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Widow 1881: Flats Junction Series
The Dakota Territories held promise for misfits, outlaws, and hardened pioneers, but would Flats Junction offer enough
sanctuary and hope for the widow from Back East? Boston widow Jane Weber moves to the Dakota Territories to reinvent herself. Stirring up controversy, Jane rooms with the last Blackfoot Sioux in town and navigates a mercurial friendship with the fiercely independent town grocer. She finds everyone has an untold story, including her unpredictable employer, the town doctor.
The print version of "Widow 1881" has charming illustrations and a map of the Flats Junction, Dakota area. Both the epub and print editions come with Book Club Questions, Historical References, and Notes for the Reader.
“Ms. Dahmen has managed to capture the very essence of the time period and the heart of the woman brave enough to find her own way in this thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing novel. Don’t miss it!” —Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of "The Mutual Admiration Society" and "Whistling in the Dark."
“ A character at war with the world is good. A character at war with herself is better. Sara Dahmen has done something magical. She’s given us one at war with both.” —Scott Wilbanks, author of "The Lemoncholy Life of Anne Aster"
“Dahmen brings into focus the joys and deprivations of life on the American frontier through the eyes of a newly independent, albeit naive, woman. It pulls on the gut as much as the heart.” — Chanticleer Reviews
sanctuary and hope for the widow from Back East? Boston widow Jane Weber moves to the Dakota Territories to reinvent herself. Stirring up controversy, Jane rooms with the last Blackfoot Sioux in town and navigates a mercurial friendship with the fiercely independent town grocer. She finds everyone has an untold story, including her unpredictable employer, the town doctor.
The print version of "Widow 1881" has charming illustrations and a map of the Flats Junction, Dakota area. Both the epub and print editions come with Book Club Questions, Historical References, and Notes for the Reader.
“Ms. Dahmen has managed to capture the very essence of the time period and the heart of the woman brave enough to find her own way in this thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing novel. Don’t miss it!” —Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of "The Mutual Admiration Society" and "Whistling in the Dark."
“ A character at war with the world is good. A character at war with herself is better. Sara Dahmen has done something magical. She’s given us one at war with both.” —Scott Wilbanks, author of "The Lemoncholy Life of Anne Aster"
“Dahmen brings into focus the joys and deprivations of life on the American frontier through the eyes of a newly independent, albeit naive, woman. It pulls on the gut as much as the heart.” — Chanticleer Reviews
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 12, 2018
About the author
Sara Dahmen
10 books75 followersCoppersmith, mother of 3, and novelist Sara Dahmen lives in Wisconsin, and is the author of the Flats Junction series {Promontory Press, Inc.}, historical fiction novels set in the Dakotas. The series is in development for television, with the third book, Outcast 1883, releasing on November 22, 2022.
She is the designer and founder of House Copper & Cookware - an American-made kitchenware and copper cookware line and manufactures pure metal kitchenware by herself in her copper shop. Her knowledge on cookware is featured in Copper, Iron, and Clay: A Smith's Journey (William Morrow / Harper Collins).
When not writing books or hitting metal over an anvil, Sara writes scripts and screenplays, sits on Zoom calls with entertainment executives and producers on some of her scripted projects, keeps up with her honeybees, gardens, mini-farm, and family.
She is the designer and founder of House Copper & Cookware - an American-made kitchenware and copper cookware line and manufactures pure metal kitchenware by herself in her copper shop. Her knowledge on cookware is featured in Copper, Iron, and Clay: A Smith's Journey (William Morrow / Harper Collins).
When not writing books or hitting metal over an anvil, Sara writes scripts and screenplays, sits on Zoom calls with entertainment executives and producers on some of her scripted projects, keeps up with her honeybees, gardens, mini-farm, and family.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 29, 2018
In Widow 1881 (the first book in the Flats Junction series), Mrs. Jane Weber, is a widow with a secret. Unable to continue living within the stifling social conventions of Boston, she leaves her life of status and relative ease to take a job as a housekeeper for Dr. Kinney in the Dakota Territory. Knowing she leaves domestic comforts behind, she finds the courage to face the unknown. What I love about this book is how author Sara Dahmen has overlaid a small story against the giant backdrop of the western territory with well-research historical richness. The issues her characters grapple with—a woman’s place, social confines, tolerance, change, shame, taboo, love, loss—are painfully familiar to modern readers. Gently coursing through the book is a slowly evolving love between Dr. Kinney and Mrs. Weber, the culmination of which is thoroughly satisfying.
October 8, 2020
I first read this story when it was called "Dr. Kinney's Housekeeper" - Dahmen's self-published version. While the editing was rough, she is a really good storyteller and is good at building a slow-burning romance in a well-researched historical setting. This new edited version is an improvement on the original and, though you can tell it's her first novel (in her other novel, "Tinsmith 1865," which technically comes before Widow in the series but was written later, it is clear that Dahmen has improved on her craft), it's still engaging enough that I read it through quickly and enjoyed the story. If historical romance is your thing, check this series out.
