Historical aspect was fascinating! Some melodrama in the middle. Worth reading.

This book is definitely not what I normally read, so I was concerned that it wouldn't hold my interest. I was very wrong, I couldn't put the book down. I have already recommended it to several people and made sure that it was ordered for the library I work at. It's a great book, wonderful character development and plot twists I didn't see coming.

This novel starts out a little slow, basically because the first part of the story is "nothing new". Tess makes a huge mistake and gets pregnant. She marries the father of her child and moves to Hickory, NC. The tale then escalates with all her adjustments and the mysteries surrounding her new husband.
This story has many plots folded all into one. It really keeps you humming along. Henry with his mysterious comings and goings, Vincent, the heart broken fiancé, the polio clinic, the racist attitude of the town, all of this weave into a saga which is absorbing on many levels. Plus! You must read about Reverend Sam. He is a character which stole my heart!! I also enjoyed learning about the Polio clinic. (Which is true!) The town of Hickory did put up a polio clinic in 54 hours.
The only reason I am giving this 4 stars is Tess. She is a little infuriating. She is not as strong as I want her to be. She takes way too much off of her mother-in-law and many others in the town. There were places I wanted to pop her and say "SPEAK UP FOR YOURSELF!"
I have only read one other book by Diane Chamberlain and I adored it. I have no idea why I have not picked up her other books. I must! I love her plot turns and her rich historical detail!
I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

Bestselling author Diane Chamberlain, one of my favorite authors, has written another memorable story. Her characters of Tess, Vincent and Henry have depth and come alive. I especially enjoyed the engagement between Tess and Henry, how each handles commitment and conflict after one reckless night brings this unlikely couple together. Chamberlain made me care for these imperfect characters who somehow make it work while navigating through a loveless marriage. She adds well-placed peripheral characters and unveils a few secrets on the way towards a very satisfying ending.

It didn't take long for me to become engrossed in the WWII world of Tess. Some of the dialogue seemed a bit too modern for that era but what do I know? Whether it was or wasn't, I quickly grew used to it and accepted it.

The characters in this book are so well described that I could easily visualize them all the way through the book. The writing is good - - teasing the reader with little bits of clues to the main mystery. Along with the suspense, though, is excellent fictional history. It's obvious a great deal of research went into this book since much of it was based on real places and events. The horror of the polio epidemic and the hospital for polio treatment in the town of Hickory were conveyed realistically while embellishing the facts with the fictional characters. I thought several times I had things figured out - - sometimes I did and sometimes I was merely close.

This is a good old-fashioned story and a very enjoyable read.

It's amazing how a wrong step can change the outcome of your whole life!
This is exactly what happened to the main character of The Stolen Marriage.

Tess DeMello comes from an Italian family. She's Catholic and she has been in love with the same boy she grew up with as far as she can remember. This boy, now a man is a doctor and they are engaged. Tess in planning her wedding when he decides to volunteer in a different town and he leaves Tess alone for weeks making her wonder if he has changed his mind about marrying her.

In one night, a wrong decision and Tess will have to leave the town and the people she loves. She will marry Henry Kraft and move to Hickory, North Carolina. Henry's mother and sister are not thrilled about the wedding. The town doesn't like Tess either. Everyone, will make her life difficult and make her feel like nothing but an outcast. It doesn't help that Henry keeps many secrets and he doesn't seem inclined to share them with her. He doesn't seem to want to share their bed either!

The Stolen Marriage had a good mystery going on. I wanted to know what Henry was hiding and why were so many people were against Tess. I think Diane Chamberlain did a good job in leading us into the big reveal. I personally liked the outcome. It made sense to me.

Tess was a good character to root for. She tried her best to continue with her career despite Henry and his mother not wanting her to pursue it. I didn't hate Henry but I didn't like him most of the time. I thought he let his mother and sibling get away with too much instead of defending Tess from them.

Overall, I enjoyed the Stolen Marriage and wouldn't hesitate to grab another novel by Diane Chamberlain.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by ST Marting Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been a Diane Chamberlain fan so I was really excited to get a copy of her new book. This seemed like a little bit of a departure from her usual books, but it was still really good.

Tess is a devout Catholic girl engaged to the perfect boy next door when one night's decision ends up with her married to a man she barely knows, exiled from her family and living in North Carolina.

Her new husband is kind but distant, her new mother and sister in law are not kind and distant, and Tess is bored, lonely and heartbroken.

I thought I knew what the twist was, but I was pretty wrong. Tess insists on taking her nursing boards so she can practice, despite her new family's wishes. A polio outbreak brings a familiar face back into Tess's world, and everything is thrown into chaos.

I loved how the storyline covered so many diverse storylines with a little bit of history. It's crazy to think how polio used to be a real concern compared to how fortunate we are now.

1944 Hickory, North Carolina. A 23-year-old named Tess DeMello marries a stranger in a small town. Yes, this is a historical romance. But there is also racial tension and hardships from the aftermath of World War II. Her husband, Henry Kraft, hides money, keeps secrets and shows no interest in consummating their marriage. It is a loveless relationship.

