Member Reviews
I am a big fan of historical fiction books. The 13th Husband was the latest that I have read. I listen to an audiobook version of this story and I enjoyed it greatly.
Unfortunately, I was not able to listen past several chapters. The narrator's voice was overly dramatic and her pacing was too slow. I tried changing the speed, but that didn't make it any easier to listen to. I am primarily an audio book reader and have listened to a variety of voices, but this narrator was not one I could connect with.
The narrator did an amazing job bringing this book to life, she sounded just what you thought Amy should sound like, very prim and proper voice. . This adventures and many lovers of Amy Crocker during the 1800s when women didn’t have the rights to divorce and travel alone and many other things. This book was very entertaining but also similar to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by but set in different time period, some of the husbands were similar to each other.
3.75 stars A captivating historical fiction novel based on the life of Aimee Crocker, a millionaire heiress in the 1800s. The story follows her marriages, starting with the first when at age 18, the honeymoon ends in a train wreck (literally). There’s a touch of grittiness in her personality, a sense of growth as she learns what she wants and doesn’t want, with an addition of mystery as she relies heavily on physics. I listened to the audiobook-the narrator did a great job, very reminiscent of Jenny from the TV show Call the Midwife where the protagonist remembers time past up to the present.
I hadn't previously heard of Aimee Crocker, the woman this novel is based on, but I was immediately sucked into the story. The writing is so relatable, and I was fascinated by her unconventional life. The chronology skips around a little bit, but it was easy enough to follow. I really enjoyed Aimee Crocker. She's written as such a strong and enigmatic person. Though she went through struggles and heartbreak, she was always able to rebuild herself and pursue her passions.
Though the story takes place in the 1800s, there is nothing stuffy and conservative about our protagonist. I found that interesting to consider. We always assume, people lived by certain standards during particular time periods, but that’s not even true now. People can live a variety of ways. Great wealth allowed Aimee Crocker to live the life she wanted and not be limited to a prescribed destiny.
I read the ebook some months ago, but I have listened to a sample of the audiobook, narrated by Suzanne Toren. She is a phenomenal narrator and brings the characters alive.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ebook and audiobook ARC. All thoughts are my own.