The Bereaved

1859 was a bleak time if you were a woman with no money and responsibilities. Widowed
very young, with four children Martha's life was tough but when her father in law who
was their guardian died and left Martha and her young family to the guardianship of the
lecherous lawyer Montgomery, Martha knew she had to run away.

New York City was another world - poverty, the incessant noise, the animosity of
neighbours, the environment were foreign but they all gritted their teeth and tried
to survive. When things began to threaten their lives Martha took the bold step of handing first
her eldest two to the Friends of Society and then the youngest two. She did not realise
that she was legally giving them up.

The story of heartbreak with plenty of determination to get her children back against
immense odds is beautifully told. Martha never gave up hope for a reconciliation and
she was successful with the exception of Homer who did not know his biological mother
at all.

At the end of the story there was a chapter giving details of how the children's lives
evolved after they reconciled including Homer who had links with the author of this
story. This added a great human touch to the story and it was good to see how far
they all came to lead happy settled lives.

"Count me now as a blackmailer as a jezebel, but I may as well be hanged for mutton as for lamb. I am perhaps a nobody, but I was his victim no longer."

tw: light spoilers, child abuse, sexual assault

Well, that was a rollercoaster.

The first two-thirds of this book were phenomenal. It was anything I could have ever wanted out of a historical fiction novel. But then the last third caught me off guard, and it just... ruined what could have been a five star read for me.

Pacing is extremely important. That's pretty common knowledge, but it's something that I struggle with myself in my writing. Because of my own susceptibility, I can get pretty nit-picky about it when I'm reading others' writing. The pacing in the first two-thirds was what made it so good; nothing felt rushed and everything felt very thorough and fleshed out. I started getting worried when I was around page 150 of 296 and the second half of the given summary had not yet begun to take place. Luckily, it was right there that it began to transition into the second part, so I relaxed. Unfortunately, I don't think this was timed correctly. The last third felt rushed and the ending, though quite happy for the most part, almost felt forced because of how quickly everything happened. Martha got her children back in less than a hundred pages... she had spent more time wondering whether she should put them in a home in the first place.

It's really unfortunate, because it's not that I even dislike the ending--I think it's a fine ending and I'm glad that (almost) everything worked out for Martha and her children. I liked how we learned about what happened to them and their descendants. It was a very neat ending, tied up with a little ribbon. But it feels off because of the fast-approaching ending in the last chunk of the book.

Other than that, the rest of the novel was wonderful. As previously stated, the first two thirds of the book were wonderfully written. I adored the imagery and how it painted such a clear picture in my mind. There was so much description that I could really see everything that was happening; it brought the story to life. It was delightful to read as well; I found that I really like Tracey's writing style.

The characters were a delight as well. Martha was an amazing, inspiring woman, and each of her children had such a distinct personality and I liked all of them, even the baby Homer. The villains in the story were realistic and well-done too, especially Montgomery. The sad reality of sexual harassment and how rich people (especially rich men) can worm their way out of sticky situations is presented really clearly in this book. As much as I wanted to see Montgomery get what he deserved, him disappearing from Martha's life was as much of a victory as we were gonna get.

Lastly, I wanted to mention the author's note / explanation at the very end of the book. It was a surprise to see that this was based off of her relatives, and it was really interesting to hear about their real versions compared to their characters. It's really cool that the author turned her family history into a compelling historical novel.

It's about time I read some historical fiction again and what a way to get back into it. The Bereaved tells the story of Martha and her struggles to keep her young family together, and alive, after her husband dies in 1859. 

Based on the author's own family history, this is a novel that is meticulously researched, beautifully written, heartbreaking and heartfelt. It's about women and their strength, mothers and their fierce love, and all the things that women have had to go through just to survive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sibylline Press for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

The Bereaved a book that tells the tale of Martha's struggle to survive with her four children and what she had to do for the best for all of them, including her...Based upon a true story but with the how and why being fiction this is a reminder to all women of how we have evolved and become who we are today.
Martha unfortunately was in the era of women who had no rights and no say about their lives.. when her husband dies she is then relegated to the next in line to look after and her children but when he also dies, the choice to stay or run becomes necessary due to the nature of the guardian that was to become in control of the children.

Choices she only two run or stay the consequences were the reason she had to make the decision and we follow her struggle to live, provide food, accommodation and to generally survive.. The struggle and the determination to claw back what she lost shows amazing determination.

A reflection of what it is like now compared to the 1850's is a stark reminder of how we are now heard as women

Thank you for a brilliant read Julia Park Tracey, it is five stars and a heartfelt hug from me

A really good read! The author has re-traced the steps done by her family and gone back to 1860. She portrayed what it felt like to be poor; how particularly harsh it was for women, mothers in those days when women could be used but not listened to. I particularly found distressing the fact that some mothers were reduced to giving her children away to some sorts of charitable institutions while believing she could get them back as soon as she found a job....
The author has done a brilliant job in recreating the atmosphere of New York among the poorest inhabitants and women's situations. She portrayed a beautiful, relatable and convincing relationship between a mother and her love, duties towards her children. I could have cried with her. Highly recommended!
I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised with The Bereaved. My absolute favorite part is that this book was based on the author's family history. At the end of the book, the author explains what started her on her journey and the resources she used to uncover her family history. Historical fiction books are my favorite because they take people, places, and events from history and build a full story that transports you to that time. It makes learning about history so much fun.

