Massachusetts

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

Catching up on last month‘s #PersephoneClub book. I‘m fascinated by stories of the Lowell Mill girls, but this one is particularly bleak. It took me a long time to finish because my feelings of dread kept growing stronger and stronger, as did my anger at most of the characters. Poor Emmeline never had a chance.

rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @Caryl @sisilia @CarolynM @daena @LeahBergen @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Tamra @andrew61 @Cathythoughts @Bookbuyingaddict @julieclair @willaful 1mo

LeahBergen Poor Emmeline, indeed. 😬 1mo

quietjenn I am very behind, but already not expecting a happy ending ... 1mo

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CarolynM So much to be angry about in this book! 1mo

Cathythoughts Great review. Tough book , Yes, a lot of feelings of dread. 1mo

Bookbuyingaddict Great 👍 review & totally agree , poor emmeline beauty was a curse all she craved was friendship & love ❤️ the women were jealous and awful to her whilst the men lusted or treated her as a pawn 😩certainly no sisterhood 👯‍♀️in this book ! Glad I read it though thank you 🙏 Leah x x x. X 1mo

rubyslippersreads @Bookbuyingaddict Even Matthew (before anyone knew who he really was) could be possessive and controlling. 1mo

rubyslippersreads @CarolynM @Cathythoughts Yes. Hard to find many likable characters. 1mo

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Bookbuyingaddict

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

Oh emmeline! I Had a discussion in the pub recently about how some people do genuinely seem to be born with no good luck or good fortune at all and seem to attract one disaster after another & so it is with emmeline. One of the most depressing books iv ever read because you just know what disaster is going to befall the beautiful but naive emmeline. It js a pacey page turner but I‘d never have read it if it wasn‘t my Persephone bookclub pick.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Caryl, sisilia, Tamara, CarolynM, daena, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, andrew61, Cathythoughts, dabbe, julieclair, willaful

LeahBergen It was certainly a page turner for being so bleak, wasn‘t it? 1mo

CarolynM I wouldn‘t have read it without #PersephoneClub either. I‘m so glad I did! 1mo

Bookbuyingaddict @LeahBergen @CarolynM Absolutely 👍loved it and it took me by surprise 😮 who could have guessed that ending ! I sat up in bed with my new Christmas 🎄 gift 🎁 reading 📖 light to finish it , raced through it thank you 🙏 for choosing it 😌it‘s a shame our reviews are restricted to 451characters you can‘t say it all in that ! Happy NYE x x x 1mo

37 likes3 comments

bumpinthenight

Spooky Massachusetts: Tales Of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, And Other Local Lore | S. E. Schlosser

Even though I was up until 2AM and it was technically the 28th - I made myself hold off opening my #NLHS until after I took my license exam. If you need me, I‘ll be over here yawning, but happily enjoying some R&R now that I can table studying for a couple weeks.

Thank you so much @Marmie7 - I LOVED your wrapping paper! And am really excited to read these books. Also that candy bar has been calling my name all morning!

#NaughtyListHolidaySwap

WildAlaskaBibliophile

WildAlaskaBibliophile Hooray! 😍 Look at all those delicious looking books and treats! 1mo

bumpinthenight @WildAlaskaBibliophile right? 😍🎄 1mo

bumpinthenight @Marmie7 I forgot to take a picture with the Krampus candle - but want you to know it smells so good! 1mo

Marmie7 @bumpinthenight I'm glad you enjoyed everything! I had a blast putting it together. I agree, the candle smells amazing! I bought some for my kids too. 1mo

bumpinthenight @Marmie7 all of these books have beautiful cover art! One of them has been on my wishlist for a long time, I had no idea it was a novella I had assumed it was a bigger book so I‘m excited I‘ll be able to read it in a short amount of time! 1mo

