Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
What She Could - A Tale of Duty and Sacrifice in 19th-Century America - cover

What She Could - A Tale of Duty and Sacrifice in 19th-Century America

Susan Warner

Publisher: Good Press

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

In "What She Could," Susan Warner intricately weaves a narrative that delves into the complexities of women's roles in the 19th century, exploring themes of agency, societal expectation, and the struggle for autonomy within restrictive frameworks. Through her poignant characterizations and vivid prose, Warner captures the tension between personal desires and societal pressures, portraying the lives of women who grapple with their potential amid overwhelming constraints. The novel's literary style resonates with the realism favored in her era, utilizing an accessible yet evocative language that invites readers to empathize with its characters and reflect on the broader societal implications of their choices. Susan Warner, an influential figure in American literature, was known for her commitment to addressing social issues, particularly those affecting women. Growing up in a progressive household that valued education and self-expression, Warner was deeply inspired by the lives of women around her and their struggles for recognition and independence. These experiences, coupled with her involvement in the literary circles of her time, profoundly shaped the compelling narrative presented in "What She Could," guiding her to explore and critique the restrictive norms imposed on women in society. This novel is a must-read for anyone interested in feminist literature and the historical context of women's rights in America. Warner's profound insights and emotional depth not only resonate with contemporary audiences but also provide a critical lens through which to understand the enduring challenges women face. Engaging, thought-provoking, and beautifully written, "What She Could" offers readers both a captivating story and a meaningful exploration of female empowerment.
Available since: 10/04/2023.
Print length: 122 pages.

Other books that might interest you

  • Six Weeks by the Sea - A Novel - cover

    Six Weeks by the Sea - A Novel

    Paula Byrne

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    When Jane Austen hears the news that her family is to leave their beloved country home for the city of Bath, she faints with surprise and horror. But there is one compensation: the promise of a six-week holiday by the sea while their new lodgings are being prepared. She relishes the bracing air and beautiful surroundings, takes pleasure in sea bathing, and shares laughter with her sister Cassandra and best friend Martha Lloyd.To her joy, brother Frank arrives, fresh from naval exploits in the war against Napoleon. His friend Captain Parker seems to be making a play for Jane's affections, but her sharp emotional intelligence tells her that something is not quite right. Meanwhile, she assists the eccentric Reverend Swete in finding a home for his biracial granddaughter who has arrived from the West Indies. Jane initially takes against another visitor to the seaside resort of Sidmouth, the lawyer Samuel Rose, but as she gets to know him, a wholly different feeling begins to blossom . . .Written with a same wit and style that echoes Austen herself, Paula Byrne expertly interweaves her deep knowledge of Austen and her world to imagine and give voice to the most romantic summer of the beloved author's short life.
    Show book
  • Plowed Fields Book One - The White Christmas and The Train - cover

    Plowed Fields Book One - The...

    Jim Barber

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    On a cold December day in 1960, Joe Baker finishes plowing the largest field on his family’s farm in South Georgia and acknowledges the well of restlessness running deep inside him. Joe appreciates the good life provided by his parents, but his heart yearns for something else. So begins "Plowed Fields," setting the stage for a conflict that will nag at Joe for the next decade as he tries to reconcile his own desire and ambition with loyalty and responsibility to his family. Book One in the Plowed Fields Trilogy begins with “The White Christmas,” introducing Joe and his family, along with a host of friends and acquaintances who will shape their fates during the next decade. The Baker family is anchored by patriarch Sam, whose pirate’s appearance disguises a gentle giant of goodness, and his son, Matt, who is capable of strength and force when necessary but unafraid of tenderness when the moment requires a softer touch. "Plowed Fields also features Lucas Bartholomew, a black farm worker, and Bobby Taylor, the spitting image of a civil rights-minded Yankees’ vision of a racist. Tensions erupt early between the Bakers and Taylors, sparked by a senseless act and fueled by Bobby’s campaigns for the sheriff’s job against Matt’s best friend, the aristocratic and troubled Paul Berrien. In “The Train,” Joe confronts racial prejudice in his school and community and feels the strain of taking an unpopular stand. A girl claims his heart and a heroic deed plants a seed of hate that will fester as the decade unfolds. Beautifully told, slow-burning and haunting, Plowed Fields is a mesmerizing saga of people coming together and falling apart, relying on God and losing faith, and pushing forward and fighting back in times of crisis.
    Show book
  • Across the Crying Sands - cover

    Across the Crying Sands

    Jane Kirkpatrick

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    A Tale of Uncharted Adventure and Discovery Inspired by a True Story 
      
    In 1888 Mary Edwards Gerritse is a witty and confident young woman who spends as much time as possible outdoors on the rugged Oregon coast where she and her husband, John, have settled. The two are a formidable pair who are working hard to prove their homesteading claim and build a family. But as Mary faces struggles of young motherhood and questions about her family of origin, she realizes that life is far from the adventure she imagined it would be. 
      
