From Publishers Weekly
Smooth flashbacks carry this inventive romp through a 19th-century New England scandal, which opens at the deathbed of Henry Ward Beecher, the most brilliant preacher in America, in March of 1887. Around him are his many siblings, notably his famous sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of
Uncle Tom's Cabin. The deathwatch mirrors the moment when, 15 years earlier and further on in the book, the clan assembles to discuss a front-page story in Victoria Woodhull's newspaper that, in veiled language, accuses Henry of having an affair with parishioner Elizabeth Tilton, in which the two conduct orgies in front of her children. The result is (among other things) a punishing church committee hearing. Three years later, Henry's former protégé and parishioner, Theodore Tilton, files suit against Henry, charging alienation of affections. O'Brien (coauthor of
I Know Just What You Mean) takes the reader into the courtroom, a scene of such twists, betrayals and revelations that it will entertain even those who know how it ended-a tricky business since even Elizabeth, who has confessed, denied and confessed, wonders, Which of my stories was true? That the question remains just makes the telling juicier, and O'Brien delivers just enough history to make a reader feel virtuous while savoring the gossip.
(Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"
Harriet and Isabella takes us right into that fascinating place where power, morality, and human desire meet. In the skilled hands of Ms. O'Brien, the tragic story of the Beecher family becomes a compelling page-turner with unmistakable echoes in our own times." -- Thomas Dyja, author of
Play for a Kingdom"While everyone has heard of
Uncle Tom's Cabin and can name its famous author, few know the story of the distinguished family from which she came, the remarkable Beecher clan. In Harriet and Isabella, Patricia O'Brien has brought the Beecher family back to life. These passionate abolitionists, ardent preachers, and reformers are also touchingly fallible human beings, whose loves, feuds, and scandals provide O'Brien with more than a family drama, but rather the drama of an American era." -- Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
March"Patricia O'Brien has taken a familiar tale of scandal and self-destruction -- the trial of Henry Ward Beecher, with all its ramifications for post-Civil War America -- and has brought it back to life for us in Harriet and Isabella. Beautifully told, in it we see afresh how a family, caught up in their times and celebrated as an example to the nation, began to unravel as the result of Beecher's transgressions and his family's own conflicting loyalties. I found myself caught up in their times and their world through Ms. O'Brien's masterful storytelling." -- Robert Hicks, author of
Widow of the South"The trial of Henry Ward Beecher and its impact provoked an earthquake in the political life of the United States. Now, Patricia O'Brien has given the Beecher family its due long after the original scandal has faded away." -- Gore Vidal, author of
Lincoln"As compelling as it is lovely. The imagined world of perhaps the most influential woman in history, Harriet Beecher Stowe, is moving, vibrant, extraordinarily well informed, and unforgettable. Read and be haunted." -- Patricia Cornwell, bestselling author and descendant of Harriet Beecher Stowe
"
Harriet and Isabella is a taut, tension-filled novel about a close-knit family torn apart by accusations of adultery -- and because the family is among the most prominent in American history, the story unfolds against a panorama of abolitionism, politics, and suffrage, while remaining suffused with the small details of daily life which make historical fiction illuminating." -- Lauren Belfer, author of
City of Light"A vivid and expert narrative of deep and complex relationships...." -- Barbara Goldsmith, author of
Other Powers: The Age of Suffrage, Spiritualism and the Scandalous Victoria Woodhull"Riveting...a penetrating tale of sex and temptation and politics and family ties. It turns you into a front-row witness at one of the most sensational scandals of America's past. I couldn't put it down." -- Lynn Sherr, author of
Failure Is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony in Her Own Words"[O'Brien] smartly blends history about this fascinating family...a winning piece of historical fiction." --
Kirkus Reviews"This intriguing novel illuminates the era's political and social struggles as well as the stresses within a celebrity family." --
Library Journal
--This text refers to the
Paperback
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