February 23, 2015
Against the backdrop of the Civil War and Ulysses S. Grant's rise to power, historical fiction writer Chiaverini's latest (after 2014's Mrs. Lincoln's Rival) imagines the fractured relationship between Grant's wife, Julia, and an enslaved woman named Jule, who had been a constant in Julia's life since childhood. Raised in Missouri by a slave-holding family, Julia Dent unexpectedly falls for her brother's northern friend. Though he attended West Point, Ulys is a humble soldier who just wants a quiet life as a mathematics professor. He and Julia endure a long courtship as the military often keeps him from her, a way of life that doesn't stop after they marry and the Civil War begins. Chiaverini does a good job of conveying the conflicting nature of Julia and Jule's relationship; despite their closeness, they will never be on even footing. Jule longs for a shot at happiness with groom Gabriel, a fellow slave. Important promises are broken, and Jule's resentment toward Julia grows. When the opportunity arises, Jule flees her former friend, which Julia sees as a betrayal. Careful not to cross paths with the Grants, Jule tries to make a life for herself with her hairdressing skills and keeps tabs as Ulys ascends the ranks of the Union Army. Since the story is filtered through a modern lens, some thoughts and actions occasionally seem anachronistic, but this doesn't detract from an engaging and informative book.
January 1, 2015
Two Julias, one born into prosperity, the other into slavery, witness the rise of the Civil War and the beginnings of Reconstruction.Chiaverini (Mrs. Lincoln's Rival, 2014, etc.) continues her series of domestic novels detailing the lives of women orbiting President Abraham Lincoln's political sphere. Spymistress Elizabeth Van Lew and dressmaker Elizabeth Keckley, from the author's earlier novels, make cameo appearances. We begin in antebellum Missouri, where Julia Dent, beautiful yet cursed with poor eyesight, grows up with another, enslaved Julia. She relies on her slave to see for her when her eyes tire, yet the dear friends have only the dimmest awareness that their master-slave relationship will cause trouble. The first sign of colliding interests is, of course, their name: Only one person can have the name "Julia" on the plantation, and that privilege goes to the master's daughter, who renames her bosom companion Jule. Their stories diverge as Julia becomes besotted with then-Lt. Ulysses S. Grant and Jule pines for Gabriel, part-time minister and enslaved stable boy. Julia's is a love story, filled with anxiety for her beloved Grant, whose military expertise and unassailable honor ensure not only his eventual presidency, but also Julia's unshakeable devotion. A woman from a slaveholding household married to a champion of the Union and of abolition, Julia struggles-for so long that it strains credulity-to square her upbringing with the increasingly obvious problems with slavery; even Jule has difficulty making Julia see the value of freedom. Able to read, a gifted hairdresser and determined to make her own mark on society, Jule is an intriguing character. Unfortunately, Julia's tale eclipses Jule's at every turn. Chiaverini's fans will love this light historical romance, but readers hoping for a fully imagined slave-to-freedwoman's journey will be disappointed.
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December 15, 2014
Chiaverini, well known for her Elm Creek Quilts series, has found great success recently with historical novels centered on the Civil War years, beginning with Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker (2013). Here she tells the story of Julia Grant, the wife of Union general and U.S. president Ulysses S. Grant. Despite her husband's well-known stance as a staunch abolitionist, Julia came from a slaveholding family. From her youth, Julia was close to her maid Jule, and the two were often inseparable. But as Jule matured, she became increasingly resentful of her slave status, which left her afraid to marry for fear that she would be separated from her husband. Meanwhile, Julia, insecure about her appearance, must rise to the occasion as her husband becomes increasingly prominent. When Jule finally makes the decision to run away, Julia is devastated, but it takes her years to finally recognize the inhumanity of the practice. Chiaverini so closely follows Grant's victories during the Civil War that readers may feel a tad battle weary by novel's end, but her depiction of the essential decency of some of our nation's early leaders is a high point.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)
February 15, 2015
With her stand-alone Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, the author of the "Elm Creek Quilts" series proved her ability to weave an engrossing novel that seamlessly entwines history and fiction. However, this volume, which purports to be the story of Julia Dent Grant and her childhood maid, Jule, is titled misleadingly. Although it somewhat chronicles the childhoods of both girls and follows Julia though her marriage to Ulysses S. Grant and widowhood, it is much more a novel about Grant, chronicling in great detail the general's Civil War campaigns, his presidency, private troubles, and death. To be sure, Julia accompanies him throughout, but this does not read like her story. Still Chiaverini's eye for detail coupled with an ability to breathe life into her characters ensures an engrossing period piece that does not fail to both entertain and inform. VERDICT Fans of Civil War fiction and readers who enjoyed the author's other historicals will find this title absorbing. [See Prepub Alert, 9/22/14.]--Pam O'Sullivan, Coll. at Brockport Lib., SUNY
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 15, 2014
Continuing her investigation of women in the Civil War period, begun with books like Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, Chiaverini recounts the marriage of Lt. Ulysses S. Grant to Missouri belle Julia Dent, who brought a slave named Julia (called Jule) to the marriage. With a five-city tour.
Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.