There isn't much that I can add to the previous reviews on the beautiful story. The writing is great, the story is told with warmth and compassion and the characters are real. While some couldn't lay it down, to me each chapter gave so much more that what the words simply said, there was so much thought given to each sentence that to truly appreciate it I had to stop and think and contemplate. The story was presented at two critical levels; an interesting compelling story about a part of our history we seldom think about, the second part is an emotional introspection of how people learn to live with a situation that most of us cannot imagine. It isnt simply the death of a beloved son, it isn't about living a life where you are considered by many as a non person. It is more about recognizing yourself recognizing your worth and learning the worth you have as a person. Doing all of this quietly and with strength. Giving back to a world that the only way you can change it is to give strength and understanding to those the world feels have little value.

Being able to present this is simply an amazing writing accomplishment. ( )

*Note: I had no idea there was a prior novel to this story while reading The Orphan Mother. That being said, I also can feel it can also be read as a standalone.

The Orphan Mother is a historical novel set in the time of the civil war. The main protagonist, Mariah, goes on a journey of truth after her son is brutally murdered.What I appreciated most about the novel is that Hicks keeps the book realistic and accurate to the historical period. He doesn’t sugarcoat the high racial tensions after the Civil War and throughout the book there is a lot of animosity and tension in the air. Even though slavery is over African-Americans are still expected to be unseen, and the cities are highly segregated.

Mariah is quiet, skillful, and is set in her ways. She is a widowed midwife and has to deal with the death of her son after he perishes in a violent mob. As she slowly recovers from her son’s death, she feels as if she has lost everything because she is now all alone. Seeking the truth behind her son’s death and trying to put together the pieces of the mystery fills her life with a purpose once again. While Mariah is independent she is equally stubborn and doesn’t know how to break free from her old life. This inner turmoil is played out throughout the entire novel.

The other leading character named Tole is a free man from New York who is trying run away from his past. He chases down his demons down with alcohol while trying to make a better life for himself in Franklin. When he is drug into a job as a hit man, things start to spiral out of control, and soon after he ends up taking on the role of a vigilante because of his overwhelming guilt.

There’s not too much I can say about this book without giving much of the plot away. I will say that I loved the suspense that builds up as the mysteries unfold. Overall, I enjoyed the story’s pacing, smooth writing, and the character development.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

The Orphan Mother presents a story of the “Negro” after the Civil War, and the times called for great fortitude. The story begins with Mariah Reddick in 1892, getting ready for her demise. But before she dies, Mariah must give a huge donation to a “Negro” college. Next, the reader is taken back to 1867, and the events that condemned Mariah to a childless existence. Mariah, a midwife, has a profession that earns her enough money to eke an existence. Robert Hicks paints a vivid picture of the life of the free slaves, and the feelings of the beaten Southerners after the Civil War. Hicks evokes strong feelings for Mariah, George Tole, and Carrie McGavock. So many of the scenes between Carrie and Mariah provoke strong emotions that the characters become living and believable individuals. Many nuances throughout the story, so the reader must not quickly read each page. ( )

In the years following the Civil War, Mariah Reddick, a former slave, has worked hard to become the respected midwife to the women of Franklin, Tennessee. But, when her ambitious, politically minded son is murdered, she sets out on a path to find out the truth. In the meantime a stranger, George Tole, comes to town trying to escape from his past. He forces Mariah to come to terms with her past as well. ( )

Women tend to define themselves by the roles they play for other people. A woman may be a daughter, sister, niece, cousin, friend, wife, mother and add many more. Add to that slave and midwife, you have the story of The Orphan Mother. She has no name throughout the beginning of the story.
She finds the title of mother when she has her son during her time as a slave. In this she finds a deeper meaning to her life because she is something more important to someone who gives her joy. She loses the title of slave when she becomes a free woman and doesn’t know what to do with the gap that is left behind.
She sees her son grow into a freeman show speaks up. He is politically active and people seem to listen to him. She doesn’t want to hear him speak because she is afraid for him. He is her son and she has specific ideas of who he is. Yet somehow through this time of not knowing what she is, we hear her name. We know of her more intimately as she becomes more to herself than to others. She knows she is a midwife and has helped give birth to many in her town. This is her source of pride.
When her son is taken from her violently, she has lost another more important piece of herself. She struggles to find a name for what she has become. A child who loses a parent is an orphan but what is a parent who loses a child? There is no neat little box to put it in but the pain is everywhere. She decides to take revenge and find herself.
This doesn’t end well, as those in power don’t want her to gain strength over them. She finds others to help her cause even though she does not see the greater powers at work and no one can be trusted. Invisible strings are being pulled. It’s all so complicated and interwoven. Who can she trust, who can’t she trust?

My personal aside. It is very difficult to find the line between who I am and how others see me. I am a mother and an educator beyond that I am not always so sure. What I like is often buried beneath the needs and desires of those around me. My children and husband come first. They are soon followed by my parents. Then and only then, if there is time and energy, I can think of myself. What I need first, then what I want. Needless to say, I don’t often find that time. Lately I try more, I don’t like the thought of completely loosing my self and who I really am. It is time to remind myself what I like and what I want beyond others. ( )