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The Widow's War: A Novel
The Widow's War: A Novel
The Widow's War: A Novel
Audiobook9 hours

The Widow's War: A Novel

Written by Sally Cabot Gunning

Narrated by Kate Udall

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

The Red Tent meets The Scarlett Letter in this haunting historical novel set in a colonial New England whaling village.

“When was it that the sense of trouble grew to fear, the fear to certainty? When she sat down to another solitary supper of bread and beer and picked cucumber? When she heard the second sounding of the geese? Or had she known that morning when she stepped outside and felt the wind? Might as well say she knew it when Edward took his first whaling trip to the Canada River, or when they married, or when, as a young girl, she stood on the beach and watched Edward bring about his father’s boat in the Point of Rock Channel. Whatever its begetting, when Edward’s cousin Shubael Hopkins and his wife Betsey came through the door, they brought her no new grief, but an old acquaintance.”

When Lyddie Berry’s husband is lost in a storm at sea, she finds that her status as a widow is vastly changed from that of respectable married woman. Now she is the “dependent” of her nearest male relative—her son-in-law. Refusing to bow to societal pressure that demands she cede everything that she and her husband worked for, Lyddie becomes an outcast from family, friends, and neighbors—yet ultimately discovers a deeper sense of self and, unexpectedly, love.

Evocative and stunningly assured, The Widow’s War is an unforgettable work of literary magic, a spellbinding tale from a gifted talent.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateOct 6, 2020
ISBN9780063036475
The Widow's War: A Novel
Author

Sally Cabot Gunning

Sally Cabot Gunning lives in Brewster, Massachusetts, with her husband, Tom. A lifelong resident of New England, she is active in local historical organizations and creates tours that showcase the three-hundred-year history of her village. She is the author of three “Satucket novels” (The Widow’s War, Bound, and The Rebellion of Jane Clarke), as well as the historical novels Benjamin Franklin’s Bastard and Monticello.

