Phillip MarguliesReseñas

Frankly, I got the audio edition of this book because it was on sale, it was long, and I wanted to immerse myself in something not too serious right now. I was surprised to find it so interesting and entertaining. Belle Cora is a bit of a chameleon. She rolls with the punches, and life throws her quite a few of them. She ends up with a less than honorable profession, but is very good at it. The descriptions of Gold Rush California and of San Francisco were great. And Belle, through all her permutations, manages to power on. I really did enjoy these characters, even when sometimes I didn't much like them, and I enjoyed this long historical fiction. And it was made all the better because Belle Cora is based on a real person, not just a figment of the author's imagination.

Interesting premise and the execution was engaging enough.

The story of a tenacious woman who pushed through a barrage of changes and challenges in her life to survive in a young United States was well contrasted with the men in her life that she outshone.

This book could be used as an independent read for grade 5 because some of the material may not be suitable for all students. Some students may want to learn more about the witch trials that happened a long time ago or about the evolution of the United States Justice System, so it would still be available to them.

This was our selection for April's book club. What a great read! It's a historical novel about Arabella's life from her growing up on a farm to being a madam in a brothel. Yes it takes place in the 1800s and it was interesting to learn about the politics of that time.

For the rest of the review, visit my book blog at: http://angelofmine1974.livejournal.com/88737.html

I really wish more books were written like Belle Cora - as long, detailed, slightly juicy, vivid portraits of the past. Belle Cora is the tale of a fallen woman who becomes the madam of the best parlor house in San Francisco and eventually is embroiled in the scandalous trial of her lover Charles Cora. A rich novel full of history and salacious details, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

I enjoyed this book. I am familiar with many of the places that are mentioned in New York and Ohio. This book is slow until about halfway through when things start to pick up and get interesting, also a little slow at the end. It is worth sticking with it. The book seemed to drag and ramble on at the end. It is meant to be a memoir of a prostitute’s life. If you read this you must read the prologue and the afterword for the book to make sense. It contributes greatly to the understanding of the novel. It is based on a real madame’s story. This book was okay, but not spectacular. The beautiful Belle Cora a victim of circumstances becomes a prostitute and is hopelessly in love with Jeptha who is on his way to being a preacher. The love affair continues with many difficulties through out the book.

I wanted to like Belle Cora the person, but I just couldn’t. She is scheming and conniving and out for her own interests throughout the book. She was smart and beautiful and used that to get what she needed. The book is mostly how her choices affected her and her family members.

I did enjoy the history that was woven into the story and the historic events. I liked the information about the gold rush. I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Wow!!! Perfect!! I absolutely adored this book! It's going on my All time Favorites shelf right now. Do I recommend it? Yes! READ. THIS. BOOK. It's historical fiction at its very best.

Loved this sprawling historical novel which at times made me think of Gone With The Wind: ambitious young woman making hard choices to survive and then relentless in her prosperity. Society be damned. There is even a highly satisfying love triangle of sorts (nothing like GWtW) full of complications that befit *real* relationships. Loved the characters: Belle, her brother Lewis, her lovers Jeptha and Charley Cora, were developed so richly that I can't stop thinking about them. I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.

The first time I began reading this book, it was a sample excerpt from Kindle which in no way did the book justice. It began in the first chapter. To really "get" this book, one must read the Foreward and Author's Introduction, which set the stage and give the background information necessary for understanding the story. I am so glad I picked up a print version and tried again. I truly loved this book. After surviving the San Francisco earthquake, a wealthy elderly woman reveals her life story as a former madam. The story begins with her childhood in New York City, where she was part of a large, well-to-do family. I won't provide spoilers, but the story follows her throughout her life and loves, triumphs and tragedies until she decides to give up being a madam and assume a respectable identity where no one knows her past. As a lover of historical fiction, I found this book fascinating.

I can't believe I read the WHOLE Thing... in 3 days!
It's the new Gone with the Wind!!!
590 pages - couldn't put it down, didn't want it to end.
READ IT!!!!!

