The Orphan Mother
Literary fiction
Grand Central Publishing
September 13, 2016
Advanced Reader Copy
320
Publisher via BEA
In the years following the Civil War, Mariah Reddick, former slave to Carrie McGavock--the "Widow of the South"--has quietly built a new life for herself as a midwife to the women of Franklin, Tennessee. But when her ambitious, politically minded grown son, Theopolis, is murdered, Mariah--no stranger to loss--finds her world once more breaking apart. How could this happen? Who wanted him dead?
Mariah's journey to uncover the truth leads her to unexpected people--including George Tole, a recent arrival to town, fleeing a difficult past of his own--and forces her to confront the truths of her own past. Brimming with the vivid prose and historical research that has won Robert Hicks recognition as a "master storyteller"
My review:
This book is a companion book to a previous novel by the author entitled The Widow of the South. I must mention that I have not read that novel, so I'm not sure if that would affect my view of this particular story. Some of the characters are intertwined, particularly Mrs. McGavock. I liked this book, but I didn't love it. At times I thought the writing was beautiful, and at others I felt that it bogged down the plot and was there just to be beautiful, not to solidify the story. I loved the race relations parts of the book, and would have loved even more of that and less of the meandering around with Mariah trying to find out who killed her son (which is already revealed to the reader near the book's beginning). The relationship between Tole and Mariah could have been expounded on a bit more, and it got a bit crazy toward the end. A bit more resolution for some of the remaining townspeople would have been of interest to me. In the end I would say that I found some parts of this book very interesting and thought provoking, and other parts I could have done without. The writing was beautiful, but at times it hindered the story rather than enhancing it.
A book worth reading if you enjoy the period following the Civil War, or if you have read the previous book. Some parts were lovely, while other parts had me meandering through. A book I would recommend with reservations, depending on your interests.
I think one of the disadvantages of historical fiction is that the author really has to set the scene for us to understand the setting. I recently finished a historical thriller and found that it got bogged down a bit by the place making.
I'm not sure that it was as much setting the scenes as trying too hard to have beautiful literary sentences, rather than get on with the plot. Still a decent book, especially if you don't mind that kind of filler.
I haven't read the first book but have heard a lot about this one. I actually enjoy the period of the Civil War but am not sure this one is for me. I'm happy it was somewhat good for you but wish you'd had the resolution you wanted. Great review as always.
It wasn't a bad book, and if you don't mind the literary sentences that sometimes felt like filler to me, it would be worth the read. But with all the great books coming out this fall, you may want to put it farther back on the tbr pile.