Maude by Donna Foley Mary

In 1906, I was barely over fourteen years old, and it was my wedding day. My older sister, Helen, came to my room, took me by the hand, and sat me down on the bed. She opened her mouth to say something, but then her face flushed, and she turned her head to look out the window. After a second, she squeezed my hand and looked back in my eyes. She said, “You’ve always been a good girl, Maude, and done what I told you. Now, you’re going to be a married woman, and he will be the head of the house. When you go home tonight after your party, no matter what he wants to do to you, you have to let him do it. Do you understand?"

I didn’t understand, but I nodded my head anyway. It sounded strange to me, the way so many things did. I would do what she told me. I didn’t have a choice, any more than I had a choice in being born.

Genre

Historical Biography

498 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 16, 2014

Wall Street Journal Best Seller

My Thoughts

This is a charming biography written by a granddaughter about her grandmother's life. “It’s a history of her life, but also a history of an American woman. Her story covers more than six decades of history from an American woman’s perspective.” Mabry said.

Mabry spent much of her childhood with Maude. The two formed a close bond and she learned about the many trials and tribulations her grandmother faced throughout her life, and how the era in which women live plays a dramatically different role in who and what they ultimately become.

I loved her characterization of Maude. When Maude saw that something needed to be done, she did it, and she never gave up faith that she could do anything with God's help; she was intelligent, even though she only had a ninth grade education; and she set an example of what a self-sufficient strong woman should be. She had so many trials throughout her life and there are definitely sad parts of this book, but ultimately it is about the triumph of the human spirit. I give this book 5 stars.