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jamiejanae_6's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Toxic relationship, Classism, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Medical content, Racism, Terminal illness, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Abortion, Death of parent, Rape, and Sexual assault
kelly_e's review
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Title: The Stolen Marriage
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: October 3, 2017
T H R E E • W O R D S
Captivating • Complex • Mysterious
📖 S Y N O P S I S
One mistake, one fateful night, and Tess DeMello’s life is changed forever.
It is 1944. Pregnant, alone, and riddled with guilt, twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly gives up her budding career as a nurse and ends her engagement to the love of her life, unable to live a lie. Instead, she turns to the baby’s father for help and agrees to marry him, moving to the small, rural town of Hickory, North Carolina. Tess’s new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows her no affection. Tess quickly realizes she’s trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.
The people of Hickory love and respect Henry but see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain. When one of the town’s golden girls dies in a terrible accident, everyone holds Tess responsible. But Henry keeps his secrets even closer now, though it seems that everyone knows something about him that Tess does not.
When a sudden polio epidemic strikes Hickory, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital. Tess knows she is needed and defies Henry’s wishes to begin working at there. Through this work, she begins to find purpose and meaning. Yet at home, Henry’s actions grow more alarming by the day. As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle the truth behind her husband’s mysterious behavior and find the love—and the life—she was meant to have?
💭 T H O U G H T S
In September the group of us making our way through Diane Chamberlain's backlist chose to read The Stolen Marriage. I'll admit this is one of her titles that I was most anticipating. Personally, I have been enjoying her historical centric novels more than her others, as there is always an element of mystery.
Centered around historical events, this novel is incredibly well-researched and crafted. Intertwining themes of race relations, the polio epidemic, and women's rights during the mid-40s in America, Diane delivers a fictionalized story packed with secrets, betrayals, and forgiveness. Tess was a strong female lead, and the rest of the characters were life-like creating a very plausible storyline. The writing creates suspicion in Henry's behaviour and I really couldn't put my finger on what he had going on. The twists were realistic for the times and I absolutely loved how the setting played its own part in the story.
There are so many different reasons why I love reading, one of which is stories that make me reflect, and this one certainly did that. It's a portrait in how one simple decision can alter everything, changing your life path entirely. At various moments, I found myself attempting to put myself in Tess' shoes to figure out what I'd do if put in a similar situation.
The Stolen Marriage was another hit from Diane Chamberlain, and among my favourites so far. A lot happens from the beginning to the end, yet at it's core this is a powerful story of love. It is this takeaway that really sticks with me. I look forward to continuing my exploration of Diane's backlist.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Diane Chamberlain fans
• readers looking for American historical fiction
• bookclubs
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: October 3, 2017
T H R E E • W O R D S
Captivating • Complex • Mysterious
📖 S Y N O P S I S
One mistake, one fateful night, and Tess DeMello’s life is changed forever.
It is 1944. Pregnant, alone, and riddled with guilt, twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly gives up her budding career as a nurse and ends her engagement to the love of her life, unable to live a lie. Instead, she turns to the baby’s father for help and agrees to marry him, moving to the small, rural town of Hickory, North Carolina. Tess’s new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows her no affection. Tess quickly realizes she’s trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.
The people of Hickory love and respect Henry but see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain. When one of the town’s golden girls dies in a terrible accident, everyone holds Tess responsible. But Henry keeps his secrets even closer now, though it seems that everyone knows something about him that Tess does not.
When a sudden polio epidemic strikes Hickory, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital. Tess knows she is needed and defies Henry’s wishes to begin working at there. Through this work, she begins to find purpose and meaning. Yet at home, Henry’s actions grow more alarming by the day. As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle the truth behind her husband’s mysterious behavior and find the love—and the life—she was meant to have?
💭 T H O U G H T S
In September the group of us making our way through Diane Chamberlain's backlist chose to read The Stolen Marriage. I'll admit this is one of her titles that I was most anticipating. Personally, I have been enjoying her historical centric novels more than her others, as there is always an element of mystery.
Centered around historical events, this novel is incredibly well-researched and crafted. Intertwining themes of race relations, the polio epidemic, and women's rights during the mid-40s in America, Diane delivers a fictionalized story packed with secrets, betrayals, and forgiveness. Tess was a strong female lead, and the rest of the characters were life-like creating a very plausible storyline. The writing creates suspicion in Henry's behaviour and I really couldn't put my finger on what he had going on. The twists were realistic for the times and I absolutely loved how the setting played its own part in the story.
There are so many different reasons why I love reading, one of which is stories that make me reflect, and this one certainly did that. It's a portrait in how one simple decision can alter everything, changing your life path entirely. At various moments, I found myself attempting to put myself in Tess' shoes to figure out what I'd do if put in a similar situation.
The Stolen Marriage was another hit from Diane Chamberlain, and among my favourites so far. A lot happens from the beginning to the end, yet at it's core this is a powerful story of love. It is this takeaway that really sticks with me. I look forward to continuing my exploration of Diane's backlist.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Diane Chamberlain fans
• readers looking for American historical fiction
• bookclubs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Medical content
Moderate: Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Car accident, Abortion, Death, Racism, and Death of parent
Minor: War, Terminal illness, Alcohol, and Grief
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