Seven Locks by Christin Wade
How does life unfold before you? Christine Wade’s book Seven
Locks says that we unlock our lives. Our life is a great book lying before
us. We can turn pages, but in order to jump chapters we need to open the locks.
These are great events or experiences that change us. Turning points that shape
us into who we are, so we can read on. The nameless narrator in Seven Locks
is a mother of two with a lazy and self-indulgent husband. Our narrator is said
to be a shrew for scolding her husband to do work. One day, after a fearsome
fight between the two, the husband wanders off with his gun and his dog, never
to return.
Set in pre-Revolutionary America, this tale is about a woman
trying to run a farm, raise children, and deal with the humiliation of being
left by her husband. It is historical fiction about domestic life. Although the
main character can be a bit harsh, it is understandable given that she has had
to run a farm and maintain her children’s well-being without help. That’s hard
enough in today’s society, let alone in the 1700s when women didn’t live by
themselves. Her life and tragedy become an urban legend. Her children
disrespect her.
I found the atmosphere and setting captivating. I love
hearing about how people ran their homes and how everyday life was conducted in
past centuries. The narrator is very capable with her animals and the garden.
Her children, however, are a difficulty. How does a woman reign in children who
do not trust her and stop listening? The second part of the novel gets into the
American Revolution and discusses common thoughts about the war, along with
how normal people dealt with the onslaught. Our narrator must deal with even more tragedy
due to the war.
The novel was at times captivating, but I was looking for it
to end after a while. There were small breaks in the main character’s narrative
for her daughter, Judith, to talk about what she was doing. I enjoyed hearing
from the child and then from her as a young woman. As a naïve girl, her
thoughts are selfish and naïve, but her spirit is ignited with the Revolution.
The third part of the novel dealt almost exclusively with Judith after the war,
when she herself was a wife and mother.
For the most part I enjoyed the novel. It isn’t terribly
memorable, but it was a relatively quick read and gave some insight into
pre-Revolution life. The story was inspired by an American folktale and I think
most of you will guess what said folktale is rather quickly.
Here are some readalikes for Seven Locks by Christine
Wade:
If you want something based on a folktale, try The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
If you want something that explores the historical and
cultural aspects of Colonial America try Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent is about a
young girl in Salem, Massachusetts whose mother is accused of witchcraft and
how they deal with being outcast.
~Kristin M.
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