The Friendly Persuasion

The story of a Quaker family in India in the days prior to the Civil War.
The main characters are Indiana Quaker Jess Birdwell, his wife, Eliza and their children, Labe, Josh and Mattie, an 1850 junior miss.
It is interesting to hear the men discuss politics and politicians such as Stephen A. Douglas.
The story moves slowly as if we were witnessing farm life and the growth of crops and getting them ready of market. There is a scene I enjoyed where Jess and his wife take a neighbor to court over a goose. As court begins, the judge tells the bailiff to swear the witness in. Ezra says, "we're Quakers, we do not swear, Quakers affirm. When the Judge tells her this is Ok and questioning begins, the attorney tells her to address the judge as show more "your honor." She states, "We Quakers, do not make use of such titles, What is thy name? I think thee'll go far in out state and they name's one I'd like to know." The flustered judge agreed and at the end of the case, Ezra won her claim.” show less

I really like the movie. And I really like the book. But they are not the same. The movie has a lot of material that didn't come from the book. And the book has a lot of material that didn't make it into the movie. And some of the stories taken from the book got shifted a bit on their way into the movie script.

The cover calls the book a novel. I have to disagree. It is a collection of short stories, previously published over several years in various magazines. (I'm sad that magazines don't publish much fiction anymore. But that's another story.) The common denominator of the book is that all the stories deal with the Birdwell family, and the stories are arranged in roughly chronological order. But there is no real narrative thread show more connecting the stories - with the exception of the two stories involving a horse named Lady - they are adjacent in the book, and are carried over mostly intact in the movie. Still, every story is able to stand alone. Character development takes place within each story, not in between them.

I originally bought the book because I liked the movie. We discussed it one time in book club. And I decided to pull it out and reread it because it showed up on my GoodReads recommendation page. show less

To fully enjoy a book like The Friendly Persuasion, you must appreciate stories that delve deeply into characters' thoughts and motivations. West's book is, like early Quakers, quiet and contemplative, examining a close-knit family of Friends around the time of American Civil War. But, don't look for much action here. Instead, come ready to think about honest living, individual peculiarities and death both anticipated and unexpected.

2004:
It's a classic! Of course, we are no longer 19th c. Quakers, but it still gives an accurate picture of who we were and to some extent still are. The movie is quite faithful to the book, but I would still recommend reading over watching and doing both will be optimum!

2014:
I reread the book in preparation for a "pizza and movie" might at our Meeting. There were some in our Meeting who felt the movie presented Quakers in a hypocritical light of promulgating peace while fighting in a war and of being a "John Wayne" movie (what can you expect beside 'shoot 'em up'?).

The book is so much more nuanced than the film. What would truly be hypocritical would be to pretend that Quakers have not fought in every war. I found, however, that the show more notion of caging a starling to be reprehensible!

And, for the record, the lead was played by Cary Grant. show less

The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West. Epiphany Library section 13: Adult Fiction. This classic written in 1940 is a collection of stories about the Birdwell family of 1860's Indiana. The family is Quaker. Jess, the father, is a tree nurseryman and farmer. His wife Eliza is a Quaker minister. They have a number of children, notably Josh, a 16 year-old son; Mattie, his slightly younger sister who is sweet on a local young man, and little Jess, the youngest son. The book is a delightful blend of Jess’s love for his farm, his trees and the seasons; Eliza’s pride in home and family, and closeness to her God; the shenanigans of their children; the eccentricities of their neighbors; and the humor found in daily living. I remember being show more struck by the book’s beauty as a teen, its richness is so evocative of a past place and time.
You may recall the lush 1950's color film based on this book, starring Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire as the parents, and a teenaged Anthony Perkins as son Josh. The film’s screenplay weaves most of the book’s stories into a logical sequence of events. At first the events are funny and wry. But the Civil War threatens to destroy the peace and bring ruin. Even worse, son Josh must make a choice whether to fight or stay true to his pacifist upbringing. His part in a skirmish brings home the fright and cost of war, both in the novel and the film.
This book is in the adult fiction section, but older teens will enjoy it too. I especially like how it stresses that God has a plan for each of us. It expresses this through the characters’ awareness of God’s guidance, and their appreciation for their farm, their work, and their family. The book’s motto might be, “Look at the blessings God has given us – let’s live life to the fullest!” show less

This novel about Quakers in the Midwest explores the variety of ways friends deal with violence and strive for peace.

You know a book is worth 5 stars if just seeing the title makes you want to read it again, because you have such pleasant memories of it.

FROM AMAZON: A quintessential American heroine, Eliza Birdwell is a wonderful blend of would-be austerity, practicality, and gentle humor when it comes to keeping her faith and caring for her family and community. Her husband, Jess, shares Eliza's love of people and peaceful ways but, unlike Eliza, also displays a fondness for a fast horse and a lively tune. With their children, they must negotiate their way through a world that constantly confronts them-sometimes with candor, sometimes with violence-and tests the strength of their beliefs. Whether it's a gift parcel arriving on their doorstep or show more Confederate soldiers approaching their land, the Birdwells embrace life with emotion, conviction, and a love for one another that seems to conquer all. show less