What a surprisingly good portrait of a good girl gone bad in prostitute/madam Belle Cora, based on an actual person. In early childhood, Arabella Godwin lives in upper middle class comfort in New York City due to her grandfather’s commercial wealth. Her father is ineffectual and melancholy and her mother is dying of TB. On her death, followed shortly by her father's mysterious same, the family is split, and Belle and her younger brother, Lewis, are sent to live on a “healthy” farm among relatives in upstate New York.

This family of mean-spirited Christians is crude and brutal to the children, but Belle discovers love (for handsome preacher-to-be, Jeptha). However, she is raped by her cousin and made pregnant. She flees back to NYC, has her baby and at first works in a cotton mill, trying to make an honest living. But the seductive lure of better money and living conditions leads her to become a professional resident in a whorehouse.

Belle's love life is complicated by an affair with Charles Cora, a gambler who becomes her protector. But Belle's life shifts again and she ends up traveling by ship to California shortly after the gold rush, now a "reformed" woman married to Jeptha from whom she shields her sordid past. Before long, her new life disintegrates when Jeptha learns the truth about her past. Once again, Belle lands on her feet and makes her fortune in San Francisco as a madam, becoming rich if not respectable. She gets involved in local politics and proves a loyal friend to the end to her long-time gambler lover who becomes her second husband, standing by him when he is victimized by corrupt politicians.

The story is told in flashback when Belle is an old woman with plenty of time to give a fairly objective account of her remarkable life, her times, historical events, and personal relationships.

Margulies’ theme is loyalty above all, even when it demands great sacrifices from us. Belle’s, Lewis’, and Charles', and Jeptha's (more complicated struggle with) loyalty are central to the book.

While not fresh in style, nor polished in literary prose, the book keeps one reading because Belle’s honesty, forthrightness, and “unsinkability” are compelling. In fact, this story and its heroine remind one of both "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" and Becky Thatcher of Vanity Fair. And we can always appreciate another member in those ranks of enterprising women.½

This was honestly one of the best books that I have read in a long time. The funny thing is that I almost stopped reading it about a third of the way through. I didn't almost stop reading it because I thought it was badly written or that it was boring. I almost stopped reading it because I felt so connected with the main character and she kept having bad things happen to her and I just didn't know if I could take more of that. I am so happy that I decided to continue reading it.

I can't recall feeling this connected to a character in a long time as I felt with the main character Arabella. She goes by many names throughout this book but I am just going to call her Arabella. This is written as though Arabella has written a book about her life (and this book is actually based on a real woman named Belle Cora, which is a name that Arabella goes by in this book). I really liked getting to read everything from her point-of-view and the fact that it was written as though it was an autobiography really enhanced the story for me.

Throughout her adulthood Arabella does some pretty unsavory things: prostitution, becomes a famous madame, and much more. You would think that because of those things that she wouldn't be a character that you would sympathize with or even like. I loved Arabella and while reading this book it felt like I was Arabella (well maybe not with the prostitution parts). Whenever she was wronged, I wanted vengeance; whenever she was sad, I was sad. I think that most of the reasons why she ends up the way she does is because of the way she was treated by her family when she was sent to live with her aunt and uncle. No matter what she ended up doing I still rooted for her.

The one thing that Arabella wants most throughout this book is Jeptha Talbot's love. She originally fell in love with Jeptha while she was living with her aunt and uncle and spends her life trying to gain Jeptha's love. For most of the book I thought that Jeptha just wasn't the right man for her. They were so different that I felt like he would never make her happy and she could never really make him happy either. As I neared the end of the book I realized that I was wrong. Jeptha's love could have been the one thing to truly save her.

This was such a beautifully written book that highlighted what life was like in San Francisco during the gold rush. Through Arabella's story you get to see the corruption in politics during those times, what life in a parlor house was like, and all the rebuilding of the city after fires and a major earthquake.

I would highly recommend this book to someone looking for a fascinating historical fiction novel.

I saw the cover for Belle Cora months ago - I believe it was with the initial buzz going around on the book blogs. I was fascinated and I can't really explain why. Every once in a while I get a bee in my bonnet and decide that I want to read some epic life story and usually I zone in on the most innocuous of things. The corset on the cover of Belle Cora, the roses on the cover of Leila Meacham's Roses, the word Eden in Steinbeck's East of Eden (I'm not comparing books, just epic journeys dealing with someone's life). Next thing you know, I'm obsessed and, in spite of knowing, usually, that the little thing I'm fixed on may not make up for the entire book, I still dive in the first chance I get.

Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Feb. 23, 2014.

An amazing book about an amazing woman and loosely based on a real life 19th century prostitute. How does one go from being a well sought out prostitute to a dowager of stellar reputation on San Francisco's Nob Hill?

In this novel, written as a two part memoir the reader finds out exactly how this happened. Generally I am not a big fan of first person narrations, but in this book it worked wonderfully well. Belle is an amazing woman, of unquestionable strength and her story is engaging and vividly portrayed. The amount of history covered is staggering, the amount of research that went into this book is nothing short of amazing.

I loved this story about a woman, a victim who takes charge and shapes her life as she so wants. So hard to do in the 19th century when women has so little say or control over their own lives. Another thing I find interesting is that this book is written by a man. Seriously, I could not tell. Well written, history from the textile mills to the Gold Rush, the San Francisco fire with is the scene where the book begins, are all wonderfully described. I was hooked from the very beginning.

Belle Cora is a big, grand sweeping tale that covers a multitude of themes, many of which could be explored by a reviewer for days. Even a synopsis of this novel could get lengthy (I know, I started one and gave up) but it wouldn't do justice to the work behind this saga by Phillip Margulies. The novel is set in the mid-1800s to early 1900s and is told by Arabella Godwin, a woman who goes from being the daughter of a wealthy man in NYC to the madam of a house of ill repute in San Francisco. In between she lives a life of rural poverty, works in a clothing mill, marries a preacher, and sails around Cape Horn.

Through Margulies Belle is written as a real woman. One who, within in her own being, is true to a strict ethical code. She does not choose a life of prostitution but comes and goes to it out of necessity. She knows exactly what she is and makes no effort to hide it even when the times dictate that she should renounce her career to save her own skin. Instead, she uses her trade to forge connections, extract promises and exert influence when she needs it. While for some Belle is not a woman to be admired I found her to be strong, intelligent, and fiercely loyal. Her sense of style and humor made her even more interesting.

In the same way that Margulies creates a woman of many layers, he re-creates the world around her.
Through his careful research we experience the poor rural areas of upstate New York where a religious sect predicted the end of the world in 1844. We travel by sea down around Cape Horn with an assortment of passengers from around the world. When Belle land in San Francisco we get to experience the first iteration of what will be a magnificent city but is now only a muddy mess populated with violent men and few women living in tents with trenches for bathrooms. A true frontier, this San Francisco will burn to the ground and rebuild numerous times in its pursuit of gold.

Belle Cora is not an introspective book. Arabella is a pragmatic woman who takes the highs and lows of life in stride and wastes little time in thinking about what might have been or could be. Even her lifelong love for a man whose nature is the antithesis of hers does not stop her from living her life without him when she must. Pathos, recrimination? No, not for Belle. She wins, she loses but she lives. Right off the page, she lives.

Talk about living history, as soon as you pick up this book you are walking in Arabella's shoes. There were many times when I was wanting to help this girl/woman. Such tragedy she suffered as a young girl, born with the preverbal silver spoon, and then having it all gone.
Rejection by Grandparents, broke my heart. This book has it all, lots of historical times...walking San Francisco, and living in the moments. We even experience of the Civil War, and losses. Travel around 1800's New York City.
Can't say I agree with her profession, and her recruiting, but the story of what made her who she was is excellent. If you are looking for a story of the raw life in California...Gold Rush time, this is for you. It is a rather long book, but very rich. Enjoy!

I received this book through the publisher Doubleday, and Edleweiss, and was not required to give a positive review.

If anything, Belle Cora questions what it means to be bad or good. Through Arabella’s journey from New York City to San Francisco, Mr. Margulies casts doubt on the true meaning of these arbitrary adjectives. At the same time, he raises questions about the oldest profession in the world as he forces readers to see that life from Belle’s up-close perspective. Her initial abhorrence of such a life, followed swiftly by acceptance of its perks, her reluctance to leave that life with its perks, and her eventual flaunting of her position support Belle’s opinion that such a life is not as horrible as her experiences in more pious societies. The fact that she accepts even the worst behaviors among her clientele but refuses to forgive those from her childhood who caused her the most heartbreak is telling. Indeed, it is a scathing commentary on the hypocrisy of religion, politics, the law, and everything else that most people consider to be good in society both then and today.

