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There are currently 20 member reviews
for The Second Mrs. Hockaday
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Martha D. (Hillsboro, OR)
The Second Mrs Hockaday
I love historical fiction but not a huge fan of the Civil War time period. That being said the epistolatory narrative of this story pulled me right in. There's quite a bit here for book clubs to discuss and an interesting mystery to solve. Definitely one of the better books I read last year.
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Johanna M. (Naperville, IL)
A Literary Delight
The language draws you into another time, the writing style propels you forward and as the characters' stories unfold your heart aches for the young Civil
War bride left on her own and hiding the truth behind a terrible crime. Looking forward to Susan River's next book!!!
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Barb W. (Mechanicsburg, PA)
The Second Mrs. Hockaday
Being a fan of books set during the US Civil War, I couldn't wait to read this book, and I'm glad it didn't disappoint. While other readers were put off by the letter/diary format and the bouncing around in time, neither of those bothered me.
Once I got into the story, which didn't take long, I had a hard time putting the book down. Some of the subjects that arose are hard to read about, and some of the language that was true to the time would be considered objectionable today, so this might not be for every reader. When I read that the book was based on a true story, that made it more compelling for me.
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Barbara P. (Hixson, TN)
A "must read" for historical fiction lovers
I found myself unable to put this book down. The reader is caught up in the mystery of Placidia Hockaday. Something happens while her new husband goes off to fight in the Civil War that greatly affects her life. You want to know what has happened. This book is written in letters that she and other family members wrote and in a diary that she has kept. It's important to watch the dates in order to follow the story. I would've
given this book five stars if it weren't for the early confusion in the dates.
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Lin Z. (Downers Grove, IL)
A confusing tale of a young girl
I have very mixed feelings about this book. The topic was interesting to me as it was set in the Civil War. The format was what I did not enjoy. It was often confusing to me who the narrator was. I found myself looking to see who was speaking . Even when the section moved to 1892, it still went back in time. A more linear story would have been easier to follow. Unless the letters were addressed directly to someone, I was not sure if I was reading a diary entry or was it the author . There were also many names of characters introduced that left me unsure if these were extended family or even slaves owned by the different families.I felt the author never answered the question of why was Mr. Hockday so willing to let his wife be jailed without really knowing the facts. Was he really expecting life to be the same after being gone 4 years? It was unsatisfying to not know how they came back to each other.
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Veronica Earley
Wanted more
I was disappointed. Not enough depth to story or characters. I felt as I was reading this novel that not the whole story was being told. I would of liked to know more about characters. I will pass the book onto friends as I always like hear their comments.
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