Everyone in Hickory respects Henry but not new wife, Tess. She is an outsider and blamed for a terrible accident. Then a sudden polio epidemic strikes the town and Tess, having earned a nursing degree, begins to work at the hospital. Tess saves lives while her own may be in jeopardy thanks to her husband's mysterious behavior.

Tess begins her story with a crisis and grew stronger rest of the book. This is something all of us can relate to. Sometimes it takes a huge boulder in the road for us to stand on two feet and make the most of our current situation. We have no choice but to be strong. And then, like Tess, we cannot undo anything so might as well move forward. This makes the main character so relatable and likable.

I look forward to Diane Chamberlain's compelling new novels. When it is time for a new release, I am sure to spend hours reading a good book; The Stolen Marriage is no exception. It is a historical romance that would be perfect for a Hallmark or Lifetime movie. It is a research-heavy book and the author clearly did her homework. I so respect that.

Happy Pub Day, Diane Chamberlain! The Stolen Marriage is now available.

LiteraryMarie

A Doomed Marriage in the South of WWII

It’s 1944. Tess DeMello is in love. She’s always been in love with Vincent. They grew up together and planned to wed. Vincent, a doctor, has finished his residency. Tess is finishing her nurses’ training when a polio epidemic strikes Chicago. Vincent feels he must go. At first Tess is understanding, but when weeks grow into months, she finds it hard to remain complacent.

Henry Kraft is visiting Washington DC. Tess is there with a girlfriend. They meet, and in one ill advised encounter, Tess becomes pregnant. She wants to marry Vincent, but she can’t tell him the truth. She turns to Henry, and he agrees to marry her, but when they arrive in Hickory, a traditional, segregated, southern town, Tess believes she may have made a mistake.

Henry is not affectionate. His mother is standoffish, and when his sister dies in a tragic accident, Tess doesn’t know what to do. When a polio epidemic strikes the town. She finds her place working in the hospital created by the townspeople.

History and romance combine to make this a good read. The South during WWII was a difficult place for a northern girl to understand. Mixed race marriages were forbidden and could lead to jail time. The town was stratified with the rich, the poor, and the blacks living in separate areas. The author has done a good job recreating this difficult era. The characters are true to life and the plot has twists that you can’t anticipate. I recommend this book. The difficulty of living in times when prejudice was accepted is well described.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

I've been a huge fan of Diane Chamberlain's work since the early 2000s. Everything she writes is filled with well-drawn characters who are in the midst of varied and complex situations. When I learned she was writing a novel set during the Second World War, I was over the moon, as that's one of my favorite historical periods to read about. The Stolen Marriage was everything I hoped it would be, and so much more besides.

Twenty-three-year-old Tess Demello is about to start the life of her dreams. She'll soon be married to Vincent, the boy next door who turned out to be the love of her life. He's a doctor, and Tess, with her nursing degree, plans to work beside him when he goes into private practice in Baltimore. Eventually, they'll start a family, and Tess can't imagine wanting anything more out of life.

Unfortunately, Vincent's attitude toward Tess begins to change; he begins working at a polio clinic in Chicago, and he's away for months at a time. Tess begins to doubt his love for her, especially since Vincent continually postpones the date of his return home. So, when her best friend suggests Tess accompany her on a night out in Washington D.C., Tess agrees, telling herself she deserves to have a little fun. After all, Vincent isn't likely to be pining for her. But things in D.C. don't go the way Tess expected they would, and the night ends with an intoxicated Tess in bed with Henry Kraft, a handsome and mysterious stranger.

Tess returns home, determined to put her indiscretion behind her. She'll never see Henry again, and she and Vincent will get married and hopefully live happily ever after. At least, they will, if Vincent ever comes home. But, when she realizes she's pregnant with Henry's child, Tess is faced with the most difficult decision of her life. Can she trick Vincent into thinking the child is his, or will she tell him the truth, thus ending their engagement?

After much soul-searching and a trip to the small town of Hickory, North Carolina, where Henry lives and works, Tess decides to end her engagement to Vincent and marry Henry instead. It's not the most well-thought-out plan, but Henry seems determined to do the right thing by Tess and their unborn child. He's quite wealthy, and he promises to give Tess every advantage. True, they don't love each other, but Tess is sure love will blossom in time.

Tess and Henry are married quickly, and she is soon ensconced in his family home. She's not wild about having to live with Henry's mother and younger sister, but he assures her it's only for a short time, just until he can have a house built for them. Tess hopes to become friends with Henry's relatives, but it soon becomes apparent to both Tess and the reader that this is not a likely outcome. The Kraft women seem to resent her presence, and both go out of their way to be extremely unpleasant. Tess is baffled by their open hostility, but before long she realizes she has more important things to worry about than the rudeness of her in-laws.

Although Henry was quick to suggest he and Tess get married, he doesn't seem at all inclined to treat Tess as his wife. They sleep in separate beds and never make love; he stays out late most nights, and is extremely evasive when Tess questions his whereabouts. Obviously, there's more to Henry than first meets the eye, and Tess will have her work cut out for her if she ever hopes to learn the truth.