February 20, 2018
I was immediately drawn into this story and remained in its thrall throughout the entire book. The heroine, Jane Weber, is a strong, plucky woman determined to make her escape from her straight-laced, judgmental peers and family in Boston. She accepts a house keeper position with a doctor in the Dakota Territories.
The descriptions of life and people in the small community sucked me into the era. The attitudes and behaviors of the townsfolk felt real to me. Some deeds or beliefs were mysterious, and it is only as the story continues to unfold that the reasons for the sometimes perplexing actions become known.
Certain prejudices and feelings are blatant within the Dakota Territories, while some biases are more veiled. There are expectations for living harmoniously. Jane and her employer are more tolerant than most but they still must tread carefully. Everyone one has their secrets, it seems. The book examines intolerance in its ugliness, but also reveals how sometimes even deeply ingrained bigotries can be modified over time.
I love to read clean stories of the American West that grab me and feel believable. This book did not disappoint in the least.
Reviewed by Laurie-J
The descriptions of life and people in the small community sucked me into the era. The attitudes and behaviors of the townsfolk felt real to me. Some deeds or beliefs were mysterious, and it is only as the story continues to unfold that the reasons for the sometimes perplexing actions become known.
Certain prejudices and feelings are blatant within the Dakota Territories, while some biases are more veiled. There are expectations for living harmoniously. Jane and her employer are more tolerant than most but they still must tread carefully. Everyone one has their secrets, it seems. The book examines intolerance in its ugliness, but also reveals how sometimes even deeply ingrained bigotries can be modified over time.
I love to read clean stories of the American West that grab me and feel believable. This book did not disappoint in the least.
Reviewed by Laurie-J
March 3, 2018
Title: Widow 1881
Author: Sara Dahmen
Genre: Women's Historical Pioneer Fiction
Blurb: Boston widow Jane Weber moves to the Dakota Territories to save her respectability but finds her proper views challenged every step. Rooming with the last Blackfoot Sioux in Flats Junction and navigating a mercurial friendship with the fiercely independent town grocer leaves Jane reeling as she stumbles to understand the town folk and the unwritten rules of the west in 1881. Everyone has a story, including Jane herself and her unpredictable physician employer.
Extract: Suppose it is not real. I have not yet felt the quickening. It is early yet – too early to really discuss it. For this employer to know, when my lover had not and my husband could not, feels as if I am exposing my private bedroom to a stranger.
Terror shoots into me. I hadn’t wanted him to find out! Not so soon and not like this! Damn the Widow! I’d asked her not to speak! Now he will send me back home to be a widowed mother alone in the quietness of my parents’ house and the sharp stigma of the loose widow. No one back east will truly believe the child is Henry’s. They might think I went wild in the west.
No one knows me here. There is some safety in it, and I must convince him to let me stay. And I must tell him the same lie. There’s no other way. Everyone here in Flats Junction must think I was as married and settled as I say. And the Doctor too – what would he think having hired such a loose woman? The shame of my brief, quick desire for Theodore, and the self-loathing I carry rises up and tries to choke me. The Doctor walks away from me, fuming and vibrating with anger and I feel I must follow him to hear my fate.
Review: I am going to give this book 5 stars. It’s a wonderful read and the author draws you back into the 1880’s. The novel shows how hard it is for a woman to be anything but a wife, and how one’s reputation can define them. I love Jane, she is a strong person and faces all her difficulties with courage and guts.
Moving from Boston to the Dakotas is a large change for her, along with the housekeeping job she has applied for and accepted. Jane wanted a change and she got it. The new world she finds herself In has made her find courage and strength she didn’t know she had. Jane is not really been a housekeeper, she has had her own household to take care of but they did have a maid come in once a week to help with the heavier cleaning. Now, she is the one that is expected to clean floors, kill the mice, and do laundry.
Then there is the doctor Pat, a man after my own heart. Kind and generous, he takes an interest in her health right away and when he finds out she’s pregnant he makes sure that he does all the heavy lifting. He was also looking forward to having a child in his house, even if it was not sired by him.
When Jane goes back to Boston, the reader really does get to see the differences between her life as a housekeeper and her life as a cook for a wealthy family. Boston’s manners, and a women’s reputation mean everything. When she is being courted there needed to be a chaperone at all times. There was no touching allowed and certain subjects were not talked about. Back in the Dakotas, courting was more direct. Small touches were allowed along with no chaperones.
I am recommending this book for anyone that is interested in society back in 1881 and how women were treated back then.
Award and RaffleCopter: Sara Dahmen will be awarding a set of American-made pure maple wooden spoons from the author's kitchenware line (www.housekeepercrockery), valued at $60 (international) to a randomly
drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp...
