Rated of 5
by Max 41(Carmel, IN) The Wives of Henry Oades
Johanna Moran writes an intriguing historical novel combining the elements of strong family love, friendship and legal turmoil. I was hooked from the beginning. Margaret Oades was an unusually strong and courageous woman which book clubs should enjoy discussing.
Rated of 5
by Priscilla M. (Houston, TX) A triumph of the Spirit
Such a lovely read! This story, based on actual lives, pulled me right in. The characterization was excellent, allowing me to understand how each one dealt with their circumstances and to sympathize with their emotions and reactions. I enjoy historical fiction, and this one shines as it traces the lives and events of the two Oades families, separately and together. It is a testimony to the ability of the human spirit to triumph over adversity.
Rated of 5
by Andrea S. (Lafayette, IN) Gripping telling of history
Inspired by a true but little known event, Johanna Moran tells the story of Henry Oades from the point of view of his two wives. The story takes you from England to New Zealand to Oakland in the 1890's. Moran used the historical incident as the basis for this novel, but had to fill in much of it with her own imagination. I really enjoyed this novel, reading it in less than 48 hours because I could only put it down to do unavoidable chores. The novel is very well written, with the characters believable and the narrative smooth.
This book would be a great book for book groups because of the legal and moral issues surrounding the incident, not to mention that it is just a fascinating story. If you are a fan of historical fiction, you will enjoy this!
Rated of 5
by Christine S. ( UT) Amazing
The subject of this novel was something I never would have believed, if I hadn't read that it really happened. The amazing strength of each of the main characters, Henry, Margaret and Nancy was to be congratulated. How awkward each of them must have felt. Somehow, they made it work by doing the right thing. The angry mob and judgmental attitudes of the general population appeared, unfortunately, realistic. An easy read and so very interesting.
Rated of 5
by Marie A. (Warner, NH) Interesting But Not Riveting
I am a big fan of historical fiction; unfortunately this book did not hold my interest. I was anticipating a more interesting read because of the subject matter. One weakness I found was the underdeveloped, flat characters. Although the author conveyed the interrelationships of Margaret and Nancy, the children, and Henry, I often lacked empathy for the characters and their plight. Frequently, I found myself questioning some of their motives and reactions to certain situations. There were times when the characters hardly seemed real. In my opinion, another weakness was the brevity with which the author dealt with the actual bigamy court proceedings.
This historical fiction wasn't a page turner; all in all the novel was interesting but not riveting.
Rated of 5
by Ruth (Tyrone, GA) One Wife Too Many!
Well written story of family and female friendship. Strong characters and interesting story line work well. Great read!!
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British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales.(May 20 2013) Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate...
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of 5
by Max 41(Carmel, IN) 
of 5
by Priscilla M. (Houston, TX) 
of 5
by Marie A. (Warner, NH) 