This story is much more than the summary I've given you, but nothing I could write would do Ms. Chamberlain's latest novel justice. It's part love story with a hint of the paranormal thrown in and part mystery. But, most of all, it's the story of one woman's struggle to find herself and her purpose in a changing world.

Tess is a delightful heroine. She makes her share of mistakes, but she learns from them and goes on to become a better person. I fully expected her to crumble under the dislike of Henry's friends and family, but she is possessed of remarkable courage and stands strong in her convictions. Henry doesn't want her to work, but when a polio epidemic sweeps through the town, she defies his wishes and goes to work at the newly-constructed hospital because she knows in her heart it's the right thing to do.

The supporting characters are expertly drawn. I definitely didn't like them all, but I was able to understand and even sympathize with many of the reasons for their undesirable behavior, and, in my book, that's a real plus. I don't like cookie-cutter characters. I want to know and understand the people I'm reading about, even those I dislike.

The Stolen Marriage is the kind of story that will grab you and refuse to let you go until you turn the last page - I would have read it in one sitting if it had been possible. Ms. Chamberlain transported me out of my world and into Tess's, and I enjoyed every minute I spent there. Hickory isn't the nicest place I've ever read about, though. It brims with racial tension and deeply buried secrets, but it feels incredibly authentic.

This novel is sure to appeal to those who are established fans of Ms. Chamberlain's books, as well as those who have never read her before. It's something I'll be recommending to all my book-loving friends. It really is that good.

Buy Now: A/BN/iB/K

5 Stars +++ International Bestselling author and one of my all-time favorites, master storyteller, Diane Chamberlain returns following Pretending to Dance, landing on my Top books of 2015 with her latest multi-layered compelling drama: THE STOLEN MARRIAGE — Profound and moving, a complex novel of deeply buried secrets. Well-researched, a perfect blending of fact and fiction.

Rich in history, mystery, suspense, intrigue and the finest of southern fiction. Emotionally driven, infused with richly layered characters—with highly-charged and compelling “true to life topics” of the era.

Movie-worthy: From racial tensions to the stresses and emotions of World War II — tragedy, loss, love, trust, betrayal, compassion, forgiveness, and the toll of secrets from a rural small Southern town.

A poignant and engrossing tale.

From dark secrets, infidelity, sex outside of marriage, same-sex, abortion, prejudice, interracial marriages and relations, war rationing, family obligations, gripping moral dilemmas, religion, polio epidemic, and a little magical sprinkle of the supernatural.

Set in 1943, Theresa “Tess” DeMello, a 23-year-old nurse-in-training resides in Little Italy, Baltimore, Maryland. A happy Italian Catholic family, they have lived next door to the Russos forever. They are celebrating her twenty-third birthday and the completion of Vincent’s hospital residency at John Hopkins.

She has been in love with Vincent Russo since she was a child. They have planned their lives and even their children. In a few months, Tess would be graduating from nursing school and taking her licensing exam and finally be able to call herself a registered nurse. A career she had longed for since she was ten years old. They even fantasized that someday Vincent would have his own pediatric practice and she would be his nurse.

The two families are planning their upcoming wedding. They had been dating for seven years. She is still a virgin and since Vincent had grown up expecting to be a priest, he had never pressured her. They would wait until their wedding night.

Her best friend Gina, on the other hand, was a different story. She did not think it was a sin, and really— she did not find too much of anything a sin.

Tess was worried that he would be called off to war but he did have a minor heart problem. However, she was not prepared for a change in their well-laid plans. Vincent was called to Chicago. There was an infantile paralysis epidemic there and they needed doctors to volunteer. A subject true to his heart due to members of his family with polio.

This is just one of the reasons Tess loved him so. He was devoted and selfless. He had hoped to be away for only a few weeks. However, the few weeks turned into longer. He was so busy, he seldom had time to write or phone in a shared boardinghouse with eight men. She worried he would fall in love with Chicago and forget about her —their plans and their life. She fears what is there is someone else? She is feeling insecure. Self-doubt sets in.

As time moved on Vincent was still away and her friend Gina was feeling a little down since her man was away fighting for his country. Gina begs her to accompany her to Washington, DC. A weekend getaway. They deserved it. Only an hour train ride from Baltimore and they could stay at her aunt’s house near Capitol Hill. She runs a tourist home. Tess does not want to go, but Gina finally persuades her.

However, when they arrive, their aunt had to leave unexpectedly and leaves them a note and key. There are also two businessmen who will be staying overnight in the house. They meet the men and they take them out for dinner and martinis.

The two men seemed nice enough, Robert Talbot and Henry Kraft. Henry was from the South, and appeared to be well dressed, in his late twenties and rather quiet. Gina was flirting with Robert and left her to talk with Henry.

Henry’s family owns a fine furniture factory (Kraft Furniture) in Hickory, NC and now they are producing material for the war effort. She did notice Henry had only seven fingers. Their maid Adora saved his life. He looked sad.

