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24th out of 100 books
—
32 voters
A Violet Season
by
Kathy Leonard Czepiel (Goodreads Author)
A mother’s choices in a time of crisis threaten the one person she means to protect — her only daughter — and force her to make the boldest move of her life.
The violet industry is booming in 1898, and a Hudson Valley farm owned by the Fletcher family is turning a generous profit for its two oldest brothers. But Ida Fletcher, married to the black sheep youngest brother, has...more
The violet industry is booming in 1898, and a Hudson Valley farm owned by the Fletcher family is turning a generous profit for its two oldest brothers. But Ida Fletcher, married to the black sheep youngest brother, has...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
July 10th 2012
by Simon & Schuster
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I was anxious to read this book because it was written by a friend of my daughter. Kathy Czepiel has written a great first novel! The setting is the Hudson Valley, the time begins in 1898. Ida is married to a violet farmer who is embittered by his exclusion to the same business rights and profits that his brothers benefit from in the violet business. The situation has created a cold, mean man. Ida suffers in a loveless marriage and can only hope that life will take a better turn for her daughter...more
Enjoyable historical fiction, and the plot had suspense. Plus you get to learn about the violet business - who knew that was a business?
As sometimes happens, I think this (female) author has painted the female characters (the mother Ida and the daughter Alice) very well, but less so with the male characters (the father Frank and also Joe). Since you do get inside the heads of the two female characters, that does give the author more room to explore their emotions, but I didn't always understand...more
As sometimes happens, I think this (female) author has painted the female characters (the mother Ida and the daughter Alice) very well, but less so with the male characters (the father Frank and also Joe). Since you do get inside the heads of the two female characters, that does give the author more room to explore their emotions, but I didn't always understand...more
Anyone who likes historical fiction should get a copy of Kathy Leonard Czepiel’s first novel. A Violet Season transported me a century back in time. The story is set in New York State, north of Poughkeepsie, where I attended college. I had no idea the area once produced violets, or even that violets were fashionable. Czepiel’s late 1890s felt spot on. Ida, the heroine, raises her many children on a farm. Her husband Frank’s family is in the violet business. To supplement income, Ida takes in bab...more
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Steeped in the rich history of pre-turn of the century violet farming, A Violet Season, explores the conflicts and pressures imposed on the Fletcher family, Hudson Valley violet farmers, who are trying to survive on a meager agrarian income.
Patriarch, Frank Fletcher has been relegated to a farm manager by his property owning brothers, and is bitter and angry at his demotion. His wife,Ida, in addition to working the farm and greenhouses, also works as a “w...more
Steeped in the rich history of pre-turn of the century violet farming, A Violet Season, explores the conflicts and pressures imposed on the Fletcher family, Hudson Valley violet farmers, who are trying to survive on a meager agrarian income.
Patriarch, Frank Fletcher has been relegated to a farm manager by his property owning brothers, and is bitter and angry at his demotion. His wife,Ida, in addition to working the farm and greenhouses, also works as a “w...more
Set in the fictional town of Underwood in the Hudson Valley in 1898, this is the story of Ida and Frank Fletcher and their family. Frank works in the violet industry, a family business run by his older brothers. Frank should have been in partnership with them but a misstep he made as a youth lost money for the family and has made him the black sheep, and now he is working to pay off his debt to them. Ida works alongside him there and takes in extra work to bring in income, and now has become a w...more
A mixed bag for me. Slow to start, then towards the middle more engaging as the subjagation of women around the turn of the 20th century is clearly brought to life. A boor of a man whose anger infects every facet of his life totally ruins the life of his wife and daughter. Don't want to get into spoilers, so won't specify the plot elements involving the daughter, Alice. Ida, her mother is a wet nurse, in additon to the family's laundress, cook, etc. Alice is also expected to pitch in at peak tim...more
Dec 22, 2012
Christine
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Historical fiction
Recommended to Christine by:
Goodreads win
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Sep 12, 2012
Vera Marie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
women, those interested in history,
It took a while–-maybe 35 pages–-for
A Violet Season
to capture me. But once I was hooked, I could not put it down. Kathy Leonard Czepiel takes her time setting the stage for this historical novel, introducing all of the family members on a violet farm near Rhinebeck, New York in the late 19th century.
