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Charity And Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage In Early America (2014)

by Rachel Hope Cleves(Favorite Author)

4.02 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0199335427 (ISBN13: 9780199335428)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Oxford University Press, USA

review 1: Concept of same-sex marriage aside, this is one of the best history books I've ever read. First, it's a wonderful look at day-to-day life after the Revolution: economics, relationships of all sorts, sex, sickness, cooking, childbirth, chores, death. Second, how do you write a book about a subject that is explicitly omitted in the written record? The use of correspondence saying "everything but" is fascinating, as is the idea of the "open secret" in early America. There's also plenty of tales of mental illness, bankruptcy, suicide, and cross-dressing--never a dull moment. Bonus points for the Mount Holyoke references!
review 2: 3.5 stars. Details the lives and relationship of Charity and Sylvia, who had a socially (if not legally) recognized marriage in the earl... morey 1800s, showing how their families and town accepted them. For some, like Sylvia's mother, it wasn't easy. For others, it was just a fact. I would have liked a bit more of a flowing narrative - it hopped and skipped over decades and then returned to the timeline and repeated itself quite a lot. That was annoying. I felt there was also a lot of guessing at meanings and ascribing behaviors that weren't there. A lot of interpretation, basically. Sylvia's stress over being different was sad, but they had a very sweet, loving relationship. less

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