Back at the house, with too much to drink, things get out of hand. Intoxicated. They had sex. Tess was horrified. How could she have done such a thing when she loves Vincent? She is determined never to see or speak to him again. Was it rape? One night changes the course of her life.

Upon return, she is guilt-ridden and goes to the priest for confession. A mortal sin to have sexual relations outside of marriage and betraying her fiancé he says. She must tell Vincent. However, he needs to remain eight more weeks but assures he will be back months before the wedding.

Then her worst fears. She is pregnant. What was she going to do? A smart girl with a brilliant career and future will dishonor her entire family. Could she pass the baby off as Vincent’s? She could not marry him. She must leave. She cannot face him. She does not trust in their love. Gina says she must have an abortion. None of these options are looking good. Gina knows someone who will take care of it.

Scared and alone, she arrives and cannot go through with it. She must move away. A place where she would not be the object of scorn or shame or worry about bumping into Vincent or his family. She decides she will travel to Hickory, NC and tell Henry. She would do whatever she could to protect her baby.

However, things go differently than she planned. She was not quite expecting Henry to propose. She did not love him or know anything about him nor his family. She was stunned. Could this be a sign from God? She decides to marry him. She has no clue what she is getting into. A loveless marriage with a stranger? This is not the life she planned.

Henry was a take charge man with money, power, and prestige. Plus, a sophisticated family. She knew she was not part of his life. She could not forget her nursing and immediately wanted to look into the requirements for licensing in NC. He does not think she needs a career.

He wants to build them a house; however, while the house is being built, they have to move in with his overbearing mother and sister Lucy. His sister was about the same age as Tess and she thought this could be her new best friend. Wrong, on all accounts.

Tess soon learns there is no lovemaking (which is a good thing), and Henry goes back to his busy life, leaving her stuck with mother and sister. Also, Violet Dare, Hank’s fiancée most of her life. Everyone knew they would marry. They came from the right families. No one can understand why he married this girl no one had met and from Baltimore.

Something secretive is going on with Henry (Hank). Lucy tells Tess there are things she does not know about Henry. (it is definitely not what you expect).

Now everyone blames her. Plus, her mom and others cannot comprehend why she would give up her life for some man in NC? Her mother and father (in heaven) will disown her. How could she do this to Mimi, Pop, and Vincent? A man who left to do volunteer work and she cheated on him.

She decides to write Vincent a letter. She cannot be honest and she cannot tell him about the baby or her marriage. She tells him not to find her and find someone worthy. A letter full of lies and omissions. Heartbroken, she is the talk of the town. Alienated from everyone. Then her mother passes away. She blames herself once again.

Violet is the district attorney’s daughter. She will not be Henry’s wife. Tess feels her only friend is the maid, Hattie. Bryon Dare (her dad) is prosecuting Henry’s friend Gaston. His friend who married a Loretta (black), and wants to return to NC to reside.

Tess knows she must take the RN exam and it would be held only a few hours away in Winston-Salem via train. She has to figure out a way to get there. Of course, the mother-in-law and Henry think all this is nonsense since she will be too busy with the women’s organizations, now that she is Henry’s wife. Of course, being in the South, this is Baptist Bible belt territory and she is Catholic.

What else would she have to give up?

With heartfelt letters from Tess to Gina back home she talks about the town, her husband, a nanny, and child on the way. She knows she is fortunate to have his support but she misses her life and Vincent. So many things she wishes she could undo.

However, if you have read any of Diane Chamberlain’s books, you know there is a complex story coming. Paths will intersect, lives will be tested, love and hope will be restored.

Fun part: Hattie tells her about Reverend Sam (love him). He talks to the spirits. She is sad and wants clarity. However, he lives in Ridgeview (colored town), and how will she get there? She needs to make peace with her mom, Maria. A book. She loves visiting him and feels freer.

She soon suspects she is being followed. Henry does not come home sometimes. Zeke the colored janitor is always at the factory. A cop following her. What was she missing? A mystery. Then she stumbles upon an armoire filled two-thirds with bills. Banded and in stacks. More than two thousand dollars.

Another tragedy. Another loss. She was trapped and miserable. How foolish she had been about Vincent going away for a few months to Chicago for work, and then allowing Gina to talk her into the stupid Washington trip and sleeping with Henry. Then the baby. She must find a way out of this trap.

Then polio strikes. Infantile paralysis. Ruth (Henry’s mom) says it only happens to poor people, which was not true since she points out FDR was not poor. Maybe she could help out since she is a nurse.

Enter more problems. Between Gina and Lucy, these two get Tess in all sorts of trouble. A car accident on the wrong side of town. Lucy is gone. Everyone blames her. She needs her mom and Lucy’s forgiveness. War and polio. People dying. She could not sit still. She could do some good.

“We need to remember that polio knows no socioeconomic or racial lines. It affects all our community and it will take all of us to fight it.”

With the weight on her shoulders, Tess must dig her way out of the muck and get her life back. Disliked by a town, her own household, and her secretive money-hiding husband, and unable to do the work she loved, and still longed for a man she could not have. A husband and mother in law telling her what she could and couldn’t do.

