A Book Review by Tanya Patton

History lessons are wasted on the young.

In high school, I always earned an A grade in history, but I don’t remember actually learning much. You see, I didn’t really understand history, but I was very good at memorizing information. Historical figures and dates, as well as lectures and textbooks full of facts were “caught” then pitched back to my teachers with very little effort or understanding on my part. I found the stories interesting but I didn’t have enough life experience to comprehend the significance of those stories. Taxation without representation? Big deal. For that matter, what was the big deal about taxes? Suffrage? The power of political alliances? Government structure? It didn’t make much sense to a kid without responsibilities beyond turning homework in on time.

Fast forward a few decades, now historical fiction is my favorite literary genre because I finally have enough life experience to appreciate the layers of history. I understand why taxes are a big deal because I have to pay them and I wouldn’t trade my right to vote for anything. The goals of government make more sense now and the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness isn’t just a cliché. A well-researched and well-written work of historical fiction is one of the best and least painful ways to learn history. I’ve read many outstanding works of historical fiction in the last several years. The Century Trilogy written by Ken Follet is top of my list, but the six-book Wilderness series by Sara Donati is a close second. Now, Donati has written a new book titled “The Gilded Hour” which I highly recommend!

“The Gilded Hour” picks up a strand of the same family who inhabited the Wilderness series, only 70 years later. Sophie and Anna Savard are cousins living with their widowed aunt in New York City in 1883. Both women are independent-thinking, practicing physicians in a time when few women dared to challenge the well-defined gender roles. Sophie, an obstetrician, and Anna, a surgeon, work with the indigent populations of the city, especially immigrants struggling to gain a foothold in America during rapid industrialization and economic and social change. The Brooklyn Bridge is under construction and both Sophie and Anna wrestle with challenges in both their personal and professional lives.

One of those challenges is dealing with Anthony Comstock, the founder of The New York Society for the Suppression of Vice. Comstock is a real historical figure and I was astonished to learn more about his crusade to preserve and defend the morality of an entire city. He successfully lobbied the US Congress to enact the Comstock Law. Never heard of it? Neither had I. This law made it illegal to deliver by mail or other transportation “obscene, lewd, or lascivious” printed material, and prohibited any information about contraception, abortion or prevention of venereal disease to be produced or distributed to women. I was compelled to do an Internet search to learn more about Comstock. I could hardly believe he was real!

This book is over 700 pages long and was slow to get started, but once the characters were established and I found its rhythm, I savored every page. Donati doesn’t write high intensity, page turners. The reader becomes immersed in the lives of the characters, not necessarily the plot, although Donati weaves a few mysteries through the story line and leaves them unresolved – a sure sign of a sequel to follow.

The next book on my reading list is “The Nightingale.” by Kristin Hannah. I downloaded a free sample on my Kindle and was instantly captivated by both the writing style and story. Fortunately, the Dayton Memorial Library had a copy so I’m headed for the years of the French Resistance during World War II. And speaking of the French Resistance, if you haven’t read “All the Light We Cannot See” yet, don’t let anything stop you. Good Reading!