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A review by mrsburg528
The Homesman by Glendon Swarthout
4.0
The Homesman was the selection for Book Club this month. I found it easy to read and well written. It moved at a good pace and at no point did I feel bored with the story. I probably wouldn't have read this book if it had not been for Book Club.
I was intrigued by the story line and the concept of the Homesman. I found the stories of the 4 women to be tragic, but I appreciated the way Glendon Swarthout presented them to the reader. I found myself curious what had made the other 3 women crazy and I was thankful to have been filled in as the reader made their way through the introductory chapters.
The character of Briggs was an interesting person who I found myself to appreciate as the story continued along. I felt for him when they left him with the noose around his neck hung up on his horse. What an awful way to stay the night. I appreciated the person he became at the end of the story and the way in which part of his character changed into someone who had compassion and at least a little bit of empathy, if not still some of his sour, no good behavior still. I kind of left the book wondering if maybe George Briggs had gone a bit crazy as well with the way the book ended.
I did find it disappointing when Mary Bee Cuddy hung herself, and I can honestly say I didn't see that coming AT ALL! I was taken aback and felt let down by Swarthout. While I understand that the book is fairly realistic and the odds of a woman surviving that trip back to Iowa with 4 women who had lost their minds and a brute of a man were extremely unlikely, I also felt like Mary Bee Cuddy should have been the exception to the rule. I desperately wanted to see her accomplish what she set to do and to be the heroine that the women in her care and George Briggs needed. I had to put the book down after that revelation and pick it up the next day after I had time to digest what had happened.
I was glad all the women in their care made it back to Iowa and I was hopeful they would actually make it back to their homes, even though I had concerns that the Svendsen woman would murder her host family. She had some of the more dangerous tendencies.
I would probably recommend this book to other people, while at the same time, making sure I thought the death of Mary Bee would be something they would be able to handle.
I am considering reading more of Glendon Swarthout's books in the future.
I was intrigued by the story line and the concept of the Homesman. I found the stories of the 4 women to be tragic, but I appreciated the way Glendon Swarthout presented them to the reader. I found myself curious what had made the other 3 women crazy and I was thankful to have been filled in as the reader made their way through the introductory chapters.
The character of Briggs was an interesting person who I found myself to appreciate as the story continued along. I felt for him when they left him with the noose around his neck hung up on his horse. What an awful way to stay the night. I appreciated the person he became at the end of the story and the way in which part of his character changed into someone who had compassion and at least a little bit of empathy, if not still some of his sour, no good behavior still. I kind of left the book wondering if maybe George Briggs had gone a bit crazy as well with the way the book ended.
I did find it disappointing when Mary Bee Cuddy hung herself, and I can honestly say I didn't see that coming AT ALL! I was taken aback and felt let down by Swarthout. While I understand that the book is fairly realistic and the odds of a woman surviving that trip back to Iowa with 4 women who had lost their minds and a brute of a man were extremely unlikely, I also felt like Mary Bee Cuddy should have been the exception to the rule. I desperately wanted to see her accomplish what she set to do and to be the heroine that the women in her care and George Briggs needed. I had to put the book down after that revelation and pick it up the next day after I had time to digest what had happened.
I was glad all the women in their care made it back to Iowa and I was hopeful they would actually make it back to their homes, even though I had concerns that the Svendsen woman would murder her host family. She had some of the more dangerous tendencies.
I would probably recommend this book to other people, while at the same time, making sure I thought the death of Mary Bee would be something they would be able to handle.
I am considering reading more of Glendon Swarthout's books in the future.