Is she being played for a fool? Will she find a way to get the power back?

She needs her spiritual guide named Walter. She must help at the polio hospital. She has to save herself and get her life back. In the process she may even save others, seeking redemption. Someone’s tragedy could be someone else’s salvation.

What will happen when she meets face to face with Vincent? Has she lost her chance at real happiness?

Could tragedy bring out the best of people and possibly the judgemental friends may turn out to be more generous and compassionate than she thought possible? Could she win back her dignity with the town and those she loves? She arrived broken and hopefully. Will Tess possess the strength to help make it whole?

The author grabs you from the intriguing and suspenseful prologue to the satisfying conclusion. Loved the Epilogue and the author’s notes about Hickory and the actual polio hospital which was staffed in fifty-four hours!

A gripping, powerful and compelling page-turner!

No one can tell a story like Diane Chamberlain. The author has never been afraid to tackle the hot highly-charged topics and a pro at family drama and riveting suspense. She is at the top of her game. Of course, everything she writes is solid gold (have read all her books and anxiously await the next).

Loved Tess’ character and her enduring power. What a journey; from self-doubt and fear — with one crisis after another, to a stronger woman through her adversity. An ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. Reading Guide

Highly Recommend! THE STOLEN MARRIAGE is a Top Books for 2017 and read in one sitting. Suspenseful as well as informative, insightful and compelling.

For fans of Jodi Picoult, Heather Gudenkauf, Karen White, Lisa Wingate, and Amy Hatvany,

Once again, her meticulous researched topics and well-developed characters remind me strongly of one of my other favorites: Necessary Lies and the novella The First Lie. If you enjoyed THE STOLEN MARRIAGE, you will devour these two. PS Another oldie but goodie favorite: The Bay at Midnight.

The Stolen Marriage and Necessary Lies are my top favorites out of all her books. Possibly being an NC native, I enjoy revising my roots and its rich Southern history. I always learn a new bit of history after reading one of her books.

If you have not already, please visit Diane’s website and her blog. You will appreciate the story even more and further enhance your overall reading experience when you read her personal account.

Thank you, for having the courage and determination to express. An inspiration to many. Rape, Race and Writing Historical Fiction

She includes more extensive research on her website and books about polio in 1944 in this town. Another article.

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an early reading copy. Also pre-ordered the audiobook narrated by Susan Bennett. Look forward to listening.

Adore both covers. The rain and the train (strong)..

JDCMustReadBooks

I have a secret. Well, it isn’t a secret to those who know me in real life but to those in the blogging community, it is. See, I live in Hickory, where a good majority of The Stolen Marriage takes place. My son goes to school at the elementary school in the historic Oakwood area. I see the Baptist Church when I go downtown. My youngest goes to preschool at the Presbyterian Church mentioned in the book. When I saw the blurb for The Stolen Marriage on NetGalley, I had to request it. I had to read about Hickory in the mid-1940’s. When I was approved for the ARC, I was thrilled and I hoped that the book lived up to my mental build up. It did.

The plot of The Stolen Marriage was a pretty straightforward one. Tess made a big mistake (read the book) and in her haste to rectify her mistake, she married Henry Kraft. Which surprised not only his mother and sister but the townsfolk of Hickory. Everyone expected him to marry the daughter of a prominent lawyer. So when he turned up married to Tess, unhappiness abounded. But Tess’s marriage was a strange one. Henry stayed out all hours of the night and never made love to her. While he treated her with kindness, he held her at arm’s length. There was a disconnect that she found strange. It takes two personal tragedies for Tess to unravel her husband’s secrets. It also took a polio epidemic for Tess to realize her worth.

The Stolen Marriage is women’s fiction with a twist. There is an element of mystery interwoven in the story. I will admit, I did figure out the mystery pretty early in the book. But me figuring out the mystery did not take away from my pleasure in reading the book. As with all mysteries, there is a twist in the plot that did take me by surprise. Looking back, there were hints leading up to the twist but I ignored them. Teaches me to ignore hints.

I liked Tess but I thought that she made some major decisions while not thinking. I get why she went to Hickory, to begin with, I would have done the same thing. It is that she didn’t show that same spirit while living in Hickory. She was so beaten down by everything that was going on and how she was being treated that she gave up for a while. But after the accident and what happened afterward, I saw some life come back into her. By the time the hospital was being built, she was almost the same Tess that she was in the beginning of the book. Then the twist happened and truths were revealed. Instead of returning to that weak women, Tess became stronger. She became the women she should have been while living in Hickory.

I couldn’t get a handle on Henry for most of the book. I also couldn’t get past the secret keeping. That man had so many secrets, it wasn’t even funny. My head spun from all the secrets he had. It was one secret right after another with him. I got a bit tired of all the skulking around he did and was almost relieved when his secrets finally came out. I was a little shocked when what happened next happened. I didn’t think that he had it in him. I also do think that he should have been there more for Tess. She was going through hell and he stayed away from the house. He could have at least put his mother and sister in their place.

