This book deals with the sensitive subject of rape, and the historical way that victims of rape were blamed for the crime. That being said, I really enjoyed the character of Hattie, from the time she was a child until her adulthood. She is a strong, independent woman in a time that does not value these qualities in women. I enjoyed the storyline and Hattie’s pursuit of happiness.

I enjoyed this book and I loved Hattie and her independence and disregard for the opinions of others. I also loved the emotional development and relationship development. Some of the characters in this book seemed way ahead of their time while others, Roger Lord especially, seemed insanely behind- emphasis on insane. I would highly recommend changing the blurb for the book. It doesn't match the book at all and gave me a different idea of what the book would be about until I started reading it.

This book was hugely problematic for me as I felt it mishandled the rape survivor storyline. Before I get into that, I will say that I think the historical depiction of how women were viewed and regulated (by men as well as other women) during this period of extreme patriarchy is well done and effective. I think it will be eye-opening on that level for many readers.

Where it began to stray was in the depiction of a rape survivor, which I felt was too rose-tinted. The book is called “The Ballad of Hattie Taylor”, but a more accurate title would have been “The Ballad of Mattawa” since Hattie Taylor is merely part of an ensemble cast. The conversation around rape in recent years has been about elevating the voice of abuse and assault survivors. In this cast, which features the vile rapist as well as a controlling, patronizing love interest, Hattie’s survivor’s voice is largely suppressed. Her rape occurs off-stage and in a book that takes no issue with graphic sex scenes, this is unacceptable. That isn't to say that the rape needs to be told in graphic detail, but we, as readers, do need to be with Hattie through her attack in order to experience what she does. Without that, her story immediately loses impact.

And that's my main criticism: Hattie often fell as a character in service to the male characters, all of whom are quite frankly repugnant to varying degrees. Jake, as the "hero", is incredibly disappointing. He repeatedly shows inadequate support, even cruelty, toward the women he claims to love and often seems to blame them for his weakness. For example, his behavior in regard to his first wife’s fear and ignorance of sex is absolutely disgusting. He all but commits marital rape on their wedding night and then blames her for being afraid of him for the rest of their marriage. After she dies, he sends Hattie away from their home because he can’t control his lust for her. Worse, when Hattie expresses her discomfort with the man (and secret serial rapist) whose home she is being sent to, Jake ignores her in service to his own selfishness. The full truth of what happened to Hattie is kept from him so that he doesn’t immediately go out and kill the rapist. The focus always seems to be on Jake, and what's problematic about this (besides the obvious fact that he wasn't the one who was raped) is the fact that he never changes. The trial sequence is a fiasco because in the end, Hattie has zero agency in her own survival story.

The overall relationship between Jake and Hattie lacks chemistry and singularity. There are constant references to how they've "always" felt about one another, but when we think of the age gap between them as well as their former sibling-like/child-guardian dynamic, this becomes a little uncomfortable and problematic, particularly when Jake uses 'baby' as his pet name for Hattie. The man-splaining from Jake about women's reproduction was also an issue for me since his mother (and Hattie's other guardian) could and should have filled that role for some much-needed positive female interaction.

In another decade, this might have been an empowering story. In this decade, it’s outdated, cringe-worthy, and far from romantic. I understand the aim to present a historical account of women's total lack of agency during this time. But it needs to be balanced with the fictional account as well in order for us to gain something out of it. As it is, there's very little for women to take away from Hattie's convoluted ballad. The author notes in her afterword that "we still have a long way to go" in the fight for women's voices. No truer words were ever written.

Beautiful exploration of life and society in the early 20th century through the lens of fiction. One would hope we only imagine the harsh world of yesteryear; however, many themes persist today. I love finding these gems that provide a glimpse into the world my grandparents may have experienced. I highly recommend this historical romance.

Advance digital copy provided by NetGalley. Thank you!