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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars, mostly because *spoiler* I didn't feel as though the story between the two characters in the title was resolved. I felt like it kept going in that direction, but never made it. Otherwise, I enjoyed the novel, and look forward to picking up her other books.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is my favorite book by this author and I have read about 15 of the Elm Creek Quilts novels!
I will be reading the other historical fiction novels soon. Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this book. History comes alive! Anyone wanting to know more about the Civil War and U.S. Grant would do well to read this book.
I will be reading the other historical fiction novels soon. Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this book. History comes alive! Anyone wanting to know more about the Civil War and U.S. Grant would do well to read this book.
I received an advance review copy from publisher via NetGalley. A HUGE thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this opportunity to read and review.
This novel is about Julia Dent Grant and her love, support, and sacrifice for her husband, General Ulysses Grant. Its supposed to be about Mrs. Grant and her slave, Jule. And while we do hear Jule's story, it's only an afterthought sprinkled randomly within the story. The two contrasting narratives were not well-connected, and their relationship was never reconciled in the end. Julia needed better closure than what was penned - for half the novel its all Julia longed for.
What an amazing plot idea: A slave owner, married to an abolitionist and Union army general, and her slave who is never set free by said owner. Their arguments about slavery were the heart of this novel, but they never went far enough to challenge both sides of the relationship, only Jule's. Their dichotomy had such potential, but the author never views similar events through their different mind sets. Each narrative shifts through a sequential narrative.
Sadly, the narrative reads more like a text book and less like a novel. It held little to no emotional weight. Major events occured within a paragraph or two, and then the plot moved on. No time was spared over emotional speed bumps. Motivations were not fleshed out, and the author never found a way to let the readers attach emotionally to the characters.
The problem? No internal character dialogue. Sure, the author expresses emotions a character is feeling, but it is written as if the author is describing what the character is wearing instead of letting a reaction be expressed through character monologues. The historical facts and dates come in large quantities, and it's like the author is afraid to leave civil war events out. I can certainly tell there is a lot of research here. Late in the novel, the author even describes what the novel is suffering from through one of the characters: After General Grant is asked to write his own narrative regarding major battles of the civil war, one person critiques: "But there's no life in it, no sense of General Grant - what he felt, what he was doing or thinking. One might almost think he wasn't there." (quoted from Netgalley uncorrected proof, please verify with final version) Exactly! That is exactly how this whole story felt. I was forcing myself to finish the story.
Also, there was no narrative during General Grant's time as president. I was extremely confused by this. More time was spent discussing where he was sitting while writing his memoir instead of the challenges of the presidency. Two terms as elected president, and all that was written was about was Julia furnishing the private rooms when they first moved in? I'm not sure why the author glossed over these significant years yet wrote about almost every... single... battle General Grant fought in. It became too much like a time line and less like experienced events. "On July XX, they moved here..." "On August XX, the army marched there..." "On December XX, it felt like it was going to snow." Very dry narrations.
I had high expectations for this novel. Sadly, the title and novel description was misleading. I think the story of Mr. and Mrs. Grant's love story is a heartwarming one and could have been its own novel. I felt like that was what I was reading. The author did not challenge the readers when it came to Jule's narrative. Jule was supposed to bring a different tone to the story of the Civil War. Instead, she got left at the train station as the story about the Grants seemed to steamroll on without her.
I would like to share a quote I thought beautiful (again, from the NetGalley proof version of the novel): "A family circle was never truly complete except in memories and in hopes for the future."
I think a good idea for the book would be to include maps of the progress of General Grant's army between the chapters. I like maps in historical novels. I mean, if you're going to lose us in a sea of dates, at least give us a guide map. This is a 'tell' type of book vs a 'show.' It felt long and was anticlimactic at the end (again, its supposed to be about two women, and they never reconciled).
This novel is about Julia Dent Grant and her love, support, and sacrifice for her husband, General Ulysses Grant. Its supposed to be about Mrs. Grant and her slave, Jule. And while we do hear Jule's story, it's only an afterthought sprinkled randomly within the story. The two contrasting narratives were not well-connected, and their relationship was never reconciled in the end. Julia needed better closure than what was penned - for half the novel its all Julia longed for.
