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The Vengeance of Mothers
The Vengeance of Mothers: The Journals of Margaret Kelly & Molly McGill: A Novel | Jim Fergus
17 posts | 10 read | 19 to read
The stunning sequel to the award-winning novel One Thousand White Women. 9 March 1876 My name is Meggie Kelly and I take up this pencil with my twin sister, Susie. We have nothing left, less than nothing. The village of our People has been destroyed, all our possessions burned, our friends butchered by the soldiers, our baby daughters gone, frozen to death on an ungodly trek across these rocky mountains. Empty of human feeling, half-dead ourselves, all that remains of us intact are hearts turned to stone. We curse the U.S. government, we curse the Army, we curse the savagery of mankind, white and Indian alike. We curse God in his heaven. Do not underestimate the power of a mothers vengeance... So begins the Journal of Margaret Kelly, a woman who participated in the U.S. government's "Brides for Indians" program in 1873, a program whose conceit was that the way to peace between the United States and the Cheyenne Nation was for One Thousand White Woman to be given as brides in exchange for three hundred horses. These "brides" were mostly fallen women; women in prison, prostitutes, the occasional adventurer, or those incarcerated in asylums. No one expected this program to work. And the brides themselves thought of it simply as a chance at freedom. But many of them fell in love with their Cheyenne spouses and had children with them...and became Cheyenne themselves. The Vengeance of Mothers explores what happens to the bonds between wives and husbands, children and mothers, when society sees them as "unspeakable." What does it mean to be white, to be Cheyenne, and how far will these women go to avenge the ones they love? With vivid detail and keen emotional depth, Jim Fergus brings to light a time and place in American history and fills it with unforgettable characters who live and breathe with a passion we can relate to even today.
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jdiehr
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Pickpick

Years and years ago, I read a book called 'One Thousand White Women' and was blown away.

I think my love of historical fiction can be traced back to the day I finished that book.

Not too long ago, I learned that there is a sequel - 'The Vengeance of Mothers.'

You guys - it is so good. Native American history, strong women, the wild west. Good stuff!

And guess what...there is a third book I now have to get my hands on!

Thank you, Jim Fergus

TheBookHippie I loved this book! Thanks for the info, I can‘t wait to read it. 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful photo ❤️ 2y
38 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Reviewsbylola
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Pickpick

I found One Thousand White Women absolutely gripping, so when I discovered there was a sequel, I had to read it.

This doesn‘t quite live up to its predecessor but it‘s still a fascinating imagining of a group of white women assimilating into Native American living. I thought Fergus did a great job evoking the beauty and sorrow that was endured, and while fictional, it is also a much needed reminder of our nation‘s history.

Reviewsbylola This was my #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks 🙌🏻 (edited) 3y
Reviewsbylola Also, I must add, I truly loathe this cover. I find it heinous. 😂 3y
jdiehr Wait. A sequel to One Thousand White Women??? Stack add! 3y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
Reviewsbylola That was my reaction too! @jdiehr 3y
59 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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SammyKat
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Two AWESOME novels centered around First Nations culture: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse, and The Vengeance of Mothers by Jim Fergus. Roanhorse's worldbuilding is incredible, and Fergus is the rare male author who writes women not just well, but spectacularly.

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Califlamingo
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Pickpick

I reread One Thousand White Women before reading this. It touched on some prior characters but the stories were somewhat similar. It's still a very good read full of historical imagery.

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Bourriquet76
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Book four in 2019!
I feel like I‘m on a roll.

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KTV323
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This book like his first in this series was really amazing for historical fiction. The ending of this one however....made me a little irritated and cause much discussion in my book club as to what truly happened. I'm not going to spoil anything and let you interpret for yourselves, but definitely worth a read!

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TEArificbooks
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Went to Target for kids shoes and these just magical fell into the cart. @LazyDays look what I found!

LazyDays Yay!🙌🙌 I am off to Target today!! 5y
LazyDays I got so excited for you my heart strated racing.😄😄 5y
TEArificbooks You should have seen me at Target, if there had been people around my giddy reaction may have been embarrasing 5y
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Louise Target is one of those places where things easily fall into the cart like magic. It happens in the stationery department too. Quite a mystery. . . 🤷‍♀️✨💫 5y
CoverToCoverGirl That‘s the best kinda magic! ❤️ 5y
Tamra Target is a black hole for my $. 🕳 5y
LazyDays @mdm139 I would have danced with you!😊 5y
37 likes7 comments
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ElishaLovesBooks
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Last book of 2017!! This book was between a pick and so-so for me. I ultimately gave it a pick because the writing was very good, descriptive and moving. It was so-so because it was too similar to his other novel, One Thousand White Women. The plot was basically the same. Anyway, I can‘t help but think that line 👆is true. 👊👊

