⇒ [PDF] Free Mercer Girls Libbie Hawker 9781503951976 Books

Mercer Girls Libbie Hawker 9781503951976 Books

Download As PDF : Mercer Girls Libbie Hawker 9781503951976 Books

Mercer Girls Libbie Hawker 9781503951976 Books

This is the story of a group of women who were recruited in New England (during the Civil War) to travel to Seattle WA to assist in developing that region and to be brides to the many men who had traveled to this location during the gold rush. There are 3 primary characters: a young girl who is running away from her father and an arranged marriage, an older woman running away from an abusive husband, and a young woman who is deeply religious. I really wanted to like this book because I think the premise is quite clever and could be really good. However I really didn't enjoy it and in fact had to force myself to finish the book. There is a lot of background noise with the characters and the story line sometimes went in a direction that didn't really fit the time period. Also the whole Susan B. Anthony piece didn't really seem to fit or I just didn't like how it was woven into the story line.


Tags : Mercer Girls [Libbie Hawker] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. It’s 1864 in downtrodden Lowell, Massachusetts. The Civil War has taken its toll on the town—leaving the economy in ruin and its women in dire straits. That is,Libbie Hawker,Mercer Girls,Lake Union Publishing,1503951979,Audiobook; Audio; Book; CD; Historical; Fiction; Literature,FICTION Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction Historical,Fiction Literary,FictionLiterary,Frontier and pioneer life,Frontier and pioneer life - Washington (State) - Seattle,Historical,Historical - General,Historical fiction,Literary,Mail order brides,Mail order brides;Fiction.,Mercer Girls,Mercer Girls;Fiction.,Mercer, A. S,Washington (State),Washington (State) - Seattle,Women pioneers,Women pioneers - Washington (State),Women pioneers;Washington (State);Fiction.

Mercer Girls Libbie Hawker 9781503951976 Books Reviews

We read Mercer Girls in our Book Club. Everyone seemed to like it. It was entertaining and led to a good discussion. I enjoyed the Author's notes as much or more than the actual story. I'm NOT a "romance" book fan, but I LOVED the TV show called "Here Come the Brides" which was based on the actual Mercer Girls. Although none of the TV characters had as loose of morals as the characters in this book. A story like this is about the only way I enjoy any kind of history. It was interesting to learn about the complex journey that was required to get to Seattle. If I liked romance or history I would probably have given this book 5 stars.
Having grown up in Massachusetts, I was familiar with Lowell where the story began. Mill towns and the closing of mills was a concern to the economy leaving many jobless.
That, along with personal issues, was what led the Mercer Girls to join the lengthy journey to Seattle.
This novel is about three of the women who face challenges and adventure as they make the voyage and struggle to survive.
It was particularly interesting to read about Seattle's Underground, a place I had visited.
Excellent description of the rough and tough life in San Francisco as well as a newly developing Seattle.
The story becomes tedious about 3/4 of the way through when it launches into the history Suffragette Movement, interesting and informative but
Almost boring.
On the whole I enjoyed The Mercer Girls.
First of all I'm a big fan of historical fiction. I found the whole Asa Mercer expedition most intriguing. I wonder if I would have had the strength these women had. There is strength in friendship and the trials & tribulations of women during this period in frontier history led me to cheer Jo, Sophie and Dovey on in. Realizing their dreams. The author did a good job of developing each character's story, showing her growth, weaknesses and personal victories. I didn't want to put the book down. Now I want to read other books by Libbie Hawker.
Read one of her first novels - about Pocahontas, and John Smith..it started a bit slow, then became a "page-turner. It was SO good, I bought another copy for my daughter. Wanted to read another Hawker novel -- saw a bunch which were loosely about ancient Egypt...so MANY, decided I wasn't ready to plunge so deeply into ancient Egypt. Then. there was "Mercer Girls"...I ordered it from , and eagerly settled into the novel --hoping to be swept into the story...never happened...boring. It seemed she was just filling space with as many adjectives as she could, to make a book.

I recalled the first book was a "slow start," so I hung in, and kept reading. Blah,blah,blah...mundane stuff. Three-quarters thru the book, Jo, suddenly left her beau, and joined the Suffrage Movement. She left her teaching job... and PLOP, was active in Women's Suffrage-- no mention of the abandoned BF, she tossed her teaching job (which she had been so happy to have, etc.). We get a brief history lesson about Suffrage (which won women in the US the right to vote, and made them- people instead of property of men) This is a very important occurrence, but it seemed it could have been snipped from a history book and taped into place. It was an "aside," not the inspiration which caused the book to be written.

Character development - trite and lacking depth. At one point, Dovey becomes a tax collector. She learns to fire a gun, and ride a horse. It looked hopeful, alas, Hawker dispenses with what could have punched-up the whole story...she moves on, and leaves her characters at times when they could engage the reader...and she lingers at places which did not need detail. The whole novel is like a chore Hawker can't wait to finish No dice. I have about 25-20 pages left...I put the book down. I won't pick it up again...
In 1864, the Civil War has ruined the economy in Lowell, Massachusetts. Asa Mercer has come seeking women of high quality to travel with him to Seattle to become teachers and/or brides. Jo, Dovey and Sophronia are three of those volunteers looking for new lives. These three very different women will form a friendship and eventually become involved in the suffragist movement. The history behind the story is outlined by the author at the end of the book. The characters, though fictional, become even more interesting knowing they were patterned after actual women.
The first third of book was okay. The historical description of how Asa Mercer recruited the women was reasonably accurate. The main story revolves around three women and the description of their interactions and comradery as they travel to Seattle was decent. But once they arrived in Seattle, the novel got pretty boring. The only one of the three women who was interesting was Josephine, who is based upon a real women, who never married. She has some decent character development. The other two women are not based upon real people and are polar opposites in personality. Their characters are more cartoon like and very boring. Life is too short for me to finish the book. There are too many good books out there to waste anymore time.
This is the story of a group of women who were recruited in New England (during the Civil War) to travel to Seattle WA to assist in developing that region and to be brides to the many men who had traveled to this location during the gold rush. There are 3 primary characters a young girl who is running away from her father and an arranged marriage, an older woman running away from an abusive husband, and a young woman who is deeply religious. I really wanted to like this book because I think the premise is quite clever and could be really good. However I really didn't enjoy it and in fact had to force myself to finish the book. There is a lot of background noise with the characters and the story line sometimes went in a direction that didn't really fit the time period. Also the whole Susan B. Anthony piece didn't really seem to fit or I just didn't like how it was woven into the story line.