24 likes5 comments

andrew61

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

What a compelling but sad story about a child (13) whose poverty striken family, send Emmeline to work in the hazardous cotton Mills on New Hampshire. The subsequent events find her then moving away from the area back to her family, but again, fate deals her a terrible hand. Based on a true story, very readable
@quietjenn @Tamra @CarolynM @sisilia @Caryl @daena @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Bookbuyingaddict @julieclair @willaful #persephoneclub

andrew61 A few spoiler comments. I was shouting as I read abt Maguire's seduction of Emmeline,an innocent 13 year old, who only wanted a friend rather than a predator. Then ostracised by her community! Such a judgemental society. Hannah, then her saviour , seems to befriend her but rips her child from Emmeline. Finally, what to say abt Matthew, I am still reeling when I thought happiness had finally arrived. Wish we were all sat around a table to discuss. 1mo

Tamra @andrew61 yes, I wish we could discuss live! Matthew - I really didn‘t expect him to disappear completely. 😒 When I did some Googling, it does appear the real Emmeline was very much alone in the later years of her life. Even her son was absent. 1mo

andrew61 @Tamra I found the relationship with her younger sister interesting, and it was sad that her family effectively abandoned her. It would have been curious to know what Matthew did next. 1mo

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Tamra @andrew61 I was left wondering as well. 1mo

Cathythoughts Great review. I wish we could discuss too. Maybe we‘ll get a zoom going someday … 1mo

LeahBergen I was practically shouting, too! We would‘ve had such a loud and indignant, in-person book club 😆😆 1mo

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 1mo

CarolynM Great review. There was so much that made me angry and the victim blaming was infuriating. 1mo

37 likes8 comments

CarolynM

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

#PersephoneClub

OMG! Speechless! Off to read all those spoiler comments in the other reviews now.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Caryl, sisilia, daena, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, Tamra, andrew61, Cathythoughts, Bookbuyingaddict, julieclair, willaful

TrishB That‘s a great reading match 😁 1mo

Bookbuyingaddict Haven‘t started it yet but will do after my festive reads and over the holidays 👍😍💝 1mo

Crazeedi Thanks for my card Carolyn, one is coming your way! Merry Christmas and happy new year ❤️ 1mo

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Tamra I‘m glad you finished! 😬 It‘s hard to stop when you get started. (edited) 1mo

Cathythoughts Speechless is right! What a story. 1mo

LeahBergen That‘s just how I felt when I finished it!! 😮 1mo

julieclair Can‘t wait to read this!!! 1mo

Ruthiella You guys are making me want to drop everything and get a copy of this book! 😂 1mo

CarolynM @Ruthiella Do it! 1mo

CarolynM @Crazeedi You‘re very welcome😘 Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you too🎄 1mo

Read-n-Bloom Really like your bookmark! 1mo

CarolynM @Read-n-Bloom I can‘t take any credit. Persephone books from the Persephone Bookshop come with a bookmark that matches their individual end papers which are usually inspired by the book. This book is about a girl sent to work in a cotton mill in the 1850s. 1mo

Read-n-Bloom @CarolynM That is so 🆒! 1mo

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Tamra

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

A morality tale Rossner tells in riveting fashion! Loved it even more after watching this documentary. Highly recommend as a follow-up. https://youtu.be/IRN91TeXAYE?si=L5r0urNjlonFkqvH

⚠️Spoiler Warning!!! Do NOT watch the film unless you want to know the story before reading the book.

#PersephoneClub

Tamra I gasped and woke up my husband to tell him this is mash up of Lolita & Oedipus! 😳 Whether or not it‘s actually true, the very fact the villagers shunned her for believing both “sins” as true makes it a very sad tale. Women always bearing the brunt of social punishment for any appearance of impropriety. 1mo

LeahBergen Wasn‘t it crazy?? That‘s why I couldn‘t say too much in my review of it on here when I was done. 😂 1mo

LeahBergen And I‘m loving your “mill girl” themed photo! ❤️ 1mo

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Tamra @LeahBergen 😉 1mo

Vansa This sounds amazing, thanks for recommending 1mo

CarolynM I‘m about 3/4 of the way through. Can‘t wait to read all the spoiler comments! 1mo

