The widows

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The widows

Title :

The widows / Jess Montgomery.

Title:

The widows

Author:

Montgomery, Jess

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

327 pages : map ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

ISBN:

9781250184528

Production / Publication Information:

New York : Minotaur Books, 2019.

Summary:

When Lily Ross learns that her husband, Daniel Ross, the town's widely respected sheriff, is killed while transporting a prisoner, she is devastated and vows to avenge his death. Hours after his funeral, a stranger appears at her door. Marvena Whitcomb, a coal miner's widow, is unaware that Daniel has died, and begs to speak with him about her missing daughter. From miles away but worlds apart, Lily and Marvena's lives collide as they realize that Daniel was not the man that either of them believed him to be--and that his murder is far more complex than either of them could have imagined. Inspired by the true story of Ohio's first female sheriff, this is a powerful debut about two women's search for justice as they take on the corruption at the heart of their community.

Language:

English

Genre:

Historical fiction.

Biographical fiction.

Fiction. (OCoLC)fst01423787

History. (OCoLC)fst01411628

Geographic Term:

Ohio -- History -- 20th century -- Fiction.

Ohio. (OCoLC)fst01205075

Personal Subject:

Jones, Mother, 1837-1930-Fiction.

Collins, Maude, 1893-1972-Fiction.

Jones, Mother, 1837-1930. (OCoLC)fst01730605

Subject Term:

Nineteen twenties -- Fiction.

Nineteen twenties. (OCoLC)fst01037835

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library	MY MONTGOMERY	31478010118702	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Amesbury Public Library	FIC MONTGOMERY	32114002494996	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	FICTION MONTGOMERY	31330008767182	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Billerica Public Library	FICTION/MONTGOMERY	33934004158755	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Boxford Town Library	FIC MONTGOMERY	32115002042552	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	F MONTGO	32116003597602	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford Public Library	FIC/MONTGOMERY	31480011207815	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Dunstable Free Public Library	MON	32118000988248	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groton Public Library	FIC MONTGOMERY	37003701912124	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groveland - Langley-Adams Library	MYS MONTGOMERY	32121000789962	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	M MONTGOMERY	30470001680031	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	MYSTERY/MONTGOMERY J	31479006978133	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Ipswich Public Library	FIC MONTGOMERY, JESS	32122002802845	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Littleton - Reuben Hoar Library	F MONTGOMERY	39965002244795	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library	FIC MONTGOMERY	31481005355156	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Merrimac Public Library	F MON	32125001405205	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Methuen - Nevins Memorial Library	M MON	31548003220531	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Middleton - Flint Public Library	F MONTGOMERY	32126001647606	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	FIC MONTGOMERY J	32128003723336	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	FIC MONTGOMERY J	32128003776490	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Reading - Flint Memorial Library	FIC MONTGOMERY, J.	31550002321252	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Salisbury Public Library	FIC MONTGOMERY	32131000832647	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	FICTION MONTGOMERY	32132003120527	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tyngsborough Public Library	FIC/MONTG	32137002072777	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	F MONTGOMERY (M)	31990004715004	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

" The Widows kept me on the edge of my seat. Montgomery is a masterful storyteller." --Lee Martin, author of Pulitzer Prize-Finalist The Bright Forever

Kinship, Ohio, 1924: When Lily Ross learns that her husband, Daniel Ross, the town's widely respected sheriff, is killed while transporting a prisoner, she is devastated and vows to avenge his death.

Hours after his funeral, a stranger appears at her door. Marvena Whitcomb, a coal miner's widow, is unaware that Daniel has died, and begs to speak with him about her missing daughter.

From miles away but worlds apart, Lily and Marvena's lives collide as they realize that Daniel was not the man that either of them believed him to be--and that his murder is far more complex than either of them could have imagined.

Inspired by the true story of Ohio's first female sheriff, this is a powerful debut about two women's search for justice as they take on the corruption at the heart of their community.

" The Widows is a gripping, beautifully written nove l about two women avenging the murder of the man they both loved."--Hallie Ephron, New York Times bestselling author of You'll Never Know, Dear

"Jess Montgomery's gorgeous writing can be just as dark and terrifying as a subterranean cave when the candle is snuffed out, but her prose can just as easily lead you to the surface for a gasp of air and a glimpse of blinding, beautiful sunlight. This is a powerful novel : a tale of loss, greed, and violence, and the story of two powerful women who refuse to stand down."--Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Ballad , A Land More Kind than Home , and This Dark Road to Mercy

"[A] flinty, heartfelt mystery that sings of hawks and history , of coal mines and the urgent fight for social justice."--Julia Keller, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Bone on Bone