What an amazing plot idea: A slave owner, married to an abolitionist and Union army general, and her slave who is never set free by said owner. Their arguments about slavery were the heart of this novel, but they never went far enough to challenge both sides of the relationship, only Jule's. Their dichotomy had such potential, but the author never views similar events through their different mind sets. Each narrative shifts through a sequential narrative.
Sadly, the narrative reads more like a text book and less like a novel. It held little to no emotional weight. Major events occured within a paragraph or two, and then the plot moved on. No time was spared over emotional speed bumps. Motivations were not fleshed out, and the author never found a way to let the readers attach emotionally to the characters.
The problem? No internal character dialogue. Sure, the author expresses emotions a character is feeling, but it is written as if the author is describing what the character is wearing instead of letting a reaction be expressed through character monologues. The historical facts and dates come in large quantities, and it's like the author is afraid to leave civil war events out. I can certainly tell there is a lot of research here. Late in the novel, the author even describes what the novel is suffering from through one of the characters: After General Grant is asked to write his own narrative regarding major battles of the civil war, one person critiques: "But there's no life in it, no sense of General Grant - what he felt, what he was doing or thinking. One might almost think he wasn't there." (quoted from Netgalley uncorrected proof, please verify with final version) Exactly! That is exactly how this whole story felt. I was forcing myself to finish the story.
Also, there was no narrative during General Grant's time as president. I was extremely confused by this. More time was spent discussing where he was sitting while writing his memoir instead of the challenges of the presidency. Two terms as elected president, and all that was written was about was Julia furnishing the private rooms when they first moved in? I'm not sure why the author glossed over these significant years yet wrote about almost every... single... battle General Grant fought in. It became too much like a time line and less like experienced events. "On July XX, they moved here..." "On August XX, the army marched there..." "On December XX, it felt like it was going to snow." Very dry narrations.
I had high expectations for this novel. Sadly, the title and novel description was misleading. I think the story of Mr. and Mrs. Grant's love story is a heartwarming one and could have been its own novel. I felt like that was what I was reading. The author did not challenge the readers when it came to Jule's narrative. Jule was supposed to bring a different tone to the story of the Civil War. Instead, she got left at the train station as the story about the Grants seemed to steamroll on without her.
I would like to share a quote I thought beautiful (again, from the NetGalley proof version of the novel): "A family circle was never truly complete except in memories and in hopes for the future."
I think a good idea for the book would be to include maps of the progress of General Grant's army between the chapters. I like maps in historical novels. I mean, if you're going to lose us in a sea of dates, at least give us a guide map. This is a 'tell' type of book vs a 'show.' It felt long and was anticlimactic at the end (again, its supposed to be about two women, and they never reconciled).
Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini is a novel based on the life of Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant (Julia) and her slave, Jule. The novel starts in 1834 (prologue) and then jumps ahead ten years to the spring of 1844.
Julia Dent grew up in Missouri. Her father was a slave owner. When Julia was four years old, she was presented with Julia (they had the same name). Julia was a ginger colored slave. Since they had the same name, Julia changed her maid’s name to Jule. The Dent’s country home was near Jefferson Barracks which housed soldiers. Ulysses, a recent graduate of West Point, was stationed at Jefferson Barracks. Ulysses came from an abolitionist family in Ohio. Despite their differences Julia and Ulys (as Julia called him) fell in love. Despite her father’s reluctance (he did not think that Ulysses could provide for Julia nor did he think that she would like military life) the two married.
Jule grew up with Julia and learned how to read, write (despite the laws to the contrary), dress hair, and make special concoctions (for hair and skin). Jule was in love with Gabriel, the groom. However, she would not marry him for fear that she would have to leave him when Julia married Ulysses. After Julia marries Jule is told that she will not be going with her mistress. Ulysses has been stationed at a posting where there is no room for servants. Jule had always hoped that when Julia married Ulysses values would rub off on Julia. Jule’s primary goal was her freedom.
The book goes on to describe Ulysses’ career, Julia’s and Ulysses marriage, children, the Civil War, and life in the White House, and their later years. Julia’s views on slaves did not change for a long time. She viewed slaves as necessary to the function of a household and the lifestyle Julia was accustomed to. Julia thought slaves liked having a home provided for them as well as clothes and food despite Jule’s attempts to explain how she felt about slavery.
