The Rebel Wife

This book starts out well enough: it’s reasonably well-written and has good descriptions and a vivid depiction of life in Reconstruction-era Alabama. Nevertheless, I wound up quite disliking it; this seems like a novel that would appeal to a certain subset of historical fiction readers, but not to e......more

This is a dark,Southern Gothic story of the Restoration era. A young woman,widowed after a decade long unhappy marriage, finds herself surrounded by servants, family and a community that she doesn't trust. Augusta has been raised in the lap of shabby southern gentility, then wed into "Northern" mon......more

This book is very interesting and unique. It takes place in 1875 in the Deep South. The Civil War is over, but emotional upheaval continues boiling in the south over civil rights. I was reminded of The Help as I read how Gus related to the servants. She loves Emma, who raised her, but now she's feel......more

At its core this is a novel of freedom set in a time when freedom was questioned for so many across the south. Polites really hones in on the desperate tones of Augusta, her staff and those in town fearful of sickness. And in that desperation is an excitement that really keeps a reader enthralled an......more

This is a stunning debut novel with a little of something for everyone--and I mean that in a good way. There is history (how many novels conclude with a six page bibliography?), there is character development, and there is an element of suspense. What is most admirable is the writer's style. He ske......more