I wanted to like "The Divorce Colony" by April White, but it was tough. The writing was hard to follow because of the funny sentences and lots of passive talk.

The book dives deep into history, which is cool. There's lots of digging into old stuff and thinking about it. But, even with all that, it didn't match what I expected from the "divorce colony" idea.

I appreciate the work, but, to be honest, it didn't grab me like I hoped. It's not my top pick.

The Divorce Colony is a historical overview of the process of divorce in America. Historically most states made it impossible to get a divorce regardless of the reason. That is except for Sioux Falls, South Dakota where if a woman followed the process a divorce could be obtained. Divorce in Sioux Falls was expensive and contained several steps many of were unattainable by women of the world.

Sioux Falls became known as the divorce colony. Women would travel to Sioux Falls, set up a place where they would live for 3 to six months and hire a lawyer for a divorce. It was expensive and time consuming. It quickly became the place for white rich society members to get divorced. .

This book focuses on four cases of women who had moved to Sioux Falls to obtain a divorce. There is an in-depth look at the consequences of these actions. These women were questions by other aspects of their lives: religion, family, and politicians. It was interesting to see reflection of society at the time within these questions. Everything was posed as protection when in reality was all about control.

The Divorce Colony was an interesting read but a little slow at times. It also felt a tad bit redundant. I think if non-wealthy women had been mentioned it would have broke up the redundancy. Also non-white individuals as well. Overall, I think people would enjoy this and take good information form it but, there was also room for improvement.

Did not finish - about 50% through.

I started reading this and kept trying to finish it but it's been over a year at this point so I don't think I'm finishing it. The topic was really interesting and I liked the storytelling but it just felt really slow and was hard to make much progress. I'd love to read a re-worked edition if it's ever made.

This was a very fascinating history of a period in American life! I'd read a novel set in a similar setting ("Better Lucky Next Time") and it was interesting to go from that to this factual account. White's use of research and primary sources really makes the lives of the four main women jump off the page, and the book felt almost novelistic at times. I was never taught about this period of time in school, and I recommended this book to several people after reading. Highly enjoyed!

An intriguing book that really gets into the depths of how divorce came to be. The book has four case studies, so to speak, of women that traveled to a jurisdiction that was more favorable to their need for divorce in a time where women were expected to be obedient and ignore the faults of their husbands no matter how disrespectful. I applaud these women, and love that the author told this story. However, the entire time I was reading I kept thinking that this was a rich, privileged white woman account. I want to hear more about divorce from the perspective of POC.

Very well written and researched. At times redundant. But, solid nonfiction.

One strength of this non-fiction examination of divorce in the Victorian era is the way it categorizes divorce as an important aspect of marriage rights. While it's easier to see the appeal in advocating for more wedding freedoms, divorces can be just as joyful and usher in much-needed freedom for the parties involved. This book particularly focuses on how women have used divorce to evade spouses who bring them unhappiness, seeking an independence that could be worth the social downfall of being a divorcee.

A century ago, each state had its own divorce laws of varying stringency with New York's among the most strict. For that reason, socialites learned to go further afield for a divorce to states with broader grounds for dissolving unwanted marriages. South Dakota became a prime destination for divorce-seekers because among its lenient requirements was a relatively easy process for claiming residency and making use of their courts. After only 3-6 months of living in South Dakota (depending on the year and laws in question), a woman could avail herself of the courts and plead her case with minimal fuss. That didn't stop reporters from hounding well-known ladies in Sioux Falls for the details of their stays and digging through court records for sensational claims worthy of publication, drawing notoriety to the town as a bastion of immoral ladies fleeing their duties to family and husband. The author organizes around four well-known cases in the 1890s-1900s that garnered contemporary public attention. This approach allows for detailed vignettes that are easy to follow and engage with on a personal level. It also provides an opportunity to track the different circumstances that could draw women to South Dakota and the way shifting opinions and political machinations around divorce crossed the two decades.

The author is upfront that the focus of the book is on wealthy white women because they were the ones who could afford to use this legal loophole to get a divorce denied them elsewhere. It required a woman to relocate for the period required by residency laws and hire legal representation, a booming industry in Sioux Falls. In addition to these expenses, a woman needed safeguards that come with wealth, fame, and/or family connections to survive the dent in her reputation. It's still a story of subversion, even when it was not intended that way by the women in question and when they were otherwise the image of privilege and status quo. The author is skillful in showing the particulars of each woman's situation and the broader implications for how society was reacting to a general rise in divorce and a specific influx of divorce "colonists" in South Dakota while waiting to file.