Belle Cora is like Scarlett O’Hara had Scarlett grown up without money and connections. She is ruthless, fiercely independent, intelligent, devoted, and fearless. The tough lessons taught to her by her aunt and her cousins serve her in good stead as she learns how to not only survive but to thrive in corrupt and remorseless New York City. One may not support her methods but will still admire her resolute determination to succeed.

The love story within Belle Cora is a poignant surprise. One never expects her childhood crush on Jeptha to last as long, to become as complicated and adult, and to be quite as endearingly sweet as it does. More importantly, just as Belle’s chosen profession examines society’s opinion of right and wrong, Jeptha and Belle’s relationship further probes the issue. Both make unique and costly decisions to be with one another, sometimes to the detriment to their individual benefit as well as that of their relationship.

Belle Cora is ambitious in scope and excellent in execution. The topics addressed and the questions poised create a story that refuses to let go of a reader, burrowing under a reader’s skin and forcing one to consistently evaluate previous assumptions, values, belief systems, and the like. Its vibrant and thorough descriptions of a bygone era create a full-fledged image replete with aromas. Along with its unforgettable characters, Belle Cora is a book for the ages.

I had originally planned to review Belle Cora by Phillip Margulies closer to its publication date but I decided I couldn’t wait that long. This novel is inspired by a real person and has quite rightly been compared to Defoe’s Moll Flanders and Thackery’s Vanity Fair. Sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do if she’s to survive. So, if you like an engrossing story about a smart, good girl gone bad and/or you’re a historical fiction fan, this Civil War era tale may be just the thing to put on your TBR list for January. Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=6879.

What a great book for a history buff!! This book is full of names and dates to some of the most talked about trials ever.

Very informative.

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

THE DEVIL ON TRIAL takes the reader on a journey through the evolving justice system of the United States. A fact-based reference; the authors use five very distinct historical trials to demonstrate the changing cultures as our country grew from the days of the Puritans to post-September 11, 2001.

The first case presented is the Salem Witch Trials. It's appalling to learn that those accused in the early days weren't offered defense counsel. The accused were better off admitting to crimes that they were innocent of and having their lives spared. Those that denied any wrongdoing were sent to the Gallows.

In sharp contrast to the Salem Witch Trials, the trials (yes, there was more than one) of Alger Hiss demonstrate that a fair trial can be achieved even in the face of distorted testimony and massive media coverage. In the age of the Cold War and the fear of Communist infiltration, Alger Hiss was accused of secretly spying on the State Department for which he was a high-level employee. Even years after his trial, controversy surrounds his guilt or innocence. Richard Nixon, prior to becoming president, was part of the investigative panel reviewing Alger Hiss.

Another trial that was better known than others of the time is the Scopes Monkey Trial. The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) convinced a young school teacher, John Scopes, to come forward and admit to teaching evolution in his classroom. They offered to pay all his fees and support him. As a young teacher with no family, he had little to lose in the deal. The ACLU had a secret agenda, though; it was going to take on the government to prove the unconstitutionality of the law. A strong Christian Fundamentalist and possible future presidential hopeful, William Jennings Bryan, agreed to prosecute the case. And when Clarence Darrow volunteered his services as defense attorney, the stage was set for a battle of wills. At the time, Tennessee was put in the spotlight, with a legal battle between the Bible and evolution. But sticking to the primary crux of the case, the presiding judge found Scopes guilty on the issue of teaching evolution and refused to hear the defense's position.

The book also covers the Chicago Haymarket Bombing as well as the more current 9/11 attack on the United States. The bombing case, as with the Salem Witch Trials, astounds the reader at the lengths that were went to in order to prove people guilty, even without proof. And everyone has an opinion on the 9/11 attacks.

For anyone even remotely interested in the legal aspect of the United States, THE DEVIL ON TRIAL will not disappoint. The book is filled with fascinating details of the justice system of this country. Definitions are spelled out, aided by a glossary at the back of the book. The authors do not choose sides on the cases, but point out the fall-out and improvements that each case brought to this country. The content is appropriate for sixth grade and beyond.