The conflict between husband and wife (Frank and Ida) lies nearly buried underneath their daily routines of hard work on the farm. Besides all the hand-laundry, cooking, cleaning, vegetable garden...more
The conflict between husband and wife (Frank and Ida) lies nearly buried underneath their daily routines of hard work on the farm. Besides all the hand-laundry, cooking, cleaning, vegetable garden...more
I was supposed to receive this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads, but didn't.
August 14, 2012 - Still haven't received my copy.
April 1, 2013 - Nope. Still no copy.
August 14, 2012 - Still haven't received my copy.
April 1, 2013 - Nope. Still no copy.
1 like · like · see review
Great read!
War, violet farming, and women's suffrage provide the context for the unfolding of a story about the relationships between women, with particular focus on a mother, Ida and her daughter, Alice. What emerges are the demands and limitations of these women in supporting their families while adhering to societal codes and expectations that almost seem a separate character intent on securing their subjugation.
From the very beginning of the novel, the reader is immersed in the richly envi...more
War, violet farming, and women's suffrage provide the context for the unfolding of a story about the relationships between women, with particular focus on a mother, Ida and her daughter, Alice. What emerges are the demands and limitations of these women in supporting their families while adhering to societal codes and expectations that almost seem a separate character intent on securing their subjugation.
From the very beginning of the novel, the reader is immersed in the richly envi...more
This book began as an innocent read. The struggles of life on a violet farm and the strained family dynamics made it a good read. Then over half way thru it quickly turned into a story I wasn't expecting. A couple of pretty graphic scenes that were out of place with the innocence of the rest of the writing. I loved the ending but didn't appreciate the crassness in a couple of places. The topic was definitely not innocent, but it should have been toned down for this particular book, to match the...more
Darn, I think I'm a fan of historical fiction -- who woulda thunk? With the Nor'easter, I had the time to read this book in large chunks and savor the narrative. The prose was smooth and effectively transported me to the late 1800s violet industry in the Hudson Valley. The Poughkeepsie News blurbs and an interview with a Ms. Vreeland for The Women of Albany County about growing up during the violet heyday set the tone and hooked me. (Who even knew there was a violet heyday? Though, those repress...more
A compelling tale of the plight of women from working class backgrounds at the turn of the century in NY's Hudson Valley.
This novel had a little bit of everything: intrigue, unrequited romance, family drama and secrets, as well as fascinating history about violet farming. I was unaware what a popular and lucrative farming endeavor this was just a couple hours away from where I live.
This was a well done first novel. The history was gently woven into the story which isn't always the case with hi...more
This novel had a little bit of everything: intrigue, unrequited romance, family drama and secrets, as well as fascinating history about violet farming. I was unaware what a popular and lucrative farming endeavor this was just a couple hours away from where I live.
This was a well done first novel. The history was gently woven into the story which isn't always the case with hi...more
I loved this novel about life in the late 19th century. I read it by flashlight and candlelight due to Hurricane Sandy, and this may have enhanced the feeling of the period that's so well evoked by the author. I could see, smell and hear the New York City and Hudson Valley 1899. The two main characters, Alice and Ida, realistically reflect the issues and problems facing women at that time, against a background of the family business, growing violets. Yet I wsasn't reading for the issues, just wa...more
This is a compelling novel set in upstate New York at the turn of the twentieth century. There's family rivalry, lost love, and a hardscrabble life. Despite the depressing aspects of the story, I found this to be a very carefully researched and constructed novel with plenty of human interest to keep the reader motivated in finding out what happens next. There is a warning however, some of the story is rather dark and frank in content, so it is not for squeamish readers. All in all, this was a ve...more
4 likes · like · see review
A Violet Season delivers the perfect balance of historical detail, carefully crafted characters, and rich narrative. Heart-pounding at times, heartbreaking at others, A Violet Season's imagery and undercurrent of societal unrest does justice to an earlier time and sheds light on the challenges we face today. This book is a real triumph ... debut novel or not.
