Review & Giveaway: The Rose and the Whip by Jae Hodges

The Rose and the Whip by Jae Hodges

Publication Date: March 25, 2020

WordCrafts Press

Hardcover, Paperback, & eBook; 252 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Lidia Wardell walked naked through the Newbury meeting house. She was prosecuted, and publicly whipped for this crime.

This event is common historical knowledge. The Rose and the Whip is set in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in May 1663, but tells the entire story of systematic persecution of dissenters, by dissenters. Lidia relates the story of her life, and the series of events that culminated in her decision to take this action in protest of the Puritan community leaders' treatment of Quakers. As she is charged, sentenced, and tied to the whipping post, then subsequently thrashed with twenty or thirty lashes, she critically examines each of these events and reflects on how they served to transform her and her perspectives on truth and faith.

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Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Have you ever wanted to write a novel based on one of your ancestors? I always thought it would so interesting to do so!

Inspired by the story of her distant relative by marriage author Jae Hodges has written a captivating novel about a woman who dared to challenge authority and the events that followed.

There isn't a lot known about Lidia Wardell, her story almost lost to history except for her one act of defiance - walking naked into the town meeting house. The novel kicks off at Lidia's trial, where her neighbors who were once close friends, stand against her in court.

The novel also goes back before the trial and touches on the history of the Wardell family and others in the town. Though there isn't a lof of historical information for the author to use, she masterfully fills in the holes to portray a complete picture of Lidia's life.

The Rose and the Whip was an engrossing look into the religious persecution of the time. I'm glad to have gotten to know more about Lidia and her life, and I am grateful for the author for sharing her story with us!

About the Author

Everyone has a history and a story. Jae uses the most alluring stories from the chronicles of her own ancestry and others around her to create timeless tales of everyday people making history. On her quest to capture the essence of walking in their footsteps, she travels and uses her pencil and camera lens to imagine them in their own surroundings.

Jae lives on the Tennessee River in Alabama with her husband and companion pooch.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, July 27
Review at Books, Cooks, Looks

Wednesday, July 29
Review at Passages to the Past

Thursday, July 30
Interview at Passages to the Past

Saturday, August 1
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Wednesday, August 5
Review at Gwendalyn's Books

Friday, August 7
Feature at I'm All About Books

Wednesday, August 12
Review at Books and Zebras

Thursday, August 13
Review at Older & Smarter

Friday, August 14
Guest Post at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Monday, August 17
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Thursday, August 20
Review at Nurse Bookie

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of The Rose and the Whip by Jae Hodges! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on August 20th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Rose and the Whip