Author Bio and Links: Sara Dahmen is a metalsmith of vintage and modern cookware and manufactures pure metal kitchenware in tin, copper and iron. She is the owner and operator of House Copper & Housekeeper Crockery: American-made cookware created with pure and/or organic materials featured in Food and Wine and Root + Bone magazines, among others. She has published over 100 articles as a contributing editor for Veil Magazine and writes for many book and review blogs. She has spoken at TEDx Rapid City in 2016, speaks across the country at multiple writer conferences such as the Writer’s Institute and RWA Nationals, and co-chairs the Port Washington Literary Festival since its inception in 2013. Prior to her writing gigs, Sara was a print, radio and TV producer before owning and operating a nationally award-winning event planning company for ten years. When not writing or sewing authentic clothing for 1830’s reenactments, she can be found hitting tin and copper at her apprenticeship with a master tinsmith, reading the Economist or hanging out with her husband and three young children.
Websites:
www.flatsjunction.com
www.saradahmen.com
www.housecopper.com
Blog:
http://www.housekeepercrockery.com/ho...
Twitter: @saradahmenbooks
Instagram: @housecrockery
Buy link unavailable but can be found through websites above
Author: Sara Dahmen
Genre: Women's Historical Pioneer Fiction
Blurb: Boston widow Jane Weber moves to the Dakota Territories to save her respectability but finds her proper views challenged every step. Rooming with the last Blackfoot Sioux in Flats Junction and navigating a mercurial friendship with the fiercely independent town grocer leaves Jane reeling as she stumbles to understand the town folk and the unwritten rules of the west in 1881. Everyone has a story, including Jane herself and her unpredictable physician employer.
Extract: Suppose it is not real. I have not yet felt the quickening. It is early yet – too early to really discuss it. For this employer to know, when my lover had not and my husband could not, feels as if I am exposing my private bedroom to a stranger.
Terror shoots into me. I hadn’t wanted him to find out! Not so soon and not like this! Damn the Widow! I’d asked her not to speak! Now he will send me back home to be a widowed mother alone in the quietness of my parents’ house and the sharp stigma of the loose widow. No one back east will truly believe the child is Henry’s. They might think I went wild in the west.
No one knows me here. There is some safety in it, and I must convince him to let me stay. And I must tell him the same lie. There’s no other way. Everyone here in Flats Junction must think I was as married and settled as I say. And the Doctor too – what would he think having hired such a loose woman? The shame of my brief, quick desire for Theodore, and the self-loathing I carry rises up and tries to choke me. The Doctor walks away from me, fuming and vibrating with anger and I feel I must follow him to hear my fate.
Review: I am going to give this book 5 stars. It’s a wonderful read and the author draws you back into the 1880’s. The novel shows how hard it is for a woman to be anything but a wife, and how one’s reputation can define them. I love Jane, she is a strong person and faces all her difficulties with courage and guts.
Moving from Boston to the Dakotas is a large change for her, along with the housekeeping job she has applied for and accepted. Jane wanted a change and she got it. The new world she finds herself In has made her find courage and strength she didn’t know she had. Jane is not really been a housekeeper, she has had her own household to take care of but they did have a maid come in once a week to help with the heavier cleaning. Now, she is the one that is expected to clean floors, kill the mice, and do laundry.
Then there is the doctor Pat, a man after my own heart. Kind and generous, he takes an interest in her health right away and when he finds out she’s pregnant he makes sure that he does all the heavy lifting. He was also looking forward to having a child in his house, even if it was not sired by him.
When Jane goes back to Boston, the reader really does get to see the differences between her life as a housekeeper and her life as a cook for a wealthy family. Boston’s manners, and a women’s reputation mean everything. When she is being courted there needed to be a chaperone at all times. There was no touching allowed and certain subjects were not talked about. Back in the Dakotas, courting was more direct. Small touches were allowed along with no chaperones.
I am recommending this book for anyone that is interested in society back in 1881 and how women were treated back then.
Award and RaffleCopter: Sara Dahmen will be awarding a set of American-made pure maple wooden spoons from the author's kitchenware line (www.housekeepercrockery), valued at $60 (international) to a randomly
drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp...
Author Bio and Links: Sara Dahmen is a metalsmith of vintage and modern cookware and manufactures pure metal kitchenware in tin, copper and iron. She is the owner and operator of House Copper & Housekeeper Crockery: American-made cookware created with pure and/or organic materials featured in Food and Wine and Root + Bone magazines, among others. She has published over 100 articles as a contributing editor for Veil Magazine and writes for many book and review blogs. She has spoken at TEDx Rapid City in 2016, speaks across the country at multiple writer conferences such as the Writer’s Institute and RWA Nationals, and co-chairs the Port Washington Literary Festival since its inception in 2013. Prior to her writing gigs, Sara was a print, radio and TV producer before owning and operating a nationally award-winning event planning company for ten years. When not writing or sewing authentic clothing for 1830’s reenactments, she can be found hitting tin and copper at her apprenticeship with a master tinsmith, reading the Economist or hanging out with her husband and three young children.
Websites:
www.flatsjunction.com
www.saradahmen.com
www.housecopper.com
Blog:
http://www.housekeepercrockery.com/ho...
