The Believers [Paperback]

Janice Holt Giles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 1989

"In her historical novels about Kentucky, Janice Holt Giles has become known for the integrity with which she handles her material and for the realism with which she writes. In The Believers, first published in 19567, she continues her series about the settling of Kentucky with a moving story of love and marriage set in a Shaker community.Rebecca Fowler is only seventeen when she marries Richard Cooper. She cannot remember a time when she has not loved and trusted him and followed where he led. At first the marriage is happy; it is only after their child is stillborn that Richard shows preliminary signs of religious fanaticism in his insistence that this is God's punishment visited upon the. The Shaker missionaries newly arrived in Kentucky find him an easy convert.When Richard joins the Shaker community, Rebecca goes with him, as a dutiful wife should, hoping that her love will ultimately win him back to her and to the larger world. She becomes part of a strange world in which men and women -- even husbands and wives -- live apart, coming together only for meals and for worship. As time passes and she sees Richard's affection recede, only her stubborn honesty gives her the strength to deny lip service to a doctrine she cannot truly accept and, at the last, courage to follow the dictates of her heart.In this novel, Mrs. Giles gives us a unique picture of everyday life in a Shaker village, one of the experiments in utopian communal living that are a part of American history. Realistically but with understanding, she shows us a society animated not only by saintliness but by bigotry and ordinary human frailties.Janice Holt Giles (1905-1979), author of nineteen books, lived and wrote near Knifley, Kentucky, for thirty-four years. Her biography is told in Janice Holt Giles: A Writer's Life."

Editorial Reviews

Review

""A delicious nibble of Giles' literary gifts."" -- Lexington Herald-Leader

""The book answers questions of Shaker beginnings and ending and beliefs while maintaining an easy flow enriched with just enough of the quaint regional dialect to add a distinctive flavor."" -- Chattanooga Times

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (September 2, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813101891
• ISBN-13: 978-0813101897
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #818,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Page Turner, December 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Believers (Paperback)

I found this book in the attic covered under piles of dust. I did not know what it was about as it did not have a cover or anything telling what the book was about. I decided to give it a try and was immediatly submersed in the world of the 1800's. I could not put the book down after the first page. it took me about 2 days to complete the whole book. The author, Giles, is very descriptive and exciting writer. Usually i do not like to read books set in the 1800's, but this book is excellent. It is about the life of Rebecca Fowler. It starts with her early life chasing the man she loves and evovles as Rebecca does into her life story. It talks of life in the wilderness and then life while she is involved in a Shaker community and life thereafter. This is an excellent book and i cannot wait to read more book written by Giles.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captures your imagination, explores another time and culture, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Believers (Paperback)

From beginning to end I was drawn into the lives of all the caratures. Being from Kentucky and visiting Shakertown, I was able to use my imagination and see different sides of how they lived. It brought out both the pros and cons to their living. I also liked how a woman in that time was able to be strong and go with her "beliefs".

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Historical Fiction, July 20, 2009

By 

Ty Falco (Fort Wayne, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Believers (Paperback)

This books takes you on journey through the eyes of an early pioneer of Kentucky into a Shaker community. It is well written with a compelling plot and keeps you interested until the end. Anyone who likes early pioneer history, Kentucky history, or religious communities of the 1800's will enjoy this book.