The Widow's War

Often compared to The Red Tent and The Scarlet Letter, this historical novel is set in a whaling village in colonial New England. It opens with Lyddie Berry sensing that trouble is coming. When her husband Edward's cousin, Shubael Hopkins, and his wife, Betsey, arrive, they bring a burden she already knows well.

After Lyddie's husband is lost in a storm at sea, her standing changes sharply. She is no longer a respected married woman but is classed as the dependent of her nearest male relative, her son-in-law. She refuses to hand over everything she and Edward had worked for, and that refusal leaves her cut off from family, friends and neighbors.

As her position grows more isolated, Lyddie discovers a deeper sense of who she is and, unexpectedly, finds love.