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Montgomery's deeply felt debut, set in hardscrabble Appalachian Ohio coal-mining country in 1925, centers on two determined women on opposite sides of the law-Lily Ross, a sheriff's wife, and moonshiner and union organizer Marvena Whitcomb, a miner's widow-who are based on a pair of formidable historical figures, Maude Collins, Ohio's first female sheriff, and activist Mary Harris "Mother" Jones. Only six months after the disastrous cave-in at a mine managed by Bronwyn County sheriff Daniel Ross's ruthless half-brother, Luther, who has hired head-cracking Pinkertons to keep his increasingly mutinous workers in line, Daniel's shocking murder-allegedly at the hands of a miner-thrusts secretly pregnant mother of two Lily into the crossfire as acting sheriff. As Lily starts to investigate her husband's killing, she swiftly discovers a lot that doesn't add up, as well as some of his carefully guarded secrets, among them his connection to Marvena. Some of the plot twists prove more surprising than convincing, but the feisty female protagonists do their real-life foremothers proud. Agent: Elisabeth Weed, Book Group. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

Montgomery's debut novel introduces Lily Ross, a sheriff's widow in 1920s Appalachian Ohio who takes on her husband Daniel's work in order to solve his murder, and Marvena, Daniel's childhood sweetheart, who helps Lily while also organizing mineworkers.Marvena shows up at Lily's house on the day of Daniel's funeral, looking for Daniel to ask if he's learned anything about her missing daughter, Eula, or her brother Tom, a miner who's been jailed recently for his union talk. The women have more than Daniel in common: Marvena's common-law husband, John, a veteran of the real-life Battle for Blair Mountain mineworkers' uprising, and Lily's father, the town grocer, died together trying to rescue trapped miners six months earlier. Bonded by their common losses, their determination to learn what happened to Daniel, and their concern for better working conditions for miners, Lily and Marvena become allies. Montgomery portrays their class differencesLily grew up in a prosperous family, Marvena has had a hardscrabble lifewhile convincing readers that the two women's strong wills and shared tragedies are grounds for their alliance. The mysteries of Daniel's murder and Eula's disappearance lead to an unexpected outcome and a surprising murderer. As the book draws to a close, Lily, who was appointed sheriff by men who thought she'd cause them no trouble, is running for the position in her own right, perhaps setting the stage for further installments. Montgomery effectively provides backstory through her characters' memories, but some of those passages are longer than necessary. Occasional interruptions to explain things like how to make sorghum are distracting, and many of the minor characters are not well fleshed-out. However, these are small problems in an otherwise engaging debut. An extensive Author's Note provides insight into the women and historical events that inspired Montgomery.Vivid historical details, an intriguing mystery, and strong female characters. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Set in Appalachian Ohio, Montgomery's absorbing debut begins with the 1924 collapse of the coal mine called the Widowmaker. Marvena, whose husband died in the tragedy, vows to continue his work of unionizing the miners. Lily's husband, Daniel, the sheriff, is murdered a few months later. She doesn't buy the explanations for how and why he died, and her determination to uncover the truth is made easier when she is appointed acting sheriff. The men who have the real power in town don't think a woman will ask too many questions, but they don't know Lily. Her investigation leads to the discovery that Daniel had secrets. He was accepting bribes for turning a blind eye to local moonshiners, and he and Marvena had a history. Meanwhile, Marvena is desperate to find her 16-year-old daughter, Eula, who has gone missing from the brothel politely termed a boarding house. As Lily and Marvena dig deeper, links between Daniel's murder and Eula's disappearance emerge. Both women are based on historical figures, and the novel will be appreciated by readers who like strong female characters.--Mary Ellen Quinn Copyright 2018 Booklist

Library Journal Review

DEBUT In Kinship, OH, 1924, Lily Ross's husband, Daniel, is killed in the line of duty as sheriff. The griefstricken Lily grapples with unanswered questions and her new duties as acting sheriff. Her sorrow is compounded by the sudden appearance of Marvena Whitcomb, a coal miner's widow, who shares a past with Daniel and whose daughter, Eula, is currently missing. An unlikely pair, underestimated by everyone, Lily and Marvena navigate Daniel's secrets, investigate Eula's disappearance, dodge conflicting loyalties among the moonshine distributors, and bond over their shared loss as the tension between the coal miners and mine owners escalates. On the edge of discovering the truth, they suffer one final, mutual betrayal, which propels them toward a series of clever and emotionally satisfying solutions. VERDICT Inspired by the true story of Maude Collins, Ohio's first female sheriff, and prominent labor and community organizer Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, Montgomery's debut novel features two tough-as-nails, strong-willed women whose empathy leaves a lasting impression. A simultaneous examination of women's rights, coal mining, prohibition, and Appalachian life, make this is a fantastic choice for historical fiction fans. [See Prepub Alert, 7/9/18.]-Tina Panik, Avon Free P.L., CT © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.