The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers

The Second Mrs. Hockaday is an epistolary novel told through letters and court documents. In it, Placidia is a young bride of a Confederate officer during the Civil War. When her husband returns from his time fighting and as a prisoner of war, he hears a rumor that Placidia had given birth to a baby and it had died while he was gone. What happened to her and what will happen to their marriage?

This book is based on true events that took place. I have very mixed feelings about this whole book.

On one hand, it's hard to read about a spoiled white southern lady relying entirely on black slave labor to survive, but still never truly acknowledges the inhumanity of slavery. On the other hand, it's a gripping mystery. I was drawn in almost immediately and I wanted answers and even as some answers rolled out slowly, there was still so much ambiguity that I was very satisfied with it as a mystery. 

This book won't be for everybody. There are descriptions of abuse, sexual and otherwise, animal abuse, and child abuse. There are descriptions about some of the degradations associated with slavery, including scenes of families being separated. Since it is told from the perspective of a Confederate sympathizer, it's awful blasé about some of the atrocities of the American Civil War. 

But it is an interesting case and situation. I was really riveting by the storytelling. I was fascinated by the old-timey rumor mill and I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the novel. I imagine I'll be thinking about this story for quite some time because something about it just struck the right chord with me.  

4.5/5 stars

Lines of note (I read this on my Kindle and the page numbers aren't synced, so I gave the Kindle locations):

Women like to think the worst of women more admired than they... (location 96)

I think this is a harsh reality. We do always compare ourselves to others and it's hard when you don't come out on top. Sometimes it's easier to criticize than admire.

Seeing how easily I can be physically overpowered has sapped a great deal of my fighting spirit. (location 1681)

The trauma of abuse has long-lasting consequences.

He showed me what a fine line divides love from misery. Sometimes, in fact, there's no line at all. (location 2676)

It's sad. One of my friends just closed on her divorce and she sways from emotion to emotion with regard to her former partner. 

Things I looked up:

Delaine (location 122, among others) - A kind of mixed cloth with cotton warp and wool in the weft. Originally a high quality women's wear dress material.

Pignut trees (location 355, among others) - A type of hickory tree.

Judas tree (location 359) - Cercis siliquastrum, commonly known as the Judas tree, is a small deciduous tree from Southern Europe and Western Asia which is noted for its prolific display of deep pink flowers in the spring.  

Jeremiad (location 1857) -  A long, mournful complaint or lamentation; a list of woes

Pertinacious (location 2579) - Holding firmly to an opinion or course of action

Syllabub (location 2723) - A sweet dish from Cornish cuisine, made by curdling sweet cream or milk with an acid like wine or cider.