While I appreciate the author's awareness in noting the narrow lens of her study and identifying the shared social characteristics of her main subjects, she's naturally going to touch on the lives of more marginalized groups in some fashion. And I wasn't satisfied by her perfunctory, nearly avoidant approach to any conversation around colonialism in particular. Any mentions of South Dakota's history will necessarily bring in a discussion of Indigenous peoples. In this case, the Sioux are the most discussed (still barely mentioned). The author skates past a conversation about how South Dakota came to be incorporated as a state and offers a breezy mention of missionary work to teach Indigenous peoples "proper" behavior. The author is careful to phrase things in a way that doesn't lend support to white supremacy and colonialist behaviors, but it's not addressed outright in any particular way. A profligate missionary based in South Dakota is often quoted and discussed as an antagonist of divorce, but this is presented hand-in-hand with descriptions of his role as a respected pillar of society. Not even willing to take a stance about his controlling views of marriage, the author is even less prepared to comment on the inherent problems in his other churchly endeavors to educate girls and bring "civilization" to people of color.

For what it is, this book gives an excellent view of a particular time and place in divorce legal proceedings with a clear, human angle. The acknowledged narrow topic of the book is made all the starker by flinching away from clear, upfront conversations about intersectionality and power dynamics. This would have added depth and dimension to an otherwise smooth surface reflecting exclusively white women's experiences. Thanks to Hachette for my copy to read and review!

Long before Reno, Nevada became the hot spot for quickie divorces, there was Sioux Falls, SD. I read this book with great interest since I love SD and never knew this hidden history of discord.
The book highlights four women and their move to the prairie in order to escape matrimonial bonds. I did have to snicker at the fact three of the women immediately remarried within a short time Of their divorces.
It’s a great look at the social history, women’s history, and the progression of divorce laws.

3.75/I found this an enjoyable read about a piece of history we don’t hear very much about. I liked that the author focused on a few pivotal women—it made reading historical nonfiction a lot more enjoyable!

Divorce Colony will appeal to readers with:
- A fascination or interest in the Gilded Age.
- An interest in women's history and the history of divorce.
- Preference for learning history through human experiences.

I was pleased to learn more about all of the above. At times, though, I felt the number of minuscule details regarding the women and their lives was TMI. In addition, some sentences were long and took rereading to follow - overly gilded, IMO.

In short, this book is a welcome addition to US women's history. Some of us remember the era before no-fault divorce, but sadly many will not. Who knows when we'll go back to allowing divorce only for reasons enumerated in the Constitution. Given how court decisions are going, we would all benefit from understanding more about history.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

“They had rising ideals and a new vision for marriage, and for each of them, divorce was a declaration of independence .”

Sioux Falls, SD was the divorce capital of America in the late 1800’s. Requiring just 90 days to get residency, it provided a speedy option for wealthy women (and men) to end their marriages.

The grand hotel, Cataract House, served as the unofficial lodgings of the Divorce Colony, as Sioux Falls came to be known.

This non-fiction account follows 4 of the most famous women to seek divorces in Sioux Falls: Maggie De Stuers, Mary Nevins Blaine, Blanche Molineaux, and Flora Bigelow Dodge. These names aren’t familiar to us now, but in the 1890s they were tabloid celebrities. They each had their own reasons for seeking their freedom, but they all decided to pursue their independence despite harsh societal judgment.

I really enjoyed this book. The author did a great job of using each woman’s story to illustrate the broader laws (and cultural stigma) surrounding divorce in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Especially now, it’s important to read about these brave women who pursued, and fought for, their personal freedom.

Thanks to @netgalley and @hatchettebooks for the eARC!

This was a well researched and very detailed recount of the difficulty and lack of legal accessibility of divorce in America. We follow along with 4 primary women and their experiences of being granted a divorce in the late 1800's and early 1900's. I knew nothing of how people went about divorce in the past, although it didn't shock me how difficult it could be. I found it interesting how preposterous it really was. At times, I felt the many details bogged down the reading experience, but I did appreciate the research and was amazed at what information was in this book.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

Love history/true content that is engaging and fun to read! Having been divorced young, I find this topic so interesting. I loved learning about the pioneers in equality and getting to hear how they found their way.