Jule was lucky enough to run away from Julia during a trip and received help escaping to Washington City (Washington D.C.). Jule found success as a hairdresser as well as making and selling her salves, lotions, and tonics. Jule ended up living her life in Brooklyn, New York.
I have tried to give you a brief (as brief as I get) overview of the book without giving away any spoilers. I give Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule 4.5 stars out of 5. It is a exceptional book with incredible writing, but I did not find it as satisfying as The Elm Creek Quilt series. I also wished the book had written more about Jule. The main focus of the book is Julia and Ulysses Grant. Jennifer Chiaverini is a master storyteller and Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule will keep your eyes riveted to its pages. This book can easily be read without reading the previous three books: Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival, and The Spymistress. Ms. Chiaverini’s next book is Christmas Bells: A Novel. It will be released on October 27, 2015 (according to Amazon.com).
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/03/mrs-grant-and-madame-jule.html
Julia Dent grew up in Missouri. Her father was a slave owner. When Julia was four years old, she was presented with Julia (they had the same name). Julia was a ginger colored slave. Since they had the same name, Julia changed her maid’s name to Jule. The Dent’s country home was near Jefferson Barracks which housed soldiers. Ulysses, a recent graduate of West Point, was stationed at Jefferson Barracks. Ulysses came from an abolitionist family in Ohio. Despite their differences Julia and Ulys (as Julia called him) fell in love. Despite her father’s reluctance (he did not think that Ulysses could provide for Julia nor did he think that she would like military life) the two married.
Jule grew up with Julia and learned how to read, write (despite the laws to the contrary), dress hair, and make special concoctions (for hair and skin). Jule was in love with Gabriel, the groom. However, she would not marry him for fear that she would have to leave him when Julia married Ulysses. After Julia marries Jule is told that she will not be going with her mistress. Ulysses has been stationed at a posting where there is no room for servants. Jule had always hoped that when Julia married Ulysses values would rub off on Julia. Jule’s primary goal was her freedom.
The book goes on to describe Ulysses’ career, Julia’s and Ulysses marriage, children, the Civil War, and life in the White House, and their later years. Julia’s views on slaves did not change for a long time. She viewed slaves as necessary to the function of a household and the lifestyle Julia was accustomed to. Julia thought slaves liked having a home provided for them as well as clothes and food despite Jule’s attempts to explain how she felt about slavery.
Jule was lucky enough to run away from Julia during a trip and received help escaping to Washington City (Washington D.C.). Jule found success as a hairdresser as well as making and selling her salves, lotions, and tonics. Jule ended up living her life in Brooklyn, New York.
I have tried to give you a brief (as brief as I get) overview of the book without giving away any spoilers. I give Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule 4.5 stars out of 5. It is a exceptional book with incredible writing, but I did not find it as satisfying as The Elm Creek Quilt series. I also wished the book had written more about Jule. The main focus of the book is Julia and Ulysses Grant. Jennifer Chiaverini is a master storyteller and Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule will keep your eyes riveted to its pages. This book can easily be read without reading the previous three books: Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival, and The Spymistress. Ms. Chiaverini’s next book is Christmas Bells: A Novel. It will be released on October 27, 2015 (according to Amazon.com).
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/03/mrs-grant-and-madame-jule.html
I enjoyed this book; however the title is misleading. I excited more interaction of the two women; whereas, there was more emphasis placed on Mr. and Mrs. Grant’s relationship. I am intrigued enough that I will seek out additional material about President Grant. Overall, a well written fiction novel based on historical figures and events.
I loved this book. I've always enjoyed reading about General Ulysses S. Grant and reading about his wife and her story was no different. I love how she is so kind hearted and how she becomes good friends with Jule. I love how we see Julia as a young lady and watch her grow into a wonderful woman. I love how Jule is able to marry and how she is finally able to buy her freedom. I love how she begins her own business and how she begins a life for herself becoming Madame Jule. I love how she has kids and how her daughter works for her. This is a great read if you like history. 10/10 stars.
more the love story of U.S. Grant & his wife Julia (of the title) than the story of Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule (Julia Grant's slave.) read if you enjoy civil war history as there's lots of it in the book almost to the point that it becomes more of a character than Madame Jule. i had to force myself to finish.