I haven’t written a review before. But I was moved to write about Paulette Mahurin’s novel The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap. I don’t know how to fancy up a review, so the best thing I can say is that I would read this book again. I felt comfortable with the characters. I felt I knew them well enough to feel their story. There are so many things about other’s lives that we never take in to consideration when we “pass judgment” on them. And it is only the sainted among us who never pass judgment. The story of these women and the people around them may be in a historical setting, but very time appropriate for any of us. Now. And I suspect for much of the future. Fantastic read!!!!!
Prejudice is still around us, be it related to gender, color, creed, ethnicity, class, body weight,love, marriage… you name it and some form of prejudice exists in any society and is expressed either overtly or covertly. Mankind has been able to put man on the Moon and send missions to Mars and yet has not been able to weed out prejudice.
And this is the 21st century.
How must life have been then for a woman in the 1800s, a woman who dared to fall in love with another woman? In a small town where everyone knows the other and there are no secrets.
Against the backdrop of Oscar Wilde’s imprisonment in England for homosexuality, Mildred Dunlap and her cousin and love, Edra dare not only to love each other, but dare to dream and hope. Mildred takes the help of Charley, a kind widower to create a life for Edra and herself and Charley too. Will they be able to carve a life for themselves?
Mahurin’s lyrical prose brings alive Red Rivers in Nevada and the slow life and heated gossip in this small town leap out at you.
This is historical fiction at its best. This is the book Rodin would ponder over.
The only drawback with this book is that it makes you want Paulette Mahurin to write a book a day!
I read this book in a weekend – it was a great read!
It’s a wonderful story of heartache, grief, acceptance, love, and redemption.
Paulette wove this story together beautifully and I was fully engaged from page one.
The themes of lifestyle tolerance and discrimination are strong, but not over-powering.
For me, it was mainly a story of humanity, one that we can all relate to.
The story of two women surviving in a time when condemnation was easily used to persecute those who acted different from the mass population is easily portrayed in this story. The fact that 2 women are gay and love each other is accepted by a few in those early years and an indication that this style of living started with the need for protection of each other.
What makes a good story? Look in these pages, and you’ll find one. But much more, you will find as subtle and gross rendering of what feelings, thoughts and behaviors human beings can do to, and for each other. What the author achieves in her whole intent (exemplified by the profits of sales going to a no-kill animal shelter), is to simply and directly touch the reader’s heart with a very clean mirror, that sees the dark and light in beloved and stranger alike, and has to come to terms she can live with, like it or not, and find as good a freedom, as the moment allows for. Well done effort by an insightful writer.
I a straight male and I found the book both entertaining and informative concerning the subject of homosexuality. I recommend this book highly.
What a book!, March 19, 2013This was a really interesting take on homosexuality for sure. It shows how a wonderful, loving, giving woman could be so wrongly bullied and persecuted.
What a great book! I loved this book. The message is so powerful and relevant. The author did a superb job of creating complex, realistic, characters to deliver this message. The story really unfolds as you turn the pages. It gathered steam and I could not put it down. The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap speaks to acceptance (or in this case the lack thereof). It is as important today as it was in the setting of this book to accept others for what they are, not what we wish or expect them to be. I think this book should be required reading for all junior high level students. Do yourself a favor and pick it up today.
I received a free book from the author in a promotion and have posted an honest review.
AMAZON UK:
There was such a lot that I loved about this book. For a start, the story rattled along at a good pace that never waned and always kept me interested. So very often, even with books that I would recommend, there seems to be some flat spot along the way but not with this one. As a bonus, each chapter is headed by an Oscar Wilde quote.
The story is about Mildred and Edra, in love at a time of little tolerance and living with small town gossip and ignorance that they are sure will uncover the truth about them… until Mildred comes up with a plan.
I was surprised and pleased by the twists and turns in the story. I expected it to be much more predictable and I admired the way the author set up the reader to think that Mildred’s plan, after a few shaky encounters and problems, would come through and save them, when actually the story takes on a whole new and unpredictable turn, just as things do in real life.
Awesome Paulette. But never expect less for your writing is wonderful.
Oh my, thank you so much! That’s quite a compliment coming from you. 🙂
I agree. I’m waiting for the next book, too!:)
Awww, thanks. I just finished the first draft. Now the fun begins, editing and rewrites for who knows how long. 😉
Me too.
And I can’t wait to read yours when it’s finished. 🙂
I agree too.Wish you all the best
Thank you so much! 🙂
Pixel appeared and posted this to his blog site and I’m thrilled because it’s Ty Patterson, author of The Warrior which I loved. Thank you so much!
http://pattersonty.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/wow-wow-and-wow-is-that-too-subtle-i-loved-paulette-mahurins-the-persecution-of-mildred-dunlap/comment-page-1/#comment-97
My goodness , all these superlatives. How do people review your book. Do you send them a copy?
Some reviews are from copies I’ve given to others to read and review, others are from people who have purchased the book and wanted to write a review and some are review swaps I’ve done with another author. 🙂