A lack of story line and character development made this book very hard to read. I couldn't relate to the characters at all and the story line was all over the place. I do not recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette for the ARC of this!

I’m definitely trying to read more non-fiction, and the title and cover of this one immediately drew me in. I was hoping for more interaction between the “colonists” somehow I was imagining more of a commune where women flocked to live in divorced paradise, but it was still interesting to read about nonetheless. I really hope she writes the book she mentioned originally researching, because it also sounds fascinating! I didn’t realize that a lot of the freedoms we have around divorce today, started with these women. Recommend for fans of feminist history, the West in the late 1800s, and those who want to research the beginnings of the divorce boom in the United States.

This book covered a piece of history that I never thought about before, divorce. In these times of celebrity divorces (and the following trials to determine who gets what, slander, etc.) it is an interesting look back at some of the earliest celebrity divorces. Contrary to what I believed, divorce is not a modern invention but rather the current-day grounds on which divorces are awarded are a modern invention.

Following 4 socialites and their marriage and eventual divorce, the story is weaved together with the men who often opposed the idea of divorce and how laws were written to curb the growth of divorces granted in the United States. I enjoyed that men who filed for divorce were also covered. But I could not connect with any of the leading ladies and often found myself getting lost in the names and connections between people. This was a fast read for me, which is unusual for non-fiction, so the stories are interesting and binge-able.

This book caught my interest because I'm from South Dakota, and live 90 miles from Sioux Falls. I had never heard of the Divorce Colony before. White did extensive research on the Cataract House, the storied Hotel in Sioux Falls where the wealthy waited for their freedom.
This book covered 4 women's journey to freedom. Maggie De Stuers, Mary Nevins Blaine, Blanche Molineux, & Flora Bigelow Dodge became somewhat of celebrities on their failed marriages and then divorces that were publicized.
At the turn of the century, what happened in SD set the stage for laws that were being made on the federal level. And President Theodore Roosevelt even had to weigh on on the issue. Privately, TR wasn't against all Divorce.
It was interesting to see what, mostly husband's, put women thru to get a divorce. These women had to move to Sioux Falls and live there for a time and be slandered by the press just to get their freedom.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
This is an informative look at the lives of wealthy women in the late 19th century and the means they took to obtain divorces from their husbands. With focus on four women, it’s somewhat narrow, yet captures the scope of the issue and how Sioux Falls provided freedom for them in a way they could not find elsewhere, I also appreciate the wider context and impact given by their legacy, with women given more rights within marriage over time (although it took a while).

This was an informative book but felt like it was only for a narrow audience. I would’ve liked to have heard from different perspectives and experiences that were not from white and upper class women. Especially the native viewpoint since this took place in Sioux Falls South Dakota that sits on the ancestral lands of Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (https://native-land.ca/mapbox-map/). The book was a bit of a slog to get through with a lot of unnecessary details.

The Divorce Colony was at times both fascinating and infuriating. It tells the true stories of four women who moved to South Dakota and joined the “divorce colony” in order to gain a divorce from their husbands late 1800s/early 1900s. I was fascinated by the fact that so many people paid so much attention to these women and their stories; the descriptions of newspaper writers trying to get pictures or quotes from these poor women was awful. It rivals our modern celebrity culture. I was infuriated by the efforts of lawmakers (all men, by the way) to try and make it harder to or to outright prevent these women from obtaining their divorce. Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised. Marriage is often seen as another way of controlling women and many men are reluctant to give up that control. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes women’s history, social history, or legal history. It was an easy read and wasn’t at all dry and dull like some non-fiction books can be.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review.

This story follows some of the sensational divorces that occured in Sioux City when divorces were hard to attain. I had no idea that Sioux City was famous for its divorce laws and a wild west town for divorcees. The stories told were interesting but the sad part is, women still have the same difficulties to this day. Facing slander and negative public opinions for things that men do and people don't even blink. An interesting read and written in a way that holds the readers interest, which can be hard in the non fiction niche.