Cathythoughts Great photo ❤️ Thankyou for that link. 1mo

Cathythoughts @Tamra @LeahBergen Lolita & Oedipus ! Yes that‘s it. Em really went through the mill ( pun not intended) from the time she was so young and left home. That poor girl 💔 1mo

CarolynM I was completely shocked by that twist too. It is horrifying to me that she was the “sinner” when she was the victim in both cases, firstly of a predator, then of her aunt the child stealer. And before that the victim of her family, sending her into a foreign, adult environment at such a young age with so little knowledge. 1mo

Tamra @Cathythoughts think of how many girls. 😢 1mo

Tamra @CarolynM good point about victimizing the victim. Never ends - still happening. 😑 1mo

Tamra @Vansa I think you‘ll like it - reads like a page turning thriller! 🥹 1mo

47 likes12 comments

Cathythoughts

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

Emmeline , a great story. Looking forward to seeing what everyone thinks. It‘s a winner for me. I couldn‘t put it down. Now for a mince pie @andrew61 #PeresphoneClub

Tamra Cozy pic! ☺️ I started and it hooked me right away. I had forgotten it was based on a true story. 2mo

Cathythoughts @Tamra Oh ! I didn‘t realize it was based on a true story 👍🏻 2mo

Tamra @Cathythoughts there is a little note on the backside of the title page. 2mo

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Cathythoughts @Tamra Oh yes I see it now. Oh dear ❤️. I never saw that earlier. 2mo

Tamra @Cathythoughts well, it is little. 🧐 2mo

Cathythoughts @Tamra I‘ll be looking forward to what you think of it all. 2mo

LeahBergen Look at that mince pie! ❤️ And as we discussed on your other post, the first half was a bit better but still an all around pick. 👍 2mo

LeahBergen @Tamra Yes, I ended up Googling the history/ pseudo history when I finished. Wait until you‘re done the book to do that (unless you already have 😆)! (edited) 2mo

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen An absolute all round pick 👍🏻 loved it. I‘m averaging 1 to 2 mince pies per day 😂 2mo

LeahBergen You‘re really restraining yourself! 😆 2mo

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen 😂 .. then there‘s the cream to smother it with. 2mo

Tamra @LeahBergen no I haven‘t and I won‘t! 😅😆 2mo

Tamra @LeahBergen 😂 2mo

andrew61 You deserve that Cathy after such an emotionally draining story. Looks very nice. 2mo

AnnCrystal 😋👍💝. 1mo

CarolynM Just about to start😊 1mo

Tamra @Cathythoughts @LeahBergen I‘m halfway thru. 😳🫣🫢 1mo

LeahBergen @Tamra Eek! 😬 1mo

Cathythoughts @Tamra 😳😳😳 1mo

75 likes19 comments

Cathythoughts

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

Cosying up with Emmeline. I‘m at the halfway point … and I can‘t put it down!! #PersephoneClub

Tamra Oooooo, yay! Glad to know it‘s that good. Now that I‘ve finished Belle I can start Emmeline today. 😃 (edited) 2mo

Cathythoughts @Tamra It‘s soooo good 👍🏻❤️ 2mo

LeahBergen I couldn‘t put it down either! 2mo

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BarbaraBB This sounds so good! 2mo

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Emmeline !!!!! Where is it all going ! (edited) 2mo

Cathythoughts @BarbaraBB It is 👍🏻 2mo

andrew61 I finished it last night Cathy. The first half was remarkable and there is so much to say. Won't give anything away about the rest but 'enjoyed' it. 2mo

Cathythoughts @andrew61 Just finished, yes I agree first half was brilliant.. a lot happens in this story. I enjoyed second half, but not as much as first half. (edited) 2mo

LeahBergen @andrew61 @Cathythoughts I felt exactly the same way! I was really caught up in the first half. 2mo

rubyslippersreads I agree that the first half was better. 1mo

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