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Reviews for The Widow's War

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lyddie Berry is widowed early in the book. Her former husband encouraged her to speak her mind but in 18th Century Massachusetts, it's a rare man who does that. She is thrust into the home of her daughter and son-in-law who must now take care of her. Lyddie hates it and Nathan, her son-in-law, resents it. Lyddie, encouraged by an attorney friend, refuses to sign-over her dower rights and tries to retain her old home and life. Set in a time of religion intolerance, bigotry and women's subservience -- this book is rather intriguing. To attempt to keep all that she had was unheard of. Strength and courage were all Ms. Berry had and she used them to guide her way. Very interesting story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Here is the mother of all colonial historical novels! Lyddie, 39 year old widow of a whaler from Satucket (part of Brewster, Cape Cod), struggles to prevent church and custom from tearing her away from her home after her good husband's mysterious drowning. How joyous it is that Lyddie's an unabashedly sexual woman, not a cardboard cutout mashup of Abigail Adams and Betsy Ross. She's demanding, stubborn, and cantankerous as she seeks her independence. The obtrusive men in her life - her son-in-law, her attorney, and her native American next door neighbor, all feel it is their duty to plant themselves in her way. It's a rewarding, triumphant thrill ride for the reader.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is well-researched and informative historical fiction. It takes place in Cape Cod in the year 1761 and follows the travails of Lyddie Berry, who is recently widowed. As is typical in this time period, when her husband drowns in a boating accident, Lyddie is entitled to use of one third of her husband’s estate, with the remaining going to the nearest male heir, which for Lyddie is her less than stellar son-in-law. Gunning creates a strong believable character in Lyddie and one I found myself rooting for. I think what I found so appealing about this woman and what made her so human, was that she tried to do what society expected of her, but in the end followed her heart, challenging the strict code of mores and fundamental views of the time. I truly appreciate the contribution that women like Lyddie have made to the freedoms today’s women enjoy and never tire of reading of their personal journeys. In summary, a must read for historical fiction aficionados or those who enjoy books about strong women who put up a good fight for what feels right to them, regardless of what society thinks.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this historical nobel; it is well researched, and compelling. The back of the book includes both historical notes and bibliographical notes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book. From the beginning I could feel what it was like for a new widow to wander down that street, alone and lonely. In defiance of all that was acceptable by her peers, she was determined to hold on to what she and her husband had held dear, what he had taught her to believe in. Go, Lyddie, go, I kept saying as the doors closed against her. I was disappointed when the story ended, not wishing for more so much as an alternate resolution. After consideration, however, I realized the author had chosen an obvious and predictible way for Lyddie's battles against the inequities of a widow's fate in pre-revolutionary New England to end. Perhaps any other conclusion would have strayed too far from the reality of the times. (This was the first book I read on my Kindle--when I finished, I was wishing I held a book in my hands, not a device.)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I think that this might be my second favorite book of the year. Set in 18th century Brewster, MA (then called Sautucket Village) it is the story of Lyddie Berry who is unexpectedly widowed when her husband drowns while whaling. With Edward’s death, her circumstances become extremely complicated – essentially she loses her house to her son in law, Nathan Clarke - all very legally - and takes, as her portion of the estate, one-third. As the house must be sold in order that Nathan Clarke can get his part of the estate, she cannot live there and must move in with Mehitable, her daughter and only child, , Nathan, his three children by two previous wives and two “servants”. With the exception of her clothes and whatever household goods she brought to the marriage, she loses all of her belongings in the process.Her son in law – always referred to by Lyddie and everyone as else as her son (as she is called Mother by him) – is a completely disagreeable character. He comes across as greedy and uncaring, but I think his attitude toward Lyddie and the property was probably the usual one by both men and women in this time – she is a woman alone and hence, by definition, helpless and incompetent concerning anything outside of a woman’s sphere. The problem for all is that Lyddie is a thinking woman and she, after all is said and done, does not want to give up her house and her life in it. There is a good deal of wrangling back and forth, over what is to be done with the house. There is a buyer, but Lyddie does not cooperate, exasperating Nathan and her only child, Mehitable and most other people in the village. Her only ally is her lawyer and friend Eben Freeman and her neighbor, the Indian, Sam Cowett. Much of the book is taken up with how Lyddie adjusts to her widowed state, how she is to support herself in spite of the many difficulties and obstacles put in her way and the men who come into her life romantically (not going to tell you who they are) and how it all works out. The author is a native Cape Codder, and I think she is dead on with her portrayal of the place and time. I’ve lived in the Bay State all of my life and this village and society smelled just right to me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was discussed in a book club at our library, and I sat in to learn more about such discussions. It caused me to want to read the book, which I enjoyed. The pace is so fast that I wanted more when it ended, which surprised me since it was billed as historical fiction. The characters developed quickly however and the story draws the reader immediately. The main character faces cultural challenges that she overcomes by sheer will and determination. The story deals with family relationships, 18th century colonial America, protestant mores, and early American (or 18th century English) attitudes towards the rights of women and Native Americans.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A great novel, set on Cape Cod Bay, 1761. Lyddie, recently widowed, refuses to accept that she must give up all independence, live with her overbearing son-in-law, and allow him to make all decisions. Her widow's share is one-third of her husbands's real estate - life use thereof. Instead of allowing the son-in-law to sell her home, give her one-third of the proceeds, and live under his roof, she insists on living in her one-third "corner" of her home. Struggling to have some income, Lyddie does some cooking and house keeping for a single Indian friend, creating rumors and disapproval. The local attorney sympathizes with her situation, but even he has trouble accepting Lyddie's unconventional behavior. My, how far we, as women, have traveled.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This story of a middle-aged Massachusetts woman whose husband dies suddenly is full of fascinating information about the conditions and legal situation of women in the 18th century. Liddie wants to retain her home and her independence, but it is not an easy life for her. Great characters and a gripping story!