Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
Format: Bargain Price
Label: William Morrow
Manufacturer: William Morrow
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 320
Printing Date: February 01, 2006
Publishing house: William Morrow
Sale Popularity Level: 587259
Studio: William Morrow
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Product Description:
In a small Cape Cod village in 1761, one woman is about to engage in the struggle of her life, defying her family, friends, and neighbors in a fight for her freedom that resonates even today. . . .
When was it that the sense of trouble grew to fear, the fear to certainty? When she sat down to another solitary supper of bread and beer and pickled cucumber? When she heard the second sounding of the geese? Or had she known that morning when she stepped outside and felt the wind? Might as well say she knew it when Edward took his very first whaling trip to the Canada River. . . .
Lyddie has long been the wife of Edward Berry, a well-liked and successful whaler in Satucket Village, Massachusetts. Married for twenty years, Lyddie is used to the trials of being a whaling wife -- her husband's sudden departures, when whales are sighted in the bay; his long absences at sea, when she must run the house herself; the constant fear that one day Edward will simply not come home. But when the unthinkable does happen and Edward is lost at sea, Lyddie finds that she must bear not only the grief of losing her husband but also the insult of losing her autonomy. As a widow, she finds herself cast into society's cellar, her property and rights now at the whim of her nearest male relative, who happens to be her daughter's husband.
With her son-in-law -- who was never Lyddie's very first choice for her daughter -- implacable and hostile, Lyddie realizes she cannot live under his roof and under his decrees. Refusing to bow to both her “guardian” and the societal and legal pressures brought to bear upon her, Lyddie finds that defying one rule emboldens her to defy another . . . and another. As she moves back into the house she shared with Edward -- the house she is entitled to use only one-third of now -- and begins to figure out how she'll make a living on her own, she finds that her defiance earns her nothing but the abuse of friends and neighbors and puts her home and her family at risk. Ultimately, Lyddie must decide how much she values her personal freedom and how willing she is to become estranged from those she loves.
While conjuring the hearths and salt air of eighteenth-century colonial America, The Widow's War captures a timeless human longing. With rich, realistic characters, Sally Gunning weaves a tale of a woman's journey to understand herself and her world, and her place in that world. Honest and moving, The Widow's War is a stunning work of literary magic, a spellbinding tale from an assured and gifted writer.
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Rated by buyers 
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I really enjoyed this book. It was nicely written and was a quick read. Great if you love historical fiction.
Rated by buyers 
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Great historical information from the times and great attention to detail without burdening the reader of senseless details. I had a hard time getting into the story which is why I gave it a 4.5, yet once hooked, I was immersed. The main character is a strong, likeable character with a dry and dark sense of humour and wit. She was a feminist of early times and is an inspiration everywhere to women and hard work. The presence of Indians amoung the community of Cape Cod was also a great addtion to the novel.
Rated by buyers -
What a great read! Wonderful period detail, wonderful description of Cape Cod in 1761...great characters, interesting story/interesting intellectual concepts.......
Of late I have read so many books by my supposed "favorite" authors of many years, most of whom seem to be writing on remote control at this point. "The Widow's War" was such a great change of pace.
I haven't given a book 5 stars in quite a while..........Happy to do so for The Widow's War!
Rated by buyers 
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It would have been good historical fiction if the main character was not such a femme fatale. a little too unbelievable, her actions and her morals. Really a disppointment.
Rated by buyers -
When Lyddie Berrie's husband is drowned while hunting for whale in the ocean off Cape Cod, she falls under the "protection" of the law. This protection entails losing all her assets to her nearest male relative (in this case, a boorish son in law), allowing her either the use of only 1/3 of the home she shared with her husband (without any source of income), or forcing her to take up residence in the spare room of her son in law's home, bake her bread separately at the hearth on day's when the family doesn't need it, and become a useless relict at the ripe old age of 39! Lyddie rebels; she finds a lawyer and loophole in the law that requires her son in law to provide for her if she decides to set up a separate establishment. Lyddie's fight to remain vital, her struggle to continue as a person whose life matters, is what the book is all about. But it's also about daily life. The way it looked, the way it sounded, even the way it smelled. Lyddie's story is fascinating. The book never falters. The characters are vibrant, their interactions real and understandable. This is not Charles Dickens...even the villains are not pure evil. What this is, aside from a great read, is a window onto Lyddie's world, and a mirror of the very first faint stirrings of independency among the colonies: a fascinating look at life in New England in the 18th Century. From their clothing and how it was worn, to class interactions, sexual mores, social structure, even the meals that were eaten and how they were prepared -- every element of real life is seamlessly interwoven. I read the book in two sittings. During the second one, I armed myself with a tankard of ale. Read the book and you'll understand why. In fact, you might want to add a hunk of bread and a bit of cheese. You will be travelling back in time, and should take the appropriate provisions.
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