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Mercer Girls
by Libbie Hawker
Release Date: May 10th 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
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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, until Asa Mercer arrives on a peculiar, but providential, errand: he seeks high-minded women who can exert an elevating influence in Seattle, where there are ten men for every woman. Mail-order brides, yes, but of a certain caliber.
Schoolmarmish Josephine, tough-as-nails Dovey, and pious perfectionist Sophronia see their chance to exchange their bleak prospects for new lives. But the very troubles that sent them running from Lowell follow them to the muddy streets of Seattle, and the friendships forged on the cross-country trek are tested at every turn.
Just when the journey seems to lead only to ruin, an encounter with a famous suffragist could be their salvation. But to survive both an untamed new landscape and their pasts, they’ll need all their strength—and one another.
I picked this out from Netgalley free ARCs not because I knew it was a pieces of reality. I just picked it because it has a nice cover. Shallow maybe but not so after I was done with this book.
From the first page I was gripped by this story of these different women and their journey with Asa Mercer to Washington Territory. Dovey, Josephine and Sophronia were so intriguing all on their own. Their personalities were so different yet each complemented the other one and were consistent throughout the narration. Also, each of them had her brilliant growth away from their homes and haunted pasts in Seattle, where they open themselves up for new adventures and love.
Personally, I think I am mostly impressed with Davey Mason’s character the most. She is such a fearless girl (Sophronia might say reckless). She goes into this new world with guts and open-mindedness that is inspiring.
The relationship between these three women themselves was amazing. They had their UPS and downs and what’s most impressive was how each helped the other change in a way. I loved that.
I was also really impressed with the writing and how the topic of Mercer Girls was used along with Women’s suffrage movement. And I gained new information about the history of Seattle as well from the story of Mercer Girls. I definitely want to check out the real story sometime in the future.
Overall, this was a great historical piece that deserves to be appreciated.
4/5
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Silent Seasons 