The end of the book was a bit of a surprise but it fit well with the story. All the storylines were ended in a way that satisfied me as a reader. I also liked the peek into the lives of Henry and Tess in the future!! What I also liked is that the author chose to put a personal note with references to the events in her book.

4 stars

My Summary of The Stolen Marriage:

The Stolen Marriage is a wonderfully written women’s fiction/mystery/drama that is steeped in the history of WWII era Hickory, NC. This book is not a quick read. I would recommend that if you do read it, that you set aside a bit of time. This is a book that will capture your heart!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Older Teen

Why: There is sex in this book but it is not explicit and details are not given beyond what was needed to let you know what was going on. There are some mild violence and language used also

I would like to thank Diane Chamberlain, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Stolen Marriage

All opinions expressed in this review of The Stolen Marriage are mine and I was not compensated in any way for this review

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Diane Chamberlain writes in her afterword that she created this story around an historical fact she had learned about the Emergency Infantile Paralysis Hospital which was quickly erected in Hickory, North Carolina in 1944 in response to an epidemic of polio in and around Catawba County, NC that summer. "Yes, it really happened," says Chamberlain. "The people of Hickory built, outfitted, and staffed a polio hospital in fifty-four hours. Ultimately consisting of thirteen wards, the hospital evaluated six hundred and sixty-three patients over its nine months in existence."

I am old enough to remember the fear of polio hanging over our heads every summer until the Salk vaccine was approved in 1955! And I have a memory of a little girl returning to our first grade classroom after surviving a case of polio with legs as thin as sticks and being so weak that she dissolved into tears.

The story is told through the first person perspective of Teresa DeMello, a young nursing student from the Little Italy neighborhood of Baltimore, MD, who is engaged to her childhood sweetheart, Dr Vincent Russo. Vincent volunteers to help with a polio epidemic in Chicago and while he is gone, Tess and her friend Gina take a trip to Washington DC, where Tess meets Henry Kraft, the owner of a furniture factory in Hickory, NC. Through a series of melodramatic occurrences, Tess ends up marrying Hank and moving to his family home, where she is treated like a social pariah by Henry's family, friends and neighbors. But soon polio rears its ugly and tragic head which brings the community together to deal with the epidemic--and also brings a doctor Tess had hoped to avoid ever seeing again.

Although a little melodramatic for my taste, the story is nicely woven around these tragic characters, many of whom are living lives of 'quiet desperation.' The early decisions Tess makes can seem to be head-scratchers but probably make more sense considering the WWII time period and the few options open to women in her position. But one would wish she could have just been open about her mistakes and lived with the consequences.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this interesting new book for an honest review.

It’s why I love Diane Chamberlain books so much – she tells tales that are complex and complicated and that I can’t put down.  And, yet again, she hasn’t disappointed me.  In fact, this – for me – was one of the best books of hers I feel like I’ve read in a while and, as I’ve liked everything of hers I’ve ever read, that is saying something.
Why did I enjoy it so much?  First off, the characters.  Central to the story are Tess – a young woman of Italian heritage who has grown up sheltered and certain of the path her life would take – and Henry, the man Tess marries – who is an enigma through most of the book.  He has secrets he can’t share that could mean he’s very good at pretending to be good or is just plain bad.  I decided early on that he wasn’t bad and prayed for the rest of the book I was proved right (you’ll have to read The Stolen Marriage to find out if I was!).
Both Tess and Henry as so well written and so detailed and complex, I believed in them totally, and in all the characters that surrounded them, including Tess’ former fiancé and Henry’s family.  Set in 1944, their behaviours weren’t always one I understood but they felt right for the time and showed just how difficult it is to be yourself in a world and in a society where social mores ruled how everyone (or nearly everyone) behaved.
Then there is the setting – Hickory, a small town in the south, where Baltimore born Tess struggles to fit in, not only for her Italian roots which make her stand out but also because she is one of “those” women, one who wants to be independent – to have her own opinions and (dare I say it) work.  I found out after reading the book Hickory was a real place which Chamberlain had visited and it shows in the way she describes the town, it’s people and it’s places.
The polio outbreak, which is central to the story, is also a real event – one that took place in Hickory – and this is the third reason I loved this book.  It was something I knew nothing about and not only was it interesting for the history buff in me, it also made for an interesting story, one that allowed Tess and Henry’s relationship to change as the book progressed and created a catalyst for what happened to them.
For me, it made for a compelling read, one – as I said at the beginning – I couldn’t put down.  I really can’t find a thing bad to say about it.  I loved it from the first page to the last and can’t recommend it enough.

Tess DeMello has only known the world of Little Italy and the love of one man, her next door neighbor, Vincent. They plan on getting married, living in Little Italy, raising a large family, while working together, he a doctor and her a nurse. While she is finishing nursing school, Vincent volunteers as a doctor at a polio hospital in Chicago. After a tense disagreement with Vincent, Tess decides to go to Washington D.C. with her best friend for a weekend of fun. While in D.C. Tess makes a decision that will alter her life forever. Will Tess and Vincent find there way back to each other or is the sin too great?

