A great story that illuminates women's active role in history

books:


	• 1919 Misfortune's End Paula Phelan ZAPmedia, 2007 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A great story that illuminates women's active role in history

Who would have thought, that in one year, so many famous women influenced politics and science! A riveting story that enlightened me as to how pivotal the year was to the African American community. I couldn't help reading it and seeing it as a movie. I am looking forward to the sequel.

Informative and inspiring

The novel is a great read! Ms. Phelan obviously did her homework in researching the era and pulls you into the world of 1919. Not only do you learn more about events and characters already well known, but brings to light characters and events you didn't realize were integral to this year. You'll learn about music, politics, social rights, workers rights, civil rights, women's rights and more without feeling like you're reading history... I'd recommend this for anyone from age 14 to 100 :-)

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Inspiring and educational

What I liked most about this book is what I learned. It is full of well-researched factoids that were glossed over in my history classes. The reasons behind why certain events happened. In addition, 1919 Misfortune's End gives insights into the African American experience rarely discussed. A time when the community thrived under the philosophy of Booker T. Washington and by the end of 1919 turned to follow W.E.B. Dubois.
It made clear how it felt to the soldiers returning home from fighting in WWI to realize they were denied the very freedoms they had been conscripted to fight for in Europe.

I enjoyed how Misfortune's End highlights women in history. Women who had a major influence on U.S. policy and economics. Women inventors, politicians, healthcare providers, activists and artists. Many of whom have been marginalized in history. Influential women of the day including Jane Addams (the most well known person in the country - able to shape presidential elections), Margaret Sanger (the founder of planned parenthood), Emma Goldman (anarchist), Madam Walker (the first African American woman millionaire), A'Lelia Walker (influential in the Harlem renaissance), Alice Paul (responsible for the 19th amendment being a federal law), Jeannette Rankin the first woman elected to congress, Helen Keller (vaudeville performer and advocate for peace), Mae West (actress and playwright) and Victoria Woodhull (the first woman to run for president). I think it would be great for a woman's studies class or any history class. It could help show young adults how one person can make a difference.

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Historical Fiction

Reviewed by Nancy Wade for Reader Views (1/08)

Author Paula Phelan's book, "1919 Misfortune's End," is a tale of two families living in the society of 1919 and what affects them the most during this time: war, flu, bias, death/destruction, rioting and murder. The storyline tells some of what the KKK did, or supported, in this time in the south. The story starts in Washington, DC, and ends in New York City.

The story flips from one family's story to the other family's story. It was hard for me to flow between the two families without backtracking to see who was where and what family I was reading about. They had quite a bit in common and a lot of difference, depending on what point of the story you were reading about and which family member was being discussed.

The story mentions the health problems of the President of the United States and who was affected the most by his illness. According to the story, the American people were the ones most hurt by his illness and lack of attention or even lack of caring.

It is hard to imagine the time before electricity, cars, radios, televisions, or even computers. Some families did have telephones, but not all. The families not only heated by coal or wood stoves but cooked by them also. Minorities were treated severely for just being what they are. Women were treated as servants to stay at home and have no opinions. They did all the housework, raising the children, the cooking, ironing, starting the fires in the morning, and so forth. Life was hard for the men but so much harder for the women.

Many of the soldiers came home to nothing, no families or jobs or homes. The minorities that fought were treated as if they were slaves; a lot were killed in riots and mob attacks and not just the soldiers, women and children also. Frustrations were taken out on those who could not protect themselves or their families.

I would like to think that in 2008 minorities are treated better than as depicted in "1919 Misfortune's End."

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Historical Fiction at it's Best!

Loved It! This book takes "real" people and puts them in "real" situations for the year 1919. I couldn't put the book down and will definitely read more by this author. I felt that I was in 1919 and learned to know and relate to the charactors. The first incident with the molasses really did happen and I was pulled in instantly into the story. Read and Enjoy!

reviews: page 1, 2

Two American families face a year of enormous significance, turmoil and change. The War to End All Wars was over. The Plague of 1918 had swept through urban areas with a vengeance, killing more than a million citizens and then mysteriously subsided. But instead of celebrating their survival through these excruciating times, four million workers went on strike, inflation hit 500%, and prohibition became law - unleashing the pestilence of organized crime. Good and bad times live side by side as people move from a simpler past through tumultuous times and reach out in search of a new future. The hope of carving out a new life motivates our characters who are enjoying early advancements in radio communication, entertainment and the inventions for the home. Although the characters did not know it at the time, the groundwork for the roaring 20s was being set with the casting off of old ideas, a devil may care attitude and a relaxing of social mores. The year 1919 is a reminder that things can always get worse, but through the vibrancy of the human spirit, things can get better too.

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