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Reviewed by Denise Stern for Readers' Favorite
"The Women of Magnolia" spans decades in the lives of the women of Mississippi’s Vine Manor plantation, beginning in the early 1830s with Evan Vine, who marries Englishwoman Mary Elizabeth. As a gift for his new wife, Evan refurbishes a smaller estate near the ocean called Magnolia. Tragedy strikes Evan early in life following the birth of his daughter, Hallie. The story follows the lives of Evan and Hallie as she grows older and marries a new manager of Vine Manor plantation. Hallie and her husband James have two daughters of their own, Lydia and Mary. However, the War Between the States threatens the security of the Vine family and Hallie and her daughters retreat to New Orleans while James joins the Confederate Army. Magnolia becomes a refuge for the downtrodden, former slaves, prostitutes and those merely seeking shelter and a bit of compassion.
"The Women of Magnolia", taking multiple points of view, offers a detailed and well-researched account of how one family’s dedication to doing the right thing helped save dozens of lives during one of the worst periods in American history. Author Marlene Mitchell has penned an engaging account of pre-Civil War life on a southern plantation, and the fears, uncertainties and tragedy that one southern family must endure over three generations. From the moment the readers meet Evan and Mary Elizabeth, they are drawn into a different era and into the lives of two people who begin a lineage at Magnolia that will see children and grandchildren struggling to do what they feel is right and just in an imperfect world. The characters are well-developed, and supporting characters are given their own voice in chapters throughout the novel, offering multiple points of view of the same circumstances throughout.