    After losing the baby she's carrying, grief threatens Mary, but she finds an unconventional way to bring joy back into her life—by taking over a treacherous postal route. As Mary becomes the first female mail carrier to traverse the cliff-hugging mountain trails and remote Crying Sands Beach, with its changing tides and sudden squalls, she recaptures the spark she lost and discovers that a life without risk is no life at all. 
      
    "Jane Kirkpatrick's writing evokes a powerful sense of the challenges and strengths of women who settled the West."—SANDRA DALLAS, New York Times bestselling author
    Show book
  • Orphan Train Memories - cover

    Orphan Train Memories

    Rachel Wesson

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Book 7 in the Orphan Train series takes listeners on a journey to Ireland, where Lily and Charlie find themselves on an adventure. Meanwhile, back at the Sanctuary in New York, Kathleen is left in charge and is facing a host of problems. With the new factory opening soon, the Chivers children searching for a permanent home, and a couple of stray orphans in need of her care, Kathleen feels like she's in over her head. As she tries to navigate these challenges, she finds herself wishing Lily would come home soon. Charlie surprised Lily with tickets for the Titanic's maiden voyage. Will Kathleen be able to hold everything together until Lily's return, or has she bitten off more than she can chew? Find out in this gripping installment of the Orphan Train series.
    Show book
  • Grasp the Nettle - Australian Country life in the 1920s era - cover

    Grasp the Nettle - Australian...

    Sylvia Lerch

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Set in a remote district of Western Australia in the 1920s, an era which outlawed suicide, an unidentified body has been found and police are treating the death as suspicious. The story presents a chance for strangers (the reader) to peruse the very private diaries of the 
    protagonists. Intriguingly, this is like peeping through the coin slot of a piggy bank to count the wealth inside. Elsie has married Tom in an arrangement brokered by her brother. Tom’s job is delivering the Royal Mail, and it takes him away from home for weeks at a time. Vivacious, 
    imaginative young Elsie must entertain herself in their isolated, unsophisticated bush hut. Married women were not allowed to be financially independent. Grasp the Nettle is not a fairytale ‘lived happily ever after’ romance, but a lode of accurate historical data balanced by details of underlined moral standards of life before the advent of reliable contraceptives, and 
    acknowledgement of gender diversity. In those harsh times, things that are commonplace for us today were yet to be invented: like mobile phones, internet communications, and GPS. There were not even engineered roads through country districts in this vast nation, Australia. Grasp the Nettle poses the question: how did people cope with life’s challenges?
    Show book
  • The Orphan’s Heartbreak - The utterly heartbreaking story of love and loyalty through hardship from Chrissie Walsh - cover

    The Orphan’s Heartbreak - The...

    Chrissie Walsh

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    An emotional historical saga from the author of the bestselling Weaver Street series. 
    With no parents to protect her, Darcy Earnshaw must make her own way in the world. 
    After the death of her beloved mill-owner father, thirteen-year-old Darcy Earnshaw is left in the care of her lascivious uncle Abe. Not only is he determined to steal her inheritance, but as she blossoms into a captivating young woman, he longs to steal her innocence too. Desperate to avoid his advances, Darcy decides to flee. 
    Alone and homeless, she is soon taken under the wing of John Carver, a kind-hearted beloved street performer and his family who is captivated by Darcy’s beautiful voice. But it’s Danny, an Italian singer, who captures Darcy’s heart and finally seems to offer the promise of a happy future. 
    But, when war breaks out, and the pressure on Danny and John to enlist mounts, all Darcy’s dreams start to crumble. And with her evil uncle Abe still determined to wreak his terrible revenge on her, surely now there can be no happy ending for the orphan songbird? 
    Heartbreaking, heart-warming, page-turning and uplifting, Chrissie Walsh’s brilliant stories are perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Dilly Court and Kitty Neale. 
    What readers are saying about Chrissie Walsh: 
    ‘Loved this book from the beginning to the end. I wanted the story to go on for ever and a brilliant read.’ 
    ‘A brilliant read, I really enjoyed it, it is definitely five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, looking forward to more books from this author.’ 
    ‘I was so totally engrossed and invested in the characters, written as though I were there myself. It really is a story to be appreciated and devoured... I absolutely loved it.’ 
    ‘I have loved every minute of this book, tears of sadness and tears of joy, a very enjoyable story, will read more from this author.’ 
    ‘Loved this book and there was nothing I didn't enjoy. Beautiful love story. I can't wait to read more from this writer.’ 
    'I found myself totally involved in the lives of the main characters. When they laughed I laughed, when they cried, yes, I cried. The author definitely has a way of writing that really captures your heart.'
    Show book