The second mrs hockaday

Placidia, a mere teenager herself living far from her family and completely unprepared to run a farm or raise a. The threads stitch in line and then fall back onto itself through loops of personal letters, inquest notices, and documentations. Placidia fincher is 17 when she marries confederate major gryffth hockaday in april 1863, after knowing. I found myself swept away along with placidia in her whirlwind wedding set against the back drop of the civil wars end in susan rivers the second mrs. Through the use of personal correspondence, diary entries, and. Amid the desperation of wartime, placidia sees the social order of her southern homeland unravel as her views on race and family are transformed. Hockaday by susan rivers includes book club discussion questions, author website, book. Men fought on battlefields, but everyone at home was fighting, tooto survive. Some stories are told straightforward with details sunnyside up. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the second mrs. Discussion questions well add publisher questions if and when theyre available.

Hockaday by susan rivers is the perfect example of an unputdownable novel. Perhaps it is these influences that led her to write this novel, which is dramatized in the form of letters, diary entries, and court records. Hockaday is one of the best historical fiction novels i have read. As she comes to understand how her own history is linked to one runaway slave, her perspective on race and family are upended. Jul 09, 2016 set during the american civil war, the second mrs.

Fiction african american fiction literature historical fiction. His young wife, placidia, is left alone with a few slaves to care for her infant stepson and manage major hockaday s 300 acre farm. Members now spread the wealth by bringing in books theyve read and want to share. Diary entries and letters form the basis of this novel about one womans experiences during the civil war. The civil war south comes to vivid life in this electrifying story of a womans plight and a legacy of deceit that echoes for generations. Hockaday, was published by algonquin books in 2017. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.

My thanks to algonquin books and to susan rivers for the opportunity. The cruelty in a world besieged by war is hard to fully comprehend. When major gryffth hockaday is called to the front lines of the civil war, his new bride is left to care for her husbands threehundredacre farm and infant son. Hockaday, rivers gives readers an illuminating glimpse into a part of our countrys past that still has repercussions in the present. A love story, a story of racial divide, and a story of the south as it fell in the war, the novel reveals how that generation. Her husband has been away for two years, adding to the intrigue. A love story, a story of racial divide, and a story of the south as it fell in the war, the second mrs. What does her relationship with placidia tell you about the second mrs. Hockaday are listed by chapter with character descriptions included. Its a fascinating story set in a difficult historical time, and its worth a read. Hockaday susan rivers, 2017 algonquin books of chapel hill 272 pp. Kirkus publishers weekly goodreads book companion when major gryffth hockaday is called to the front lines of the civil war, his new bride is left to care for her husbands threehundredacre farm and infant son. Hockaday by susan rivers purely by chance id never heard of this novel or its author until i decided to join a local book club that selected the second mrs. Hockaday the unsung heroes of war are the women who stay behind to care for families, often taking over the livelihoods of their husbands.

Hockaday algonquin books, susan rivers presents the tale of placidia fincher, a young woman during the difficult years of the civil war in the south. A love story, a story of racial divide, and a story of the south as it fell in the war, t he second mrs. What is your take on who actually killed the baby and why. Hockaday, which is shortlisted for the 2017 fiction first novel prize. My second novel, troublefield, will also be published by algonquin books due out in 2021. I was caught up with the characters and the description of life during that time of the civil war at the very beginning. Hockaday weaves itself into quite a josephs coat of many colors.

Hockaday by susan rivers discussion guide for book clubs. Hockaday, troublefield is based on true events and takes place in upstate south carolina. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the second mrs. By the time major hockaday returns two years later, placidia is bound for jail, accused of having borne a child in his absence and murdering it. Placidia fincher is 17 when she marries gryffth hockaday, an enigmatic major in the confederate army. Perhaps it is these influences that led her to write this novel, which is dramatized in the form of letters, diary. I am truly ecstatic at how fabulously wonderful and well written the second mrs. The protagonist, calla stout, a cotton mill spinner. Hockaday reveals how this generationand the nextbegan to see their world anew. Her deeply sympathetic characters cope with the hard truths of slavery and war, maintaining their humanity and capability for redemption throughout. Read my essay from the algonquin reader on the process of writing the second mrs. Before the civil war, it was customary among white slaveowners to refer to their slaves as servants and to give them names derived from roman literature and history, as well as from the bible. Hockaday, susan rivers viscerally evokes a bygone era without sentimentality.

Placidia, a mere teenager herself living far from her family and completely unprepared to run a farm or raise a child, must endure the da. What really transpired in the two years he was away. Thats how i got a copy of susan rivers debut novel, the second mrs. Hockaday reveals how that generationand the nextbegan to see their world anew. It was a people magazine best new books pick susan rivers began her writing career as a playwright, receiving the julie harris playwriting award and the new york drama league award, and working as an nea writerinresidence in san francisco. Hockaday was about a seventeen year old girl who marries an older man and has two days with him before he is called back to fight for the south in the civil war. Only placidia and her few slaves, particularly one. Hockaday, placidia fincher, young and newly wed to a major in the confederate army, is jailed and accused of adultery and infanticide. Hockaday, which was shortlisted for the center for fiction first novel prize. Belonging to the clayton community library book club has its perks. Hockaday by susan rivers as its book club pick for september 2017. Hockaday follows the story of placidia, a young woman charged with murdering her own childand an illegitimate child at that. Married to her husband for only two days before he is called back to battle, placidia has to keep his farm running with the help of only a few servants.