Hi all I know the chapter division seem very random, please bare with me as I am reading this via Nook and I figured this is the easiest way to divide the book into four instead of every 12.25 chapters.

I know that Bonnie know's Cape Cod very well, so any one who know this area and might have any nugget of information to share about it please do.

oooh-I didn't see that this was the book for the month.  I actually have it on my tbr shelves.  Maybe I'll give a discussion group a try.....

Jan

I started this today and got through chapter 10 before I even knew it! I'm really hating Nathan right now. And I'm so sad that her daughter is so cold towards her and her situation. Yeah, like she really WANTS to come live in your house with your cranky, controlling husband. Please! And helloo!! That was your dad that died. You could show a little compassion for goodness sake. Gah! I hope the Indian couple swoops her away from that house and helps her fight to keep her marital house. I thought it was cheeky of Sam to go over and cut wood while they were trying to negotiate the sale. Hahaha, I like him a lot so far. :)

And if I were her, I'd have thrown that large pot across the room at Nathan after he told me to leave it behind! And then I'd have marched all over the house, packing all kinds of craziness to spite him, too. I guess I was born in the right century, because I know I couldn't have sat idle and quiet through even half of what she has so far.

Yes, this book sucked me in right away too! I read 16 chapters already and I only started this morning and I worked a nine hour day.

I agree Kelly, Nathan is not a likeable guy and comes off greedy and arrogant. I would have expected the mother/daughter relationship to be stronger and more friendly. Mehitable is her only surviving child - I am puzzled by their stilted relationship. Mehitable does have a controlling husband and a lot on her plate with the stepchildren and she probably is hoping to have her own child soon. Perhaps she needs to age a little before she can appreciate an offer of extra help. I am guessing there may be a history between Mehitable and Lyddie that the author will reveal later.

I like Lyddie and I like the way Gunning has evolved her from compliant to tentatively assertive. And, I like the "plain" talk and occasional tongue-in-cheek humor from this plain talk.

Eben Freeman is a great character too. After he refused to lie for Nathan I was applauding him.

I'm enamored. I just decided last night to spend my 99 cents and buy it for my nook :-)

Jerelyn you are such a name dropper! LOL 

Well tho I think it is an easy read I find the lack of compassion from anyone other than Lyddie so depressing! Why do they just act like life has moved on? Is it to show the degree to which women were oppressed? Their grief wasn't  given any more consideration than a cow when a calf has been  slaughtered for dinner.

If I recall from reading other books on New England during this time period, these people, for the most part, were pretty unemotional and all about business. My DH is from Rhode Island and I have to say, that many people I've met from there are still like this for the most part - not ALL, mind you, but A LOT! It probably started with just trying to survive and after generations, became the norm. I'm sure many of you have heard about the clannisness and stand-offishness of New Englanders. That is probably beginning to thaw some, especially with the influx of folks from other areas and the mobility of our society.

I'm sure that some of our members who are from there - especially anyone who can go back a couple of generations - can shed more light on this.

I'm barely into this book and already I want to wring Nathan's fat little neck, the greedy little *&$%^#!

I love Eben!  And doesn't it just make sense that "Eben" is how you would shorten "Ebeneezer"?  I've never thought of that before and have no idea why such a random thing caught my eye.

The chapters just flew by.  The first few were so dreary, but then it picked up some.  The humor is very subtle and catches me off guard when it shows up. I'm wondering most about what will happen with the little girl Bethiah.  I hope her budding relationship with her step-grandmother gets to develop.

Well Jeanne I have lived in RI for the last 30 yrs and in MA for the 1st 20 yrs and I have heard that said but mostly from people who have never been here!  During the winter most people huddle inside but other than that we are a happy people!!

Great catch Christa!  I did not think of Ebeneezer!

Well now that you have me thinking of this I think mostly New Englanders don't like change. We generally resist changing anything our forefathers fought for and we will stand with our unions till death!

Oh Bonnie, I don't mean it as anything derogatory about New Englanders - just the way it usually is. I ran this by my DH who is at least third generation N.E. and he agreed, saying that most of them are rather "closed".  As he said "they were mostly Puritans - very strict, very regimented and some of that is still a little in the mix." Now, one of my SILs is very outgoing  - the other one, not at all and DH's brother is quieter and a "homebody". I think that with people they know, they are friendly, but "so-so" with others, and that's just the family ( I'm not talking about the friends, etc.).

My DH has been blown away by the friendliness of most of the people we've come into contact with here in the West. I'm from the mid-west and even there , they are not as open and friendly as out here, IMO. I think it's that "melting pot"  phenomena - throw a bunch of people together from all different places and they have to adjust to new ways - they do have to change....

It's ok Jeanne I know you would never be mean!  I really do think that some of the impressions of NE are a bit old perhaps. We hardly ever burn anyone anymore!

LOL! Bonnie! No, I can't say that I've ever seen any of that when I've been there!

I will say that when DH talks about his childhood upbringing, I feel like I was raised in Disneyland by comparison - but that may just have been his family!

Could be...I was raised by an Irish Rebel. We laughed and sang a lot! 

Ah, you must have been one of the really lucky ones, Bonnie! As I'm reading Widow's War, I see certain personality traits that remind me of DH's step-dad (his real father died when DH was 9 yrs old) and his step dad was another one whose family was in N.E. for generations. They had 80 acres in R.I. and it was all about work - getting all the chores done, clearing brush, etc., etc.- sounded more like boot camp to me, but DH maintains that it instilled a good work ethic into him. It certainly did that!

80 acres in RI isn't that the whole state? :p

Just about Letty!

BTW, I've finished this book because I just couldn't stop reading it. What a woman, that Lyddie and what great writing on the part of Gunning!

Ya'll I have a confession to make I haven't gone past about page 3.  A book landed on my door step that I just had to read. but I will be getting to this as soon as I am done this this book.

Your doing great BTW and I think that Jeanne picked a winner.

I'm just so glad that the readers are enjoying it - I know I did!

Jeanne, I had to finish it as well. I tried to pace myself to keep up with the discussion threads but I was just too interested in what Lyddie was going to do next.

I just may have to order the one that comes next: "Bound" which looks like it still includes Lyddie and Eben. I think I've become attached to these characters!