Twitter: @saradahmenbooks
Instagram: @housecrockery
Buy link unavailable but can be found through websites above
March 2, 2018
What a book! I had to fight with myself not to skip ahead and see what was going to happen. This is a book in the tone of a Jane Austin novel written in the Wild West. As you can tell from the title it is set in the late 1800’s. Times were changing; society was very unkind and full of prejudice. Information about our nation was scarce or only what one person passed to another. Information changing often and occasionally embellished in the telling was then printed in a newspaper thousands of miles away. This is historical fiction, a very good telling of a story following fairly close to fact of the times and true to the settings of the scenery both in the east and the west. It’s also a little bit of a western and a love story.
It is in the second paragraph of a review that a reviewer writes of an author’s writing skills as well as any of those lacking. I just cannot find anything to write about this author lacking writing skills. Most times I can find something I would have preferred an author do differently but not so in this novel. Sarah Dahmen seems to have created all of the parts of a good story here. The characters are so well-developed, they become your friends or your enemies. The storyline is good enough to want to read as fast as you can but yet not miss a word. Much of this book is written as a narrative from the perspective of the main character, Jane Weber. While this is sometimes difficult to do, it was very enjoyable here. Jane’s thoughts and feelings seemed to keep my attention throughout the book. Oh, don’t get me wrong…there were a few times I wanted to pick Jane up and shake her for not seeing what was right before her. This is not a lack in writing skills. When an author can get a reader so involved, that is just good writing.
After reading a review like this, you must know I think you should make the opportunity to read this book. I’m going to check and see if she has written any more and sure hope she is working on a new book now.
It is in the second paragraph of a review that a reviewer writes of an author’s writing skills as well as any of those lacking. I just cannot find anything to write about this author lacking writing skills. Most times I can find something I would have preferred an author do differently but not so in this novel. Sarah Dahmen seems to have created all of the parts of a good story here. The characters are so well-developed, they become your friends or your enemies. The storyline is good enough to want to read as fast as you can but yet not miss a word. Much of this book is written as a narrative from the perspective of the main character, Jane Weber. While this is sometimes difficult to do, it was very enjoyable here. Jane’s thoughts and feelings seemed to keep my attention throughout the book. Oh, don’t get me wrong…there were a few times I wanted to pick Jane up and shake her for not seeing what was right before her. This is not a lack in writing skills. When an author can get a reader so involved, that is just good writing.
After reading a review like this, you must know I think you should make the opportunity to read this book. I’m going to check and see if she has written any more and sure hope she is working on a new book now.
March 20, 2018
Jane leaves her comfortable life on the east coast to go west in search of a new life and maybe even a new love. Circumstances following her husband's death result in Jane's desire to reinvent herself in a place where no one knows her. But life on the prairie is hard and sometimes gruesome work, which comes as a shock to Jane. To pile on, Jane also has to room with a native woman who doesn't speak to her.
Luckily, Jane is realistic with a thirst for knowledge, which makes her surroundings more bearable, even when she messes up royally at first. With her eager demeanor and open-mindedness, Jane endears herself to the town, and vice versa. Soon, it becomes her home, and she grows more and more comfortable playing house with her employer, Irishman and fellow outsider Dr. Kinney.
Of course, the life Jane was trying to escape catches up to her in a dramatic and painful way, which changes her relationship Dr. Kinney. I read the last third of the book at rapid speed, wondering how the story was going to wrap up and if Jane would get her happy ending.
Sara captivated me with her vast historical knowledge and ability to create a vivid, engrossing scene. What she excels at most is capturing the maturity of love and how adult responsibilities intersect and with and sometimes impede the pursuit of happiness. With an ultimately deliciously satisfying ending.
Luckily, Jane is realistic with a thirst for knowledge, which makes her surroundings more bearable, even when she messes up royally at first. With her eager demeanor and open-mindedness, Jane endears herself to the town, and vice versa. Soon, it becomes her home, and she grows more and more comfortable playing house with her employer, Irishman and fellow outsider Dr. Kinney.
Of course, the life Jane was trying to escape catches up to her in a dramatic and painful way, which changes her relationship Dr. Kinney. I read the last third of the book at rapid speed, wondering how the story was going to wrap up and if Jane would get her happy ending.
Sara captivated me with her vast historical knowledge and ability to create a vivid, engrossing scene. What she excels at most is capturing the maturity of love and how adult responsibilities intersect and with and sometimes impede the pursuit of happiness. With an ultimately deliciously satisfying ending.
March 6, 2018
This is a first-person narrated story about a widow who goes out west to the Dakota Territory in 1881 to be a housekeeper for a doctor. She travels to Flats Junction, where we are also introduced to a feisty general store owner, Kate, and to Jane's Sioux landlady, Widow Hawks. Jane's work for the doctor includes some nursing, cooking, working in the house and garden, and secretary. To the reader, it is obvious the doctor has fallen for Jane, but she has a secret that must be revealed - she's carrying a child, the fruit of a passionate fling that she had after her husband's death. The author has done her research and the patterns of speech, the settlers' prejudices against the Native Americans, and the settings are brought to life in this captivating story. There are details about everyday life on the frontier, but most of all, this is a love story between a woman who is stronger than she thinks she is, and a man who will give up everything to win the heart of the one he's chosen. I think all lovers of historical fiction and historical romance will enjoy this book!
