Genevieve Morrissey

This historical novel is more a love story than a murder mystery. Although the death of a mill worker and the subsequent trial of the local minister is the impetus for the plot, the novel centers around the marriage of Rachel and Josiah Woodley. Rachel's desire to clear her husband's name, someone whom she does not fully understand, leads her to push social conventions and come to understand herself and her husband more fully. The actual whodunit aspect of the novel is forced and the revelation of what happened to Mary Hale, the dead mill worker, seems to come out of nowhere.

Nevertheless, the relation between Rachel and Josiah is developed well, and the social conventions and prejudices of early-19th century New England is nicely detailed.… (más)

Milltown in 1832

A five-month pregnant young girl was found hanged. When Rachel Woodley, the wife of one of the church's ministers, tells her husband about Mary Hale's death, he packs up and leaves Milltown to visit his sister. Soon after, he is arrested and sent to prison. Everything indicates that he killed Mary Hale and was the father of her child. Rachel, however, tries to find something that will prove her husband's innocence and save him from hanging.

The author nicely described the lives of both men and women, but also the ideology of influencing others in the 19th century. At that time, women had no power and were constant victims of social discrimination. But that didn't stop Rachel from investigating. I was eager to read this book. The plot was engaging and full of twists. The characters were wisely chosen to further engage the reader in the story. Kitty, Rachel's maid, was a young and brave person who added a touch of humor to the story.

I loved this book.… (más)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I agree with the very positive BookLife review of it (and can see why it’s one of their “Editor’s Picks”). The story is inspired by a notorious murder case from 1832 in New England. In this telling, the novel focuses on Rachel Woodley, whose marriage to the Reverend Josiah Woodley is already struggling when Josiah is arrested and charged with the murder of a pregnant young mill girl. When Rachel realizes no one at Josiah’s church is trying to exonerate her husband, she finds it is up to her to investigate—a process that Rachel finds arduous but which draws her out of her shell and leads to many revelations. The writing is superb, with compelling dialog and believable characters. But what is special is the author’s deep understanding of cultural history. The novel takes the reader on a personal exploration of women’s lives in small-town America in the early 19th century, delivering a rich, well-paced narrative. Highly recommended.… (más)