The Bereaved span the years of 1859 - 1866, mostly set in New York City. The author did an amazing job with building the setting and characters. There was alot of detail in the book, but the pacing of the story still moved along at a steady pace. I learned interesting things about the Orphan Train and the conditions of living in New York during that time period. It was eye opening to read about what life was like for widowed women and children to survive. There were a few moments that I teared up, which is not something I do often.

The Bereaved, by Julia Park Tracey, storyline is set in the state of New York in 1859.
Julia Park Tracey has written The Bereaved story with the utmost respect for life of families in 1859.
Describing the desperation of impoverished families in New York City, where the women were desperately trying to feed their children and keep a roof overhead. Where different organizations offered to care for the children, but sent them on trains to be indentured for 7 years and then possibly adopted.
The Bereaved ripped my heart out and then slowly pieces it back together again.
This is a marvelous book.
#TheBereaved
#JuliaParkTracey
#NetGalley

I loved this book! Martha, the main character was a fabulous narrator of her own life. She suffered so many losses and hardships but still managed to be all right in the end. Martha was an amazingly strong woman who just never gave regardless of the obstacles she face. She was disowned by her own mother and sent to live with relatives so she really didn't know her own family. Molested as a young girl by a good friend of her soon to be father-in-law, but rescued by her future husband whom she has four children with. Starting with the death of her young husband, Martha and her four children move to New York to avoid them being in the custody of the same man who had molested her years ago. Once in New York, things changed and Martha worked so hard to keep her family healthy and well-fed which was quite challenge under the circumstances of the times. The author does an amazing job of describing the reality of Martha's situation and how she tried desperately to keep her family together. I highly recommend this 5-star read!!! I thoroughly enjoyed this story that actually end up being based on real people who are related to the author. I had no idea!! Thank you so much for the ARC!!!

I got very excited about the reading! It wasn't easy to stop. I loved Martha! Strong woman! The writing flows well, indeed very well. Women must have had such hard times back in the 1800 and before!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sibylline Press for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you are a fan of The Orphan Train, you should read this book as it tells the opposite side of the story. This is a well researched tale based upon the author's own family that was separated by the Home for the Friendless in NYC prior to the Civil War in 1859.

Martha is a survivor. Her husband and her father in law both pass, leaving her and her children in jeopardy. Its 1859, women have not right and are merely chattel in a male society. Soon, Marth and children are being shuttled off to another residence where the family attorney, a letch of a pedofile, is the children's guardian.

Martha and children escape to NYC where they barely survive. One day 2 of her boys come home regaling her of their full tummies and a wonderful place with a school and hot meals. The fine print is not read, and so begins Martha's quest to regain her family.

Told from Martha's point of view, this is a must read for fans of historical fiction! Highly recommend!!!

The Bereaved is a beautiful novel that tells the story of a widow struggling to keep her family intact around the time of the Civil War in the United States. And although it is an historical novel it has so much to say about how society still treats women, especially single mothers, and especially those with very limited financial resources.

The novel tells the story of how so many deeply-loved sons and daughters ended up on the infamous Orphan Train. These children were either adopted and separated forever from their biological families or forced into a seven-year period of indentured servitude, . In fact, the entire book is a fictionalized account of the life and history of the author’s own great-great grandfather, which makes it all the more tragic. 

This novel contains both hope and heartbreak. There is resolution, but of the bittersweet variety.

The obstacles the mother in The Bereaved faces are achingly familiar. She has been at the mercy of the decision-making by her male relatives all her life. This subordination of women is cruelly evident after her young husband’s unexpected death. She is their mother but is not considered capable of being their guardian.

Reading this book it’s frightening to realize how little has changed. Sexual harassment and abuse continue to destroy lives now, just as it did during the time period of the novel. Then, as now, men use sex to control and dominate women, especially when the women are vulnerable and poor.

The book also brings home the difference between actually helping people versus social programs which just drive people further into poverty and despair. There were so many opportunities when people could have truly assisted the mother in this story. In fact, many of them preached about what a good deed they were doing for her. But all they did was make it more difficult for her to keep her family intact.

There is a moment in the book where she realizes she could mother her children but that would mean she couldn't work and therefore couldn't feed them. Or she could work but her children would be taken away and so she would not be able to mother them.

Its a gutwrenching choice that is still happening in many homes.

This is an engrossing book about an historical program. It's an even more thought-provoking book when you see the parallels to today.

This would be a very good discussion novel for book clubs. Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read The Bereaved.

This is an absolutely amazing novel full of woe and darkness but also of hope and the love a mother has for her children. I resonated with this book deeply; although my circumstances as a child weren't as terrible as what Martha and the children had to endure; I found myself in both Martha and her only daughter Sarah, and this story spoke to me on such a deep emotional level that it almost physically hurt. This is a must read for any fan of historical drama, and anyone interested in the hidden stories of the United States and how its people lived and loved during the mid-19th century.