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sdbecque's review against another edition
4.0
“The world seemed to be shifting under his feet, as were ideas about who was fit to sit in judgment of whom.” - Patricia Miller, Bringing Down the Colonel
If you’ve been following along, you’ve probably seen this book appear on my various TBR pictures since December. I’ve been wanting to read it since I heard it discussed on @bookriot ’s non-fiction podcast, For Real, and because it was the @belletrist book of the month in November, but after a wait to get the library book, it kept getting pushed down on my TBR.
I finally tackled it, taking it with me to a Pi Phi event in St. Louis two weekends ago, which of course, was a rookie mistake. I never get much reading down at Pi Phi events, there’s no time! I think I read a total of 10 sleepy pages over the course of two nights and took this photo of it in front of the Arch.
As I mentioned on Saturday, there’s a lot to keep track of in this book, but the main story revolves around Madeline Pollard who sued Col. W.C.P. Breckinridge, a five-term House representative from Kentucky, for breach of promise to marry. There’s a lot of interesting history and explanation here, including an explanation of how, for the Puritans, for example, out of wedlock babies weren’t really such a big deal even though we tend to think of them having scarlet letter type shame. Normally these lawsuits didn’t go well for the women, but Pollard had some factors on her side. It’s definitely an interesting an relevant read!
If you’ve been following along, you’ve probably seen this book appear on my various TBR pictures since December. I’ve been wanting to read it since I heard it discussed on @bookriot ’s non-fiction podcast, For Real, and because it was the @belletrist book of the month in November, but after a wait to get the library book, it kept getting pushed down on my TBR.
I finally tackled it, taking it with me to a Pi Phi event in St. Louis two weekends ago, which of course, was a rookie mistake. I never get much reading down at Pi Phi events, there’s no time! I think I read a total of 10 sleepy pages over the course of two nights and took this photo of it in front of the Arch.
As I mentioned on Saturday, there’s a lot to keep track of in this book, but the main story revolves around Madeline Pollard who sued Col. W.C.P. Breckinridge, a five-term House representative from Kentucky, for breach of promise to marry. There’s a lot of interesting history and explanation here, including an explanation of how, for the Puritans, for example, out of wedlock babies weren’t really such a big deal even though we tend to think of them having scarlet letter type shame. Normally these lawsuits didn’t go well for the women, but Pollard had some factors on her side. It’s definitely an interesting an relevant read!
harlequingemma's review
4.0
You want to read a book like this and think wow, things have changed so much in the past 100+ years. But no. It's almost depressing how familiar even the details of this story are! Could have been ripped from multiple modern headlines.
Good read though. Well-researched and I liked how the author dovetailed the trial and information into a larger picture of how Madeline's story and the trial effected women and the politics of the day. And how it wasn't so much a singular thing but how sick and tired women were of the huge double-standard.
Good read though. Well-researched and I liked how the author dovetailed the trial and information into a larger picture of how Madeline's story and the trial effected women and the politics of the day. And how it wasn't so much a singular thing but how sick and tired women were of the huge double-standard.
kleonard's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this journalistic account of how Madeline Pollard, the mistress of a Kentucky bigshot, successfully sued him for breach of contract when he refused to marry her--having repeatedly promised to do so--after the death of his wife. Miller gets into the social and sexual politics and mores of the time, the roles and activities of women, and how Pollard's suit exposed and challenged the double standard women face. Appropriate reading for this particular point in history, and an engaging read to boot.
shannonrose's review
4.0
Patricia Miller accomplishes here a very detailed, in-depth investigation of the nineteenth-century scandal that was brought to trial and changed how America looked at women’s sexuality. Madeline Pollard was considered “ruined” by an affair with a high-ranking government official, but she fought back, and won. The trial described within these pages brought to light events and women’s rights struggles that echo those of current times and proves that there is nothing new under the sun.
Perfect for History buffs!
Perfect for History buffs!
queenbeemimi's review
4.0
I don’t remember anymore where I heard about this book but I’m glad I did. Part courtroom drama, part lurid affair details, part examination of the historical context of breach of promise lawsuits and changing sexual mores, this is a thrilling read.
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