The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
hobbs1's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
karen_barrington's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It makes me want to take a trip to New Brunswick and visit the spot Charlotte landed myself. Try to imagine how things were in the book vs the modern version now.
weaselweader's review against another edition
4.0
âStay with the People ⌠we will keep you safe.â
To summarize THE NINE LIVES OF CHARLOTTE TAYLOR is simple enough. It is a fictionalized (and lightly embellished) biography of author Sally Armstrongâs great-great-great-grandmotherâs elopement from England with her black lover, her subsequent flight as a new widow from her persecution in Jamaica and her courageous settlement as an unflinching feminist pioneer on the Miramichi River in pre-confederation then Nova Scotia, later New Brunswick Lower Canada. In her preface, Sally Armstrong summarized Charlotteâs outlook masterfully:
âBut hers is not a story of a woman in starched white petticoats and a beribboned bonnet, displaced from the Old World and trying to re-create it in the new one. She managed to keep her ten children alive through the American Revolution that was fought on her doorstep, the Indian raids that burned out her neighbours and the droughts and floods and endless winters that challenged her wit and tenacity. She was of this place.â
To my embarrassment as a proud self-proclaimed, forward-thinking pro-feminist Canadian, Sally Armstrong has pulled no punches in demonstrating the historic depth of such national failings as misogyny, racism, anti-immigrant xenophobia, greed, political mismanagement and systemic mistreatment of aboriginal peoples. Itâs not a pretty story but it is a gritty, moving and deeply compelling tale of one womanâs courage in the face of astonishing adversity, loss and almost overwhelming obstacles and opposition.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
To summarize THE NINE LIVES OF CHARLOTTE TAYLOR is simple enough. It is a fictionalized (and lightly embellished) biography of author Sally Armstrongâs great-great-great-grandmotherâs elopement from England with her black lover, her subsequent flight as a new widow from her persecution in Jamaica and her courageous settlement as an unflinching feminist pioneer on the Miramichi River in pre-confederation then Nova Scotia, later New Brunswick Lower Canada. In her preface, Sally Armstrong summarized Charlotteâs outlook masterfully:
âBut hers is not a story of a woman in starched white petticoats and a beribboned bonnet, displaced from the Old World and trying to re-create it in the new one. She managed to keep her ten children alive through the American Revolution that was fought on her doorstep, the Indian raids that burned out her neighbours and the droughts and floods and endless winters that challenged her wit and tenacity. She was of this place.â
To my embarrassment as a proud self-proclaimed, forward-thinking pro-feminist Canadian, Sally Armstrong has pulled no punches in demonstrating the historic depth of such national failings as misogyny, racism, anti-immigrant xenophobia, greed, political mismanagement and systemic mistreatment of aboriginal peoples. Itâs not a pretty story but it is a gritty, moving and deeply compelling tale of one womanâs courage in the face of astonishing adversity, loss and almost overwhelming obstacles and opposition.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
laceylou10's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
sarmariemack's review against another edition
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This book was both really neat and exciting for the first half, and then to me became redundant and boring. I found the way it was written sequentially made it difficult to maintain focus in the second half of the book. The second half of the book has the energy of âand then this happenedâ âand then this happenedâ âand then this happened.â
 Conversely, the setting in 17-1800s Northern New Brunswick where my family is from, which was cool!
 Conversely, the setting in 17-1800s Northern New Brunswick where my family is from, which was cool!
crabbygirl's review against another edition
3.0
a fascinating read if most details were true, but (as a work classified as fiction) it's difficult to know which parts were embellished with detail, or made up entirely. or perhaps records simply don't exist. case in point: charlotte has 10 children who all survive infancy and childhood - such a remarkable feat, and one that charlotte takes great pride in. but were there other children's whose records went missing?
she outlived 4 husbands (ok, 3 husbands and 1 lover), lived easily among the mik'mak, and had her name on the first property deeds of the miramichi. she must have been a force to be reckoned with... her stories being passed from generation to generation. remarkable? lucky? a witch? who knows how she truly got her fame. so her great, great, great granddaughter tried to pin down a story that she could be proud of. it's a story that is too tainted by today's politically correct values and knowledge of the future, but it's hard to escape the mindset of our current culture.
she outlived 4 husbands (ok, 3 husbands and 1 lover), lived easily among the mik'mak, and had her name on the first property deeds of the miramichi. she must have been a force to be reckoned with... her stories being passed from generation to generation. remarkable? lucky? a witch? who knows how she truly got her fame. so her great, great, great granddaughter tried to pin down a story that she could be proud of. it's a story that is too tainted by today's politically correct values and knowledge of the future, but it's hard to escape the mindset of our current culture.
kelownagurl's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this biographical novel about an amazing young woman who came to New Brunswick in 1775.
maplesyrupcoffee's review against another edition
5.0
I could barely stop turning the pages of this book!
Once again, Sally Armstrong succeeds in telling a captivating tale that brings depth to many characters. To me it was very special to be reading this book while being in very remote areas and close to many waterways in Canada.
Once again, Sally Armstrong succeeds in telling a captivating tale that brings depth to many characters. To me it was very special to be reading this book while being in very remote areas and close to many waterways in Canada.
emmyinthestacks's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Overall it's ok. The relationships between characters doesn't feel all that strong and could have been fleshed out more. Generally it feels like a very superficial story, and we don't really get into the emotional inner world of any of the characters (even though they spend plenty of time isolated from others with time to talk or reflect etc.). For example the lover Charlotte leaves England with isn't painted all that well, leaving you to wonder somewhat why she's leaving everything she knows and running away with this guy that she doesn't seem to care that much about (which is made somewhat awkward given that he was an employee of the family and thus taking a huge risk and he's written as Black, though the race of the actual person was unknown, so the character's race is a distinct choice). That lack of evidence of love or strong affection is striking. Additionally, Armstrong's continued use of the word 'refugee' to refer to a number of the English, Irish and Scottish settlers was just weird to me. Like, yes we could say that they were seeking refuge of a sorts and some may very well have fled persecution but a lot of them would perhaps be better described as immigrants. And it's not as if the language she uses is all period accurate so using the word immigrant wouldn't have been strange. All in all, it was interesting, just wanted more character and there was just some awkwardness around discussions around/descriptions of the Mi'kmaq and their relationships with some of the characters.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Violence, and Racial slurs
nightfalltwen's review against another edition
4.0
What an excellent addition to Canadian historical fiction. Based on the real life of one of the first women settlers of New Brunswick but with the colourful flourish of fiction to make it intriguing. Well written and very enjoyable.