I could not put this book down. I was reading it every free moment I had available. I found it very thought-provoking and educational. Diane Chamberlain covers the time of 1944/1945 in an extremely educational but entertaining fashion. While our men are overseas in the Pacific fighting WWII, the families back home are fighting the polio epidemic that is taking anyone, but especially the younger generation, the children. What is causing this crippling, life-taking disease? As researchers are working toward a cure, people are working together in ways like never before to save lives. Especially in Hickory, North Carolina. In 54 hours a polio hospital was built and running. Without regard to race, socioeconomic background or religion. A town came together with one goal in mind: saving lives. I was impressed that this was true and am interested to read more about this "miracle town".

Chamberlain also tackles the taboo subject of that time, interracial love. In the South, one could not marry outside their race without facing fines and jail time. Trials were even held to decide how serious the offense.

The Stolen Marriage is one of the novels you will be happy you read and will want to share with all the readers in your life.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for a review based on my own honest opinion.

The Stolen Marriage follows sweet and religious Tess who is engaged to marry her childhood sweetheart, Vinny. She makes a mistake prior to their marriage which ultimately alters the course of her life in completely unforeseen ways. While coping with the ramification of her decision, and her new life, she is dealing with the Polio epidemic. Tess does whatever she can to cope with the circumstances surrounding her based on the decisions she has made. In the midst of all of this - there’s a lot of mystery and suspense with some of the relationships within the town. I know I am being terribly vague, but I don’t want to spoil it for you.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my ARC.

Diane Chamberlain has written a compelling novel with her usual beautiful writing style and entrancing, immersive narratives, as well as a carefully crafted plot and strong, well-developed characters. Also, being the history junkie that I am I really appreciated the meticulous research Chamberlain did while writing the true events that take place in the book. While it is dated during WWII, the actual events of the novel aren’t focused on the war. Instead, that era plays a huge part in the social and cultural events in the book—interracial relations, Jim Crow laws in North Carolina, women’s rights, class differences, the polio epidemic, and the polio hospital built in just 54 hours in Hickory, NC.

The Stolen Marriage is such a captivating story of love, marriage, secrets, betrayal, grief, tragedy, racism, class, forgiveness, and redemption that you will not want to put it down! I not only felt completely transported to another place and time while reading the book but felt as if I were fully involved with the character’s lives since Chamberlain did such an excellent job making them feel so vibrant and life-like! This was such a fantastic book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!

It is the summer of 1943 in Little Italy, Baltimore when readers first meet Tess Demello and her fiancé Vincent Russo. Tess is a strong, vibrant young woman who is madly in love with Vince and has her entire future planned around not only their lives together as husband and wife but her ambition of being a nurse since she only needs to take the RN licensing exam to fulfill her dream. Vince is a doctor who has just finished his residency at Johns Hopkins, and he plans to open his own pediatrics’ office with Tess working by his side. It seems like they have the perfect love story and the perfect life mapped out until things completely unravel.

Shocking her family and Vince, Tess ends their engagement after Vince has been in Chicago for months volunteering during the polio outbreak. During his time away, she grows insecure, nervous, and aggravated at their lack of contact and even questions if Vince really wants to marry her. Instead, while on an impromptu girl’s weekend to Washington D.C., she meets another man, wealthy Henry Kraft, owner of Kraft Furniture in Hickory, N.C. Tess suddenly becomes Mrs. Henry Kraft.

When Tess and Hank are married, his mother, Ruth, and sister, Lucy, are horrified that Hank has married "beneath" him or married at all since he was expected to marry another woman—is this the “stolen marriage” then? Has Tess stolen Hank from another woman and if so, why did he not tell her? Plus, they not only believe Tess to be unsuitable since she is Catholic, Italian, and working class but along with the rest of the town, they're suspicious of Tess’s motives in marrying Hank and act like she’s a gold digger. Everyone she meets treats her with utter contempt except for the hired help and a medium who becomes her friend. It's horrible to see wonderful, kind Tess treated so awfully, especially knowing that it was in part because of her ethnicity and religion that she was treated so horribly.  Chamberlain really does make you look at racism and prejudice and question how far we’ve really come in 70 years...it really isn't that far when you watch the news and see what is going on every single day.

The biggest shock is Tess's marriage. Tess quickly discovers her marriage is a sham and although Hank is kind to her, he has no desire to touch her, is very distant, keeps secrets, and rarely comes home at night. I certainly had my own ideas about what Hank’s secrets were, why he wouldn’t touch his wife, and where he was at night, and wow, was I wrong!! When all the reasons were revealed, I was shocked! It was a wonderful plot twist in a story already full of interesting twists and turns!

Still, Tess is left in misery and abject loneliness wondering about the horrible mistake that she made coming to Hickory, especially after one tragedy after another happens and she is blamed. Where she was held in contempt by the townspeople before, she is now openly despised by many. It was very difficult seeing the high-spirited, strong compassionate Tess from the beginning of the book so lost and lonely. You know she is a fighter, but you feel that spark go out of her for a while, and Chamberlain is so good at making you feel the character's emotions that I sobbed with Tess when she faced each tragedy. 