Nov 25, 2012
Tori
added it
2012- A good first book by this author, focusing on Ida and her daughter Alice's life in the late 1890s in upstate New York. The violet farm setting was unique, and the main characters, for the most part, likable. I do think I would have enjoyed the book more had the author used first person point of view, switching back and forth between Ida and Alice though.
It took me a little while to get into this book, but by the second half I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's historical fiction, about a family who owns a violet farm at the turn of the century. Lots of family dynamics and themes about women's rights (or lack thereof) at the time. Could certainly make for a good discussion book.
I would be willing to bet that this topic was as hard to write about as it was to read, if not more so. So many parts of this book were so open and realistic that I easily imagined people I am close to as the characters, and found myself giving reactions as if they actually WERE people I knew. A heart-wrenching story about women trying to find their place in the world around the turn of the century.
I loved this book. The story centers around a mother and daughter in turn of the century 1900 upstate New York. It is wonderfully written with rich details. The plight of being a woman during those times was also a theme and reading this made me grateful for all the freedoms that we enjoy today.
Women at the turn of the century standing up to the man of the household. Women realizing there are choices tho very hard to make come true. The story of a woman and her daughter. Detailed and lovingly written. Read in one sitting. Excellent book.
Heartrending and compelling. Wonderfully detailed, with pitch-perfect scenes. Details of late 19th century life wonderfully rendered. Flawed but loving relationship between a mother and daughter was my favorite aspect of a multi-dimentional novel.
Good read. Nice historical detail. The newspaper excerpts were a neat touch. I felt it was a non-romanticized view of a female's life in this country at the turn of the century. I was reminded of yet another blessing in my life.
A friend recommended this book to me or I never would have heard of it. I liked it a lot -- it was historical fiction, which is my favorite, and it had an element of suspense to it also. Great book.
an enjoyable read reminiscent of Ami McKay's the Virin Cure. the era of turn of the century New York was fascinating. this took a different angle from what i usually read, most of it taking place on a violet farm.
At times slow-paced, I couldn't put down this book once I hit the mid-way point.
Of all the characters, the father, Frank, angered me the most. Read it and see if you agree.
Of all the characters, the father, Frank, angered me the most. Read it and see if you agree.
I was so happy to have found a book about the Hudson Valley's history growing violets.
The story is driven by a central question: What is evil husband doing to his family, and when is wife going to stand up and stop him?
A well-controlled and balanced story, temperate prose, and satisfying ending.
The story is driven by a central question: What is evil husband doing to his family, and when is wife going to stand up and stop him?
A well-controlled and balanced story, temperate prose, and satisfying ending.
read this review and others at http://readingforsanity.blogspot.com/...
Wow! I hadn't won any ARC books for a while. I'm now on a roll. This one sounded like it could be interesting.
First chapter was a slow start but loved the story once I got into it! Almost couldn't put it down!
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical Fictio...: A Violet Season | 1 | 15 | Dec 01, 2012 06:02am | |
| Chicks On Lit: A Violet Season - Historical Fiction | 1 | 26 | Nov 25, 2012 03:07am |
Kathy Leonard Czepiel is the author of A Violet Season (Simon & Schuster 2012). The novel, set on a Hudson Valley violet farm in 1898-99, has been hailed by Robert Olmstead as "fully imagined and beautifully written." Czepiel's short fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals, including Cimarron Review, Indiana Review, and CALYX. She is the recipient of a 2012 creative writing fellowsh...more
More about Kathy Leonard Czepiel...
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Mar 13, 2013 10:13am