Author: Irving Stone

On a recent walk I came past one of our little book libraries on the street. Of course I stopped to see if there was anything of interest on the shelf. I found a book that I thought might be good (I haven’t read it yet) but this one was also on the shelf. My copy is missing the paper cover but I could tell it was an “old” book (published in 1944). There was no information on what the book was about but I brought it home anyway.

This is listed as a biographical novel about Jessie Benton Frémont. Jessie was the daughter of a long-serving Missouri senator and the wife of John Frémont. Her husband made several overland expeditions in attempts to settle the West, particularly California. Through Jessie’s story we learn about the hardships of the expeditions, John’s role as the first Republican nominee for the Presidency, and his accumulation of wealth from the gold fields of California. In spite of their wealth, both John and Jessie were almost destitute at the time of their deaths.

I would never have chosen this book had I known what it was about but I found it very interesting. I think it has earned a spot on my shelf of favourite old titles.

Goodreads Rating: * * **

Author: Powning, Beth

I read The Sea Captian’s Wife by this author and really liked it so I was looking forward to this continuation of the story. As I got into it I realized that the association with the previous book was slim and that may have coloured my view of this one.

Josephine is also a sea captain’s wife and she is asked to bid for a young English immigrant girl, Flora, who has become homeless. In the late 1880’s, the New Brunswick town where they live doesn’t have an alms house so the poor of offered, for a price, to the townspeople. Josephine is specifically requested to purchase Flora so she won’t go to a home where she may be abused. The story continues with a search for Flora’s younger sister and delves into the fight for women’s rights in Canada.

Goodreads Rating: * *