What I loved and admired is that even though Tess is faced with adversity, that she never lets go of her pride and determination or forgets her passionate calling to be a nurse despite Hank and his mother’s objections. When the polio outbreak happens and the community comes together to build the hospital in town to save lives, Tess faces down Hank’s objections to be a nurse at the hospital with an iron will. While doing what she is most passionate about, Tess rediscovers herself, saves lives, finds friendship, and most of all discovers peace and forgiveness.

The Stolen Marriage ends on the notes of much-deserved happiness, redemption, and love finally gotten right. Chamberlain has written a wonderful novel that even though it has its imperfections, including some predictable parts of the plot, they are few and in between. Of all her books that I’ve read, I believe this is the most beautiful one. It's raw in places. Real. Stunning with its presentation of grief and genuine emotions. I loved that there was an epilogue that tells where the characters are 10 years in the future since I didn't want the book to end!  I can't wait to read Chamberlain's next book since I know it will be simply superb! 

**Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Diane Chamberlain for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

I read The Stolen Marriage with three of my Traveling sisters as a group read and we were split on how we felt about this book. Two sisters who don’t often read Historical fiction reached out and tried something a little different by reading this one and they ended up really enjoying this novel. With one of the sisters being a fan of Diane Chamberlain and for another sister and myself we had some concerns with this book. I have read a couple of Diane Chamberlain’s books and I really enjoyed them, however this one had so much going on that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked.

The Stolen Marriage was an interesting and memorable read but yet overdramatic at times with a story about marriage, divorce, secrets, loss, tragedy in different forms, racial tension, women’s rights and life during the war that touched on so many different topics. There is a lot going on here within this story. This created more drama than some of us would of liked and we had a harder time connecting with the story at first.

Tess starts off with a crisis and her life takes an unexpected turn and she finds herself married into a family where not everyone welcomes her into her Stolen Marriage. She experiences hardship after hardship and event after event creating a lot of drama in Tess’s daily life. With so much going on here it took away from any feelings for Tess’s anguish for one sister and myself. For the other sisters they enjoyed the drama and connected with Tess and her feelings. Things moved quite quickly from one event to the other and I felt like not enough time was spent on one event to stir up any real emotions from me. There is a little mystery to Tess’s marriage with some secrets being kept that added some suspense to the story and we all really enjoyed the mystery and discussing that.

Diane Chamberlain does an excellent job with researching life in Hickory during the war, the polio hospital and with the laws of marriage. I would've liked more about that and less of all the other topics that I felt just weren't needed in this historical fiction.

Diane Chamberlain does do a good job with the character development with Tess’s character and we did finally get to know her and see her grow stronger as the story progressed allowing us to connect and feel her emotions more.

In the end I started looking at this more like a drama rather than a historical fiction and I did really like the ending along with some of the other sisters. We were all split on wanting a little less drama on this one to make it more enjoyable. Overall we all enjoyed The Stolen Marriage and our reading experience. It made for a very good group read with an interesting and enjoyable discussion. I highly recommend for a group read.

All of our Traveling Sisters Reviews can be found on our sister blog:
http://www.twogirlslostinacouleereading.wordpress.com

Diane Chamberlain's newest book, The Stolen Marriage, showcases the author's exceptional ability to write historical fiction that never feels dry or stale, but instead takes the readers into the life and heart of one ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances.
I had a difficult relationship with this book. While the characters and their circumstances are products of their time, I could never see Henry as anything other than what he was, [a rapist (hide spoiler)] . This made it hard for me to be sympathetic to him, even late in the story when we get to the secret revealing part. I admired Tess for her passion and determination in pursuing her nursing license and career, and felt empathy and sadness for her that the time she lived in and the limitations society placed on her meant that she felt incredibly culpable for her situation.
Historical fiction that deals with racial issues is difficult as a reader. The author has to be realistic and honest about the circumstances and attitudes, which can be uncomfortable, and also has a the challenging responsibility of contextualizing the topic. Overall, from an outside perspective, I thought Diane Chamberlain did a fair job, though I found the ending [to somewhat portray Tess as a white savior (hide spoiler)]. This book will resonate with fans of Diane Chamberlain, of historical fiction, and book clubs. I always look forward to the author's books and will continue to do so!

Thank you to St Martin's Press and to NetGalley.

In 1944, Tess ends an engagement to the man of her dreams to marry a complete stranger. Her marriage to Henry is not good. The town they live in respects him and treats her as an outsider. Then the Polio outbreak hits. Can she save herself?

This is a book that I wanted to like. I have so much respect for Chamberlain as a writer. She writes with such feeling and detail. She includes difficult scenes in her books, and this one is no exception. I just couldn't get into it. There wasn't anything in the beginning to hook me in, and I struggled to finish. The writing is quite lovely, but it was not enough to carry the story for me.