Ready for 2018 and lots more amazing reading!!
🥂📚🥂📚

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ElishaLovesBooks
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Enjoying my “me” time at Starbucks while waiting to pick up one of my kids. #momselfcare #allalone

JaclynW Mom self-care is so important! Good job! 6y
ElishaLovesBooks @JaclynW I agree! It‘s so hard! Thanks for the encouragement 💜 6y
Kappadeemom I agree! As a mom of 6 kids, i stressed waaaayyy too much about always being there for them. I wished I would have slowed down, calmed down and enjoyed little moments such as these more. Mom guilt is just so ridiculous. 6y
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JaclynW @Kappadeemom Mom guilt is ridiculous! @ElishaLovesBooks It's good for our kids to see us doing things for ourselves. 😊 6y
ElishaLovesBooks @Kappadeemom @JaclynW With 5 kids I am often doing so much chauffeuring amongst everything else (teenagers are harder than littles) that if I don‘t take care of myself , I tend to blow up🤯. But it is so hard to let go of the mom guilt- I almost took my 9 year old with me to Starbucks because of that guilt!🙈🤦🏻‍♀️ 6y
JaclynW @ElishaLovesBooks That sounds so familiar! 6y
48 likes6 comments
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ElishaLovesBooks
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Now back to my regularly scheduled reading plans- trying to make headway on my #LibraryTBR 📚📚 This is pretty good so far- although it follows almost exactly the same pattern and formula as One Thousand White Women. . . so I am left wondering why the story was continued. . . 🤔🤷🏻‍♀️

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ElishaLovesBooks
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Starting this now and working on my re-read of The Name of the Wind. I‘m very behind in that 🙈. All while the fireplace is glowing with lovely ambiance including crackling flames!🔥🔥 #Netflixforthewin #cozy

(Please ignore my very messy bookshelves in the background).

TracyReadsBooks I love the stacks of books EVERYWHERE! The good news is I still see some floor which means you have room for even more!❤️📚📚📚📚❤️ 6y
EllieDottie Those are reader bookshelves!!! 6y
ElishaLovesBooks @TracyReadsBooks the husband would disagree!!😂 But I like the way you think!❤️😘 6y
ElishaLovesBooks @EllieDottie Yes! I can‘t seem to keep up with them! 6y
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RebelReader
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#2018reads

1. The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boone
2. The Revolution of Marina M. by Janet Fitch
3. The Vengeance of Mothers by Jim Fergus
4. White Houses by Amy Bloom
5. A Column of Fire by Ken Follett

WarpedSweetness I'm really looking forward to reading The Revolution not Marina M. also. I won a copy from Goodreads this year, but haven't read it yet. 6y
Cinfhen Of course I‘m loving your picks!!! 6y
CharissaWeaksAuthor Really good choices. I've seen Revolution on a few other lists. Had to add it! Thank you for sharing! 6y
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RebelReader @Cinfhen It was so hard for me to only pick 5! 6y
RebelReader @WarpedSweetness @CharissaWeaksAuthor I've heard good things about and I love that it's a Chunkster and the first in a series! 😂 6y
Cinfhen What??? Revolution is a chunkster?!? 😬😱it's definitely one I've been eyeing and the Amy Bloom too 6y
Cinfhen Do you think it matters if I I haven't read hiss first book, in terms of reading the sequel 6y
RebelReader @Cinfhen I'm not sure, but One Thousand White Women is really a good read so I think you should read it too! 😜 6y
WarpedSweetness @RebelReader I've heard good things also! I had trouble picking just five, so I did eight. Lol 6y
94 likes9 comments
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RebelReader
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1. Guitar 🎸
2. My best friend is getting The Vengeance of Mothers. She loved A Thousand White Women.
3. 35+
4. Almost exactly 100 miles
5. Happy Holidays and Happy Reading! ☃️📚☃️📚

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LibrarianRyan
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This is today's #bookmail. And before there were #suffragettecity there were Woman given new lives with Cheyenne men. This books explores the bonds made in these families. #septembowie

Cinfhen Interesting 👍🏻 6y
32 likes1 comment
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Bookartbookmarks
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MrBook
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#TBRtemptation post 2! Recently released. This is the 2nd installment in the 1,000 White Women series. March, 1876, Meggie & Susie are twins with hearts turned cold--their village has been destroyed, friends butchered, babies gone, by the US government. They were part of a program of fallen women given as brides to Cheyenne Indians. Identity is deeply studied in this historical novel. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

BookBabe 👍🏻 7y
60 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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Yeah_I_Read
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"It is the mothers, not the warriors, who create a people and guide their destiny."

DarcysMom I *love* that quote! 7y
tournevis It is a great quote. In my culture (Acadian), fathers provide, mothers _protect_. 7y
Yeah_I_Read @tournevis I love that ❤️ 7y
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