The Woman Without a Voice by Louise Farmer Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When I was younger, then I am now, I loved reading the Little House on the Prarie books. I loved watching the show based on the series, and never thought about what Ma must have thought about what was going on, what she really thought about leaving her family behind to follow her husband, and live out in a sod house, and make do. Laura Ingles Wilder tells the stories looking back at her childhood.
This book is very small, and short, but it is the author’s view of what her greatgrandmother must have gone through, and the other women that were in the family, as they pushed westward. There is not a lot of source material, but Louise grabs what she can. This is almost an exercise in showing what can be gained by source material. She visits the asylum her great-grandmother was housed in for 16 years until her husband died, as well as reading the reports of her.
It is an interesting look back at a time when women had no choice but to do as their husbands said to do.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.