No comparison to the 20th or 21th century, IMHO. Very, very dire.
This was a hard book to read because there were large portions of her (Eunice) writings in Italics. And the book is old and the print faint. I wouldn't take on another like it in form for eons. My poor eyes!
September 28, 2022
Reading The Sea Captain’s Wife is like eating soup in the dining center at my university: all of the right elements are there, but somehow it still isn’t enjoyable. Think about it-The Sea Captain’s Wife has all you could ask for in a book: love, foreshadowing, unexpected deaths, mystery, war, and LOTS of conflict. Somehow, though, Hodes still managed to make it a dull read. This is just like the dining center soup: there are plenty of great ingredients-meat, noodles, and veggies, but one spoonful is enough.
Many fascinating elements of Eunice’s life got bogged down by Hodes' dreary writing style, full of page-long descriptions of settings, unnecessary historical details, and entire chapters lingering on Eunice’s miserable life.
Nevertheless, the use of Eunice and her family as a case study to showcase a broader historical context was effective, revealing themes of female dependence, upward mobility, and racial tensions. However, these insights could have been better presented through a more riveting style of writing. All of the elements of the soup were there, but it just didn’t taste quite right.
Many fascinating elements of Eunice’s life got bogged down by Hodes' dreary writing style, full of page-long descriptions of settings, unnecessary historical details, and entire chapters lingering on Eunice’s miserable life.
Nevertheless, the use of Eunice and her family as a case study to showcase a broader historical context was effective, revealing themes of female dependence, upward mobility, and racial tensions. However, these insights could have been better presented through a more riveting style of writing. All of the elements of the soup were there, but it just didn’t taste quite right.
March 22, 2020
I read this Caymen Island-set book for the "around the world" reading challenge. I liked it, especially in the second half, but it is not a page-turner. The book could have been so much more. As it is, the writing is mostly in the passive voice and tells rather than "show" the action. Eunice's story is more interesting than the text.
The first half of the book reads like a research paper on the industrialization of New England mills, the poor working-class women that ran the mills and then the Civil War. There are better works describing this part of history.
If you read the book, skim it. It is heavily padded as there just wasn't enough documentation to make a full book. What I would like to read is a novelization of the story. Hmmm- maybe I should writie it. LOL
The first half of the book reads like a research paper on the industrialization of New England mills, the poor working-class women that ran the mills and then the Civil War. There are better works describing this part of history.
If you read the book, skim it. It is heavily padded as there just wasn't enough documentation to make a full book. What I would like to read is a novelization of the story. Hmmm- maybe I should writie it. LOL
August 15, 2023
This work is interesting in showing the culture that existed in both the North and South in the 1800s. Racism and nativism was rampant in both sections of the country. Both Blacks and immigrants (mainly Irish) were looked down on and thought to be the lowest type of human being, if human at all. Racism was just as bad in the North as the South and in some cases worse. In fact. the North fought to preserve the Union and stop the spread of slavery, not end it. The south fought mainly to protect their 'peculiar institution'. The story is of a white woman who went from poor to really indigent but married a colored sea captain and became a lady in the Cayman Islands. Unfortunately she died with her husband and most of her children when their ship floundered at sea.
August 11, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Our subject goes through the most awful experiences struggling to survive in a fledgling country as a woman who had to survive without a man around, finally finding some sort of place and satisfaction but at an incredible price. The story of the Civil war is told through the lense of racial tension and emerging social stratification and what this does to family unity which brings a new perspective to the evolution of the USA ( to me anyway). And it is written in a very evocative and descriptive way, bringing the characters from history to life with depth and feelings.
And all this from a series of letters held by the family.
And all this from a series of letters held by the family.
February 17, 2019
A fascinating and very readable account of a poor New England woman’s struggles before and after the Civil War, much of it in her own words, thanks to her letter-writing and her family’s preservation of letters. Her choices to improve her lot were daring and costly for her time, raising many issues of interest.
“The world changed enormously over the course of Eunice’s life, offering her occasion to ponder the grand themes of American history: class and opportunity, faith and religious practice, slavery and freedom, politics and war, racism and equality.”p.21
“The world changed enormously over the course of Eunice’s life, offering her occasion to ponder the grand themes of American history: class and opportunity, faith and religious practice, slavery and freedom, politics and war, racism and equality.”p.21
December 30, 2018
Excellent research on a fascinating topic. Well-written and extensively referenced but redundant. Chapters sometimes feel disconnected—as if the reader needs an umpteenth reminder of already established points.
The last part inserts the author’s experience and connects the reader to contemporary descendants of the protagonists.
The last part inserts the author’s experience and connects the reader to contemporary descendants of the protagonists.
December 18, 2019
This book is based on the letters written by members of a family in the years before and after the Civil War. Eunice Richardson's life in New England and Mobile, AL, was one of extreme poverty and widowhood until she married a mixed race sea captain from the Cayman Islands. The author describes events, economics and social norms that impacted Eunice's life.
March 29, 2020
Quite enjoyed this. Engagingly written and well researched. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read a biography of someone not at all famous -- it's so easy to forget that history is really made up of ordinary people. A fascinating glimpse into the life of an ordinary woman of the 19th century who did something extraordinary.
October 28, 2022
One ordinary woman's unique life is reconstructed through letters and other sources. An incredible amount of research went into this book. I was intrigued by the amount of detail and time put into letter writing at a time when mail delivery was hand-to-hand and letters arrived months later or were lost altogether. I can't imagine the feeling of isolation from distant loved ones.
September 7, 2020
Fantastic
This book is well researched with an abundance of citations. The research reads like a novel that is a real page turner. The history presented is amazing. Very enlightening and entertaining.
This book is well researched with an abundance of citations. The research reads like a novel that is a real page turner. The history presented is amazing. Very enlightening and entertaining.
February 22, 2023
Extremely well written and cool how the author puts together puzzle pieces to a historically ordinary person just by examining letters sent back and forth from her family. Not a big historical monograph gal, but definitely interesting if you’re interested in the civil war.
July 23, 2017
The author added historic excruciating detail between the letters written by Eunice & her family. I tried, but I just couldn't finish the book.
January 2, 2018
Liked the book, forgot to write why.
December 29, 2017
Very interesting story. If you like history you will enjoy this one.
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