May 27, 2021
Widow 1881 by Sara Dahmen is rich in history and deep moving through and through. Newly widowed, Jane has a scandalous secret and cannot continue living in Boston so she accepts a housekeeping position in Dakota for a medical doctor. He is close in age, single, kind and strong and immediately they've got chemistry that lights up every page! Dahmen does a superb job describing her characters along with painting the Dakota Territories as the backdrop. Gloucester, Massachusetts was also beautifully pictured and I only live 5 miles from the quaint fishing village so that was a bonus for me. A "woman’s place" is the underlining theme as well as the disturbing fact "Indians belong on their reservation-no where else!" Three female characters; Jane, the general store proprietor, Kate, and Sioux Widow Hawks (Esther) are badasses! ;) Read this historical novel to find out what the secret is and who ends up with the bachelor doctor who by the way has a heart of gold. :)
October 29, 2022
When Jane lost her husband Henry and had a dalliance with another man she found herself in the family way in an 1881 that is no small discretion. So she decided to apply to keep a house for a doctor named Patrick Kenny in the Dakotas but what she arrives she makes new friends the one she starts feeling things for the doctor she believes it is all for not because he is in love with Kate the owner of the General store. This was such a long but a very good historical read. I love historical romance and this was so good I’m so glad I read it the author has a great grasp on historical events in the book is accurate which is a big pet peeve of mine I found nothing she messed and thoroughly enjoyed this book. There’s something to be said for books in which you know how it’s going to end but you stay on board to find out exactly how and that’s a true testament to the authors abilities this is a definite five star read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t say enough about it and hope to read more by the author in the future. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate most of my review.
October 13, 2022
I chose this book because I typically enjoy books that are set in the 1800s. I was very drawn to the cover - I thought the design was striking and enigmatic.
One of the reasons that I typically enjoy period novels is because I find they stimulate my imagination and help me to escape the hustle and bustle of today's world.
I liked this book a lot. I was drawn into the atmosphere very quickly. This was a historical romance, but I also felt there was an eerie quality, that reminded me of Gothic novels. I thought the writing in general was very good, and no more complex. Nothing was drawn out or overly descriptive.
I liked the protagonist - she had a kind of passion and determination that I admired, and as she told her story,I felt emotionally involved. I found that I identified with and related to her, and I had to continue reading to find out if she would get the outcome she desired, and the outcome that I desired as a reader.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
One of the reasons that I typically enjoy period novels is because I find they stimulate my imagination and help me to escape the hustle and bustle of today's world.
I liked this book a lot. I was drawn into the atmosphere very quickly. This was a historical romance, but I also felt there was an eerie quality, that reminded me of Gothic novels. I thought the writing in general was very good, and no more complex. Nothing was drawn out or overly descriptive.
I liked the protagonist - she had a kind of passion and determination that I admired, and as she told her story,I felt emotionally involved. I found that I identified with and related to her, and I had to continue reading to find out if she would get the outcome she desired, and the outcome that I desired as a reader.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
July 26, 2020
Dahmen presents a compelling, beautiful, evocative, well-written story I didn't want to put down. The history is well researched, with accurate and vivid details about the coast north of Boston as well as the Dakotas. The romance is suspenseful and nuanced, done tastefully and without embarrassing detail. The characters are deep and alive.
Just...wow.
Just...wow.
November 3, 2022
A very enjoyable story set in the west during the 1880s - Jane Weber is a new widow with a scandalous secret. She leaves the comfort of her upscale life in Boston to move to the Dakotas to become a housekeeper for an Irish doctor in a small western rail town. The story follows her journey, and subsequent move back to the east.
The characters make this book so interesting - Jane, the doctor, the Sioux woman Jane boards with, feisty Kate the general store owner, and all the townsfolk. The characters are well developed and entertaining.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.
The characters make this book so interesting - Jane, the doctor, the Sioux woman Jane boards with, feisty Kate the general store owner, and all the townsfolk. The characters are well developed and entertaining.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.
January 22, 2023
Really enjoyed spending time again in Flats Junction with this 2nd part in the series. Loved catching up with, what feels like old friends and meeting new residents. I enjoyed the story, Dr. Kinney & especially widow Hawks. Did not connect as well with Jane, but then again Marie from the first book was a tough act to follow. Really love how the author is able to place her story and fictional characters into a very real and historically accurate backdrop with so many interesting historical tidbits. Well done Ms. Dahmen. Please keep writing because I want to keep visiting Flats Junction.
May 13, 2018
Pleasant story of Jane Weber, a widow, who leaves gossiping friends and family for the Dakotas in 1881. Answering a want ad for a housekeeper/nurse, she begins her new life working for a doctor.
This may have been published in 2014 under the title "Dr. Kinney's Housekeeper" and reissued under the present title in 2017.
This may have been published in 2014 under the title "Dr. Kinney's Housekeeper" and reissued under the present title in 2017.
