The Coffee Pot Blog Tours is pleased to host John Brown's Women: A Novel by Susan Higginbotham

Book Title: John Brown's Women: A Novel

Author: Susan Higginbotham

Publication Date: 7th December 2021

Publisher: Onslow Press

Page Length: 402 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

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John Brown's Women: A Novel 

By Susan Higginbotham

As the United States wrestles with its besetting sin—slavery—abolitionist John Brown is growing tired of talk. He takes actions that will propel the nation toward civil war and thrust three courageous women into history. 

Wealthy Brown, married to John Brown's oldest son, eagerly falls in with her husband's plan to settle in Kansas. Amid clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, Wealthy's adventure turns into madness, mayhem, and murder.

Fifteen-year-old Annie Brown is thrilled when her father summons her to the farm he has rented in preparation for his raid. There, she guards her father's secrets while risking her heart. 

Mary Brown never expected to be the wife of John Brown, much less the wife of a martyr. When her husband's daring plan fails, Mary must travel into hostile territory, where she finds the eyes of the nation riveted upon John—and upon her.

Spanning three decades, John Brown's Women is a tale of love and sacrifice, and of the ongoing struggle for America to achieve its promise of liberty and justice for all.

Trigger Warnings:

Deaths of young children through illness or accidents (not graphically described); implied heavy petting involving a willing minor.

Read an excerpt

Introducing herself as Miss Gedney, a young black lady showed her in. Shortly after, a boy led in Dr. Ruggles, a handsome, though somewhat frail-looking man in his late thirties who wore the dark glasses of a blind person. He held out his hand, which Mary grasped. “Mrs. Brown, I understand?”

“Yes. I do hope you can do me some good. I realize I should have written ahead, but I felt that I could wait no longer.”

“Well, we have space for you, but I won’t accept you if I don’t feel I can do you any good. How is Mr. John Brown, Jr. doing?”

“He appeared quite well.”

“Good, good! Let us go into my office, and I will examine you. Miss Elizabeth Gedney will be present. Should you take the cure, she and her sister Sophia will be giving you your treatments.”

Mary nodded, remembering too late that Dr. Ruggles could not see her do so, and followed him and the boy into another room, which was fitted up with books. Miss Gedney stood there chatting with an older woman with a turban upon her head. “Ma’s here, Dr. Ruggles. Do you want her to leave?”

“She can stay if Mrs. Brown doesn’t mind.”

“I don’t mind,” Mary said. In truth, she was rather relieved to have the older woman present. She reminded her of the many midwives who had attended her over the years.

Miss Gedney waved her behind a screen, where Mary stripped to her shift. When she presented herself in front of Dr. Ruggles, he said, “I imagine you’ve read that I diagnose by touch. If the lungs, stomach, and wrist are in an electro-positive state, the water cure will benefit a person. If they are not, I can do nothing and will not waste your time or money by pretending otherwise.”

“I understand.”

Frowning in concentration, Dr. Ruggles conducted his examination. “I do believe we can help you, Mrs. Brown. You have neuralgia, it appears, and the cure is good for it.”

“So, I am in an—electro-positive state?”

“Indeed, you are. So, will you be staying? If you do, we can get your treatment started today, although some patients like to settle in a little.”

“Might as well get it started now,” said the older lady. She had a rich, deep voice as redolent as Dr. Ruggles’. “Faster you start, the faster you’ll be out of here. Dr. Ruggles gave me the cure too. I hated every moment of it, but it did me good.”

“My friend Mrs. Sojourner Truth speaks the truth,” Dr. Ruggles said. “The treatment, provided that you follow it rigorously, will progress to a crisis—”

“Oh, the crisis,” said Mrs. Truth—for what else could Mary call her? “You’ll want to be put out of your misery then.”

“Now, now,” Dr. Ruggles said. “Don’t scare Mrs. Brown away.”

“Scare? She don’t look like one who scares easily.”

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Susan Higginbotham is the author of a number of historical novels set in medieval and Tudor England and, more recently, nineteenth-century America, including The Traitor's Wife, The Stolen Crown, Hanging Mary, and The First Lady and the Rebel. She and her family, human and four-footed, live in Maryland, just a short drive from where John Brown made his last stand. When not writing or procrastinating, Susan enjoys traveling and collecting old photographs.

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