Harriet and Isabella

I was expecting so much more when I started this book, the characters were shallow and I really didn't care about them at all. The leaps in time became annoying and the depiction of the sisters felt unrealistic - what 85 year-old runs to climb a new bridge? Nothing interesting develops out of the initial build-up..all I can say is thank goodness it is over. ( )

I tried to like this book more than I actually did. O'Brien writes about the Beecher family, solid characters for a book, but I didn't feel they were very well developed. Let me rephrase that. There were definite qualities about the characters, but none that made them very likeable or made me invest much in their story.

The first half is Isabella's point of view. I found her sufferage work fascinating, but not exactly her character. The second half is Harriet (author of Uncle Tom's cabin) and her view of their brother's trial. I think maybe I expected too much because I've always liked Harriet Beecher Stowe and she comes across as more self - absorbed and haughty than I ever would have anticipated.

All in all the book had some interesting material, and I would like to read more about the events and people in a more factual manner. ( )

The fictionalized/imagined story of Harriet Beecher Stowe and her relationship with her numerous brothers and sisters, including Isabella Beecher Hooker. A story of family pride, loyalty and trust - for some, unwavering, for others, broken. An intimate look at a famous family. ( )

This book is heart-achingly good. You find yourself grieving for this dysfunctional famous family. Showing a glimpse of how hard the women in the sufferage movement had it, reminds me as a woman how good we do have it. The struggles within the family show how little has changed within family dynamics throughout the ages. I enjoyed this book, but feel like it seemed if you had background knowledge of this family, you would like this book more. ( )

This didn't interest me sufficiently for me to finish it. It probably would have if I knew more about the Beechers, and I'm honestly entirely sure that the fault lies with me not the novel. But I bought it by accident anyway, thinking (in a hurried book-browsing session) that it was by Patrick O'Brien, so we got off to a bad start. (Aug2011)