December 18, 2022
In her novel Widow 1881, master storyteller Sara Dahmen creates the story of Jane Weber, a strong, independent widow, who moves to the Dakota Territories to work for Doctor Patrick Kinney. I voluntarily read this complimentary copy of this well-written book full of secrets, friendship, love, but most of all acceptance of others who are different. If you love historical fiction, this book is for you!
November 15, 2022
I was fortunate in being given an ARC of Widow 1881 from Net Galley. Thanks to NG, and the author and publisher for a chance to read this fine novel.
As evident from the title, the novel is about a woman , recently widowed, Jane Weber, who decides to make a great change in life. Following the death of her husband , she decides to leave behind the prospect of returning to her parents home in Glouster, Mass. for a drab existence as a widow living in her old bedroom at he parent’s house.
Jane sees an advertisement in a local newspaper for woman to be housekeeper to a doctor in Dakota Territory. Deciding that she find a new start, Jane sends off her letter applying for the position, and soon finds herself entrained for the days- long train journey to the Plains. She carries baggage, , of course, bother literal and figurative . She is pregnant, not by her late husband before he died, but from a brief affair with a family friend that started and ended quickly .
When Jane alights for the train in Flats Junction , Dakota Territory, she sees before her the frontier village where she will make her new home. It is not much bigger than what we might today call a highway strip mall. Some good buildings, some shacks; cabins and cottages and blacksmith and saloons and a bawdy house and two churches strung out along the Main Street. first people she encounters are in the general store: two old men hanging out around a checker who freely comment on everything and everybody, and Kate , the decidedly standoffish owner of the store. Soon enough she meets new employer, Dr. Kinney, who welcomes her with the assurance that she will soon find friends among the people of Flats Junction. This book is the story of Jane and the world she finds.
I enjoy reading historical fictions, especially when they are well done as “ Widow 1881”. Descriptions of the people and the town they inhabit, the lives they lead illuminate the story are very well written. But it is the characters and the interactions that soon captivate the reader. The doctor is warm and welcoming and soon puts Jane at ease. She sleeps ( for propriety’s sake) at the house of a woman, a Blackfoot Souix, the Widow Hawks , These four characters, Jane , Dr. Kinney, , the Widow Hawks and Kate are the center of the novel . You can be sure that Jane’s life is changed in way she could not have imagined . She encounters prejudice against the Native American form settle who recall well the recently ended bloody prairie warfare. Jane finds challenges of a life on the frontier - the hard work she never had to do of running a house, of making new friends and learning new ways. The author’s insights into her characters are revealing and make it easy to recommend . the book
I recommend the book to all readers. For a man to say that he enjoyed a love story is to say that this book transcended the label genre of romantic historical fiction. It is a tribute to the skill of the author in presenting an excellent , readable and enjoyable novel. Easily a five star rating.
Notes to readers: some harrowing scenes , not sexual or violent
As evident from the title, the novel is about a woman , recently widowed, Jane Weber, who decides to make a great change in life. Following the death of her husband , she decides to leave behind the prospect of returning to her parents home in Glouster, Mass. for a drab existence as a widow living in her old bedroom at he parent’s house.
Jane sees an advertisement in a local newspaper for woman to be housekeeper to a doctor in Dakota Territory. Deciding that she find a new start, Jane sends off her letter applying for the position, and soon finds herself entrained for the days- long train journey to the Plains. She carries baggage, , of course, bother literal and figurative . She is pregnant, not by her late husband before he died, but from a brief affair with a family friend that started and ended quickly .
When Jane alights for the train in Flats Junction , Dakota Territory, she sees before her the frontier village where she will make her new home. It is not much bigger than what we might today call a highway strip mall. Some good buildings, some shacks; cabins and cottages and blacksmith and saloons and a bawdy house and two churches strung out along the Main Street. first people she encounters are in the general store: two old men hanging out around a checker who freely comment on everything and everybody, and Kate , the decidedly standoffish owner of the store. Soon enough she meets new employer, Dr. Kinney, who welcomes her with the assurance that she will soon find friends among the people of Flats Junction. This book is the story of Jane and the world she finds.
I enjoy reading historical fictions, especially when they are well done as “ Widow 1881”. Descriptions of the people and the town they inhabit, the lives they lead illuminate the story are very well written. But it is the characters and the interactions that soon captivate the reader. The doctor is warm and welcoming and soon puts Jane at ease. She sleeps ( for propriety’s sake) at the house of a woman, a Blackfoot Souix, the Widow Hawks , These four characters, Jane , Dr. Kinney, , the Widow Hawks and Kate are the center of the novel . You can be sure that Jane’s life is changed in way she could not have imagined . She encounters prejudice against the Native American form settle who recall well the recently ended bloody prairie warfare. Jane finds challenges of a life on the frontier - the hard work she never had to do of running a house, of making new friends and learning new ways. The author’s insights into her characters are revealing and make it easy to recommend . the book
I recommend the book to all readers. For a man to say that he enjoyed a love story is to say that this book transcended the label genre of romantic historical fiction. It is a tribute to the skill of the author in presenting an excellent , readable and enjoyable novel. Easily a five star rating.
