The Orphan Mother by Robert Hicks

"She would talk about the death of her son with that woman who had also lost children. In this there was no distinction between them. Carrie described herself as a widow, but Mariah thought of herself as orphaned: orphaned from both her elders and her own child, alone, the last possible orphan in her line. The orphan mother."
                -from the novel

Some years ago I read The Widow of the South by this author and liked it very much. When this one, something of a sequel with a different protagonist, was available as a "book bundle" from the library, I was pleased to request it for our Page Turners. It was a disappointing, at best.

Mariah Reddick, a former slave has become a mid-wife, respected and valued in the town of Franklin, Tennessee. When her only son Theopolis, an aspiring politician, is killed in the midst of a riot, Mariah bravely sets out to investigate. Mariah's story is woven into that of George Tole, an
ex-soldier who has become a hit-man.

I rated the novel a 3. I thought the writing was good but the plot failed to reel me in. As a rule, I love historical fiction but this one was neither satisfying nor entertaining. The book was made more interesting for me because my husband and I visited the Civil War sites in and around Franklin years ago. I remember going to Carnton Plantation which is where Mariah was slave to Carrie McGavock, known as the 'Widow of the South" and a hero to many.

The average rating of our group was 2.9, with many 3's noted, but also votes for '2' and even a '1.' A very rare thing! One participant did not think the dialect was true to the setting and another said it was difficult to "suspend disbelief." A few members said they started the book, put it down and restarted a few times before getting perhaps 3/4 through and finally wanting to finish. A couple of folks said they fell asleep while reading the earliest chapters.

Carnton Plantation House

The Orphan Mother was apparently based on a true historic happening. One group member thought the author took an exciting actual event and turned it into a boring novel!

Mariah Reddick

Carrie McGavock