The Third Mrs. Galway by Deirdre Sinnott

 

It’s 1835 in Utica, New York, and newlywed Helen Galway discovers a secret: two people who have escaped enslavement are hiding in the shack behind her husband’s house. Suddenly, she is at the center of the era’s greatest moral dilemma: Should she be a “good wife” and report the fugitives? Or will she defy convention and come to their aid?

Within her home, Helen is haunted by the previous Mrs. Galway, recently deceased but still an oppressive presence. Her husband, injured by a drunken tumble off his horse, is assisted by a doctor of questionable ambitions who keeps a close eye on Helen. In charge of all things domestic is Maggie--formerly enslaved by the Galway family and freed when emancipation came to New York eight years earlier.

Abolitionists arriving in Utica to found the New York State Anti-Slavery Society are accused by the local papers of being traitors to the Constitution. Everyone faces dangerous choices as they navigate this intensely heated personal and political landscape.

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About The Author

 DEIRDRE SINNOTT is an author, researcher, and activist for social change. She grew up in the region of Utica, New York, and graduated from Syracuse University. Sinnott speaks nationally about the role of Central New York's residents in the abolition of slavery. She was the originator of Utica's Abolition History Day Celebration and has directed two award-winning documentaries on mass incarceration/prison issues. She facilitated the program "Resisting the New Jim Crow" at the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum. She is a historical consultant for the Fort Stanwix Underground Railroad History Project, funded by the National Park Service. Sinnott's writing has appeared in newspapers, two anthologies, literary journals, and in various online resources. The Third Mrs. Galway is her first novel. For more information: www.DeirdreSinnott.com

 

My Review

 

This a riveting read that will linger with you long after the last page is turned. One of the reason I wanted to read this book is I’m familiar with the area, I know where the streets are located as we follow the characters.
This story is rich in history, and we put faces to those, actually on both sides.
As you put yourself in the shoes of these different people, maybe you will understand how much freedom is worth, we take so much for granted, and parents willing to die to give this gift to their children.
I loved how the third Mrs. Galway played into this read, and she should be recognized, she has given it all.
From the charlatan doctor, to noted abolitionists, to people looking to survive, and those willing to give it all!
I received this book through Edelweiss and the Publisher Kaylie Jones Books, and was not required to give a positive review.