Notes to readers: some harrowing scenes , not sexual or violent
November 14, 2022
A great story about a widow in the 1880's. This new to me author has captured my attention and imagination perfectly of what the West might have been like.
I think that my most favorite character was Jane! She is what kept my interest throughout the whole book. I love her determination to do what she wanted and not no one else wants. I admired her. Her adventures became my own.
I also enjoyed in getting to the other characters too and of course there were some that I didn't like.
This book was well written and I enjoyed every minute of it.
5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I think that my most favorite character was Jane! She is what kept my interest throughout the whole book. I love her determination to do what she wanted and not no one else wants. I admired her. Her adventures became my own.
I also enjoyed in getting to the other characters too and of course there were some that I didn't like.
This book was well written and I enjoyed every minute of it.
5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 18, 2023
I received this as a ARC copy. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to review this novel.
Jane Weber, recently widowed and discovering she's carrying another man's child, makes the monumentous decision to move from her comfortable life in Boston to the Dakota Territories to become a housekeeper for the town of Flats Junction's doctor. Inexperienced and new to hard work, she struggles to acclimate to the wild west ways. Fearing impropriety as Jane is much younger than the doctor thought she was, she is sent to lodge with Widow Hawks, a Sioux woman loving on the outskirts of the town. Though the days are challenging and she has much to learn, she slowly gets used to the routine of keeping house and helping the doctor and befriends the other women in the town.
Things are not always smooth sailing in a frontier town, although the native American's are now mostly on reservations, the town's residents still remember the recent skirmishes and even though Widow Hawks married a white man and had a daughter - Kate with him, the local residents continue to treat her with disdain.
Will Jane succeed in making a new life for herself?
All in all, I enjoyed this novel. The protagonist, although a strong woman, is a product of her time and occasionally I was surprised at her emotion or lack of emotion in certain situations. The characters of the townspeople are well rounded and I could picture both them and the towns layout in my minds eye as I was absorbing the story.
Brava!
Jane Weber, recently widowed and discovering she's carrying another man's child, makes the monumentous decision to move from her comfortable life in Boston to the Dakota Territories to become a housekeeper for the town of Flats Junction's doctor. Inexperienced and new to hard work, she struggles to acclimate to the wild west ways. Fearing impropriety as Jane is much younger than the doctor thought she was, she is sent to lodge with Widow Hawks, a Sioux woman loving on the outskirts of the town. Though the days are challenging and she has much to learn, she slowly gets used to the routine of keeping house and helping the doctor and befriends the other women in the town.
Things are not always smooth sailing in a frontier town, although the native American's are now mostly on reservations, the town's residents still remember the recent skirmishes and even though Widow Hawks married a white man and had a daughter - Kate with him, the local residents continue to treat her with disdain.
Will Jane succeed in making a new life for herself?
All in all, I enjoyed this novel. The protagonist, although a strong woman, is a product of her time and occasionally I was surprised at her emotion or lack of emotion in certain situations. The characters of the townspeople are well rounded and I could picture both them and the towns layout in my minds eye as I was absorbing the story.
Brava!
September 16, 2019
Sara Dahmen’s novel, Widow 1881 captures the time and period of a woman beset with heartache and loss, yet brave enough to find a new life on her own terms.
Recently widowed Jane Weber answers a help-wanted ad for a housekeeping position in Flats Junction, Dakota Territories. She leaves Massachusetts and all that is familiar, despite her family’s misgivings.
Jane carries a secret and with it, feelings of desperation. She keeps house for the town’s doctor, yet as a single woman must live elsewhere. The doctor arranges for her to room with a Blackfoot Sioux, a woman, barely tolerated in town.
In the course of daily living, Jane finds her way in a harsh and sometimes unforgiving land. She meets the townspeople, some of whom don’t hold the doctor’s profession in high esteem, nor are many people friendly toward her. But she manages to find friendship and loyalty in surprising places, and the doctor shows satisfaction in her housekeeping and light nursing skills. Jane works hard, learning as she goes along. She finds inspiration and pleasure in acquiring new skills, yet feels apprehension about her future.
Author Sara Dahmen skillfully shows us the time period and the heart of a woman intent on making her way despite the odds against her. I thoroughly enjoyed this engrossing novel.
Recently widowed Jane Weber answers a help-wanted ad for a housekeeping position in Flats Junction, Dakota Territories. She leaves Massachusetts and all that is familiar, despite her family’s misgivings.
Jane carries a secret and with it, feelings of desperation. She keeps house for the town’s doctor, yet as a single woman must live elsewhere. The doctor arranges for her to room with a Blackfoot Sioux, a woman, barely tolerated in town.
In the course of daily living, Jane finds her way in a harsh and sometimes unforgiving land. She meets the townspeople, some of whom don’t hold the doctor’s profession in high esteem, nor are many people friendly toward her. But she manages to find friendship and loyalty in surprising places, and the doctor shows satisfaction in her housekeeping and light nursing skills. Jane works hard, learning as she goes along. She finds inspiration and pleasure in acquiring new skills, yet feels apprehension about her future.