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If you enjoy American historical fiction, you will enjoy this book. Lyddie's husband is a whaler in New England in the 1700s and dies at sea. Lyddie is not content with the way she is treated as a widow when it comes to her possessions, her home, her daughter, and her friendships. She fights for what is rightfully hers, going against the norms of society at the time. You will like Lyddie and her spunk. This is NOT a YA novel because there are some steamy scenes in it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great read - compelling, page-turning historical fiction with a romantic triangle twist, yet so very LITerary too.I found this book because the jacket copy in another more recent book, John Smolens' THE SCHOOLMASTER'S DAUGHTER, compared that book to Gunning's. I'm so glad I followed through on that comparison. I tore through this story, although I wanted to savor it. It was that good, so good you hate to put it down because you can't wait to see what happens next. It's a 1760s tale from colonial Massachusetts, set in a tiny fishing village on Cape Cod. Lydia Berry is widowed by a fishing accident in which her husband of 20 years is drowned. Only then does she begin to realize her vassal-like state, as attempts are made to have her sign away all rights to the home her husband had built and where she had given birth to her daughter and her stillborn and short-lived sons. Henceforth she is to be called Widow Berry and is expected to live in a spare room of her daughter's house under the sufferance of her onerous son-in-law, who naturally expects to take over everything that once belonged to Lyddie. She rebels, and refuses to sign the necessary papers that would leave her homeless and beggarly. A local lawyer takes an interest in Lyddie, and in more than a legal manner. So too does her nearest neighbor, known mostly as "the Indian,". He gives her employment, first nursing his sick wife, then (after the wife dies) as a domestic, but this begins to develop into something deeper, although a lifetime of racial predjudice against blacks and "Indians" doesn't just melt away for Lydia. Eyebrows are raised and tongues wag in the community at this reversal of roles and the delicious possiblity of miscegenation. Lyddie Berry brought to mind another fictional Lydia, the heroine of Molly Gloss's fine novel, THE JUMP-OFF CREEK, set in frontier Oregon in the 1800s. Both are extremely strong and independent characters, despite the separation of an entire continent and more than a hundred years. All of the principals of THE WIDOW'S WAR are many-dimensional and intriguingly human, but Sally Gunning's heroine Lyddie Berry is a character you won't soon forget. If you want a good read that will immediately catch you up, I can't recommend this book highly enough. Go for it!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I enjoyed the history but did not think exceptionally well written; plot a bit predictable and sometimes plodding. Characters almost one dimensional, not much development. Needed more pre-info as to town, and Lydia's place in "society' before death of Edward.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    ** spoiler alert ** The added romantic element was unexpected, and added interest at first. However, it became such a back-and-forth thing it became annoying and tiresome.The end of the story resolved the main element (the legal issues), but the romantic side story, which became a main part of the story - was not resolved at the end.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Interesting novel about an 18th century widow who tries to maintain some independence of thought and action, after the death of her seaman captain husband of 20 years. She fights against the strictures on women of her day and against her overbearing son-in-law. Her main ally is a lawyer. Much food for thought here; wow, I'm glad I live in this day and age!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As Sally Gunning draws the reader into her story, she is showing us how people lived in small coastal whaling villages in the late 1700s. Would I ever pick up a book about small whaling villages? Heck no. But will I read a story about a woman fighting against village customs and law as she finds her way in the world? Yes. The novel is set in the Cape Cod village of Satucket, Massachusetts in 1761. Lyddie Berry’s husband, a whaler, dies within the first chapter, and she becomes a widow. The law dictates that all of Lyddie’s property and rights are given to the nearest male relative, which is her annoying son-in-law. At a time when everyone expects her to follow the wishes of her son-in-law, she feels compelled to take her own direction. Drama and conflict ensue.I liked this story a lot. Lyddie is a strong, independent woman making her own decisions despite the influence of her blasted son-in-law and a lawyer-friend who helps but also hinders. The novel is funny in spots, poignant in others, and all the while you read, you get a sense of the everyday living in 1761 on the coast of Massachusetts.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Married for twenty years to Edward Berry, Lyddie is used to the trials of being a whaler's wife in the Cape Cod village of Satucket, Massachusetts—running their house herself during her husband's long absences at sea, living with the daily uncertainty that Edward will simply not return. And when her worst fear is realized, she finds herself doubly cursed. She is overwhelmed by grief, and her property and rights are now legally in the hands of her nearest male relative: her daughter's overbearing husband, whom Lyddie cannot abide. Lyddie decides to challenge both law and custom for control of her destiny, but she soon discovers the price of her bold "war" for personal freedom to be heartbreakingly dear. Summary amazon.caDidn't realize I had this waiting in drafts so I've mixed up the order of Sally Gunning's Satucket novels! As you can see from the summary above, The Widow's War observes the unfolding of America as a nation through the lens of women's rights--human rights, really. Women and slaves had no autonomy, their destinies mediated by their "owners".When her husband drowns at sea, Lyddie loses her life as well--in the eyes of the law. She must live as an unwelcome addition to her son-in-law's household without money, status or purpose. Harsh and unjust treatment inevitably convert Lyddie's compliance into defiance. She becomes a squatter in her marital home as it waits to be sold. More rebellious acts follow, to her son-in-law's disgust, and "war" is declared. Lyddie seems so real: a strong, persistent woman who makes mistakes while finding her way and learns from them! Her strong will and humour make her my favourite character of all three books.I think that the best thing about Sally Gunning is that she writes in the mind of the time; no omniscient narrator here, the story unfolds for the reader as it does for the characters. There isn't a "looking back" perspective to Ms Gunning's novels, but a "living in" feeling, experiencing--subjectively--injustice in another time and place. A non-threatening, creative means to awaken us to the injustices of our own time and place.8 out of 10 Recommended to readers who prefer literary fiction and to fans of American Colonial history.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Following the tragic loss at sea of her whaling husband, Lyddie's daily life in 18th century Cape Cod becomes a trial as she struggles to come to terms with her "widow's third" and her loss of independence in the home of her only daughter's unsympathetic family. Gunning weaves a provocative and powerful story of the hardships of women often viewed simply as another possession to their husbands. Exhaustively researched, Lyddie's story offers a glimpse into the lives of early America's widows, an aspect of history commonly overlooked, as she struggles for her freedom from the societal constraints of her small village and another chance at life and love.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I read this book for my book club. It was from a few months ago and I just finished it. I had trouble getting into the story. I felt the story moved slow at first. I enjoyed the main female character. She was a strong independent woman who became a widow and still wanted to live in her home during an age when women had no rights. That I enjoyed about the book. To realize how far we have come as women and yet men will still try to hold us back or down.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A slow start but got better and better with a very satisfying ending...I like heroine struggles and finally overcomes type books and this is a good one.