Author Sara Dahmen skillfully shows us the time period and the heart of a woman intent on making her way despite the odds against her. I thoroughly enjoyed this engrossing novel.
October 18, 2022
“Housework, wanted, a woman for general housework in the western territories. Must be sturdy, Send word Box 30.”
So begins the story of Mrs. Jane Weber, a young Bostonian widow who responds to an advertisement that will alter her life forever. Carrying secrets of her own, she leaves behind her family and all that is familiar to travel by train to the Dakotas and take up a post as housekeeper for Irish doctor Patrick Kinney. For the sake of propriety, Dr. Kinney arranges for Jane to board with Widow Hawks, a Sioux woman living on the outskirts of Flats Junction. Despite her initial trepidation of living with a woman from a culture so far removed from her own, Jane and the widow form an unexpected bond over time. As Jane settles in to her work and the rhythm of life in a western town, she soon befriends other women, grows comfortable with Dr. Kinney as employer and friend, and even finds herself with a surprising (to her) suitor.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic historical novel and look forward to others in the series. Sara Dahmen is new to me, but I’m very happy to have found her books. Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
So begins the story of Mrs. Jane Weber, a young Bostonian widow who responds to an advertisement that will alter her life forever. Carrying secrets of her own, she leaves behind her family and all that is familiar to travel by train to the Dakotas and take up a post as housekeeper for Irish doctor Patrick Kinney. For the sake of propriety, Dr. Kinney arranges for Jane to board with Widow Hawks, a Sioux woman living on the outskirts of Flats Junction. Despite her initial trepidation of living with a woman from a culture so far removed from her own, Jane and the widow form an unexpected bond over time. As Jane settles in to her work and the rhythm of life in a western town, she soon befriends other women, grows comfortable with Dr. Kinney as employer and friend, and even finds herself with a surprising (to her) suitor.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic historical novel and look forward to others in the series. Sara Dahmen is new to me, but I’m very happy to have found her books. Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Want to read
November 3, 2022A very enjoyable story set in the west during the 1880s - Jane Weber is a new widow with a scandalous secret. She leaves the comfort of her upscale life in Boston to move to the Dakotas to become a housekeeper for an Irish doctor in a small western rail town. The story follows her journey, and subsequent move back to the east.
The characters make this book so interesting - Jane, the doctor, the Sioux woman Jane boards with, feisty Kate the general store owner, and all the townsfolk. The characters are well developed and entertaining.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.
The characters make this book so interesting - Jane, the doctor, the Sioux woman Jane boards with, feisty Kate the general store owner, and all the townsfolk. The characters are well developed and entertaining.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.
September 25, 2019
This is a wonderful western romance novel that is in no way formulaic. The unexpected twists and turns as well as the rich description of a frontier town and the people who inhabit it made this a page turner. The main character travels west to take up her new position as a housekeeper for the town's doctor and everything that she must do--from the cooking to the washing and more--are so well described that I feel like I'm in the same room with her. This author has also taken her research into vintage cooking implements to a new level by starting her own cookware company. Can’t wait to read more in the Flats Junction series.
October 31, 2022
Sarah Dahmen has created a wonderful historical in Widow 1881. I enjoyed this story. I was intrigued and fascinated by the plot and loved the characters. The setting is vividly detailed, making the reader feel as though they have been transported back in time.
I was excited to find out that Widow 1881 is part of a series called Flats Junction. I can not wait to get my hands on the next book.
This one gets 5 stars from me.
I received this book from the author. This review is 100% my honest opinion.
I was excited to find out that Widow 1881 is part of a series called Flats Junction. I can not wait to get my hands on the next book.
This one gets 5 stars from me.
I received this book from the author. This review is 100% my honest opinion.
January 21, 2019
I found myself a little disappointed that the story was more of a romance ( which if you like that, you may find this a very good book ) rather than historical fiction. I would of liked more in-depth information about living during this time period, and also wished the story included more about the relationships between the Indians and settlers. When the author did touch on the historical was when I was drawn in and really enjoyed the story.
October 25, 2022
My first book by this author and definitely not my last. Great storytelling and wonderfully defined characters. The book is period perfection and the author has done much research to ensure a realistic experience for the reader. I truly enjoyed this tale. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 28, 2020
A good read about a decision to leave comforts for the Dakota Territories and the unknown.
As a housekeeper for a Doctor, adjusting to having less, adjusting to western town personalities,
and hiding a secret for as long as she can Jane's life is an adventure in strength.
As a housekeeper for a Doctor, adjusting to having less, adjusting to western town personalities,
and hiding a secret for as long as she can Jane's life is an adventure in strength.
November 1, 2022
I really enjoyed this book it was well written with well developed characters and a gripping storyline that jkept me engaged the whole way through. I loved the romance elements and I loved the gothicesque atmosphere woven through the storyline. A great read.
June 24, 2020
Loved this book
I felt like I was actually living there, experiencing everything she did. Brilliantly written, each character held my focus page after page.
I felt like I was actually living there, experiencing everything she did. Brilliantly written, each character held my focus page after page.
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