The horrendous, all pervasive denigration of human female that's deeply rooted in abrahmic cultures and attitudes thereof is evident in the only label a book such as this would be receiving generally, or any other that's written by a woman, is about lives of women and has largely female readership. These are far from trivial books, quite often, and such lumping together gets them discarded away from serious consideration.
Yet they aren't the penny pocketbook romances largely read by the schoolgirls of half a century ago, but often enough have serious concerns of women's lives discussed, and often enough those of not just women. Shopaholic series was such an example, as is Devil Wears Prada.
Alcoholic dependence gets serious treatment, if not downright respectable consideration, because it's largely male problem, and isn't often considered one at all, so much so there had to be an organisation of Mother Against Drunken Drivers (or is it Mother Against Drunken Driving?), before judges would let such a driver go scot free after he'd run over a child. Judges were predominantly male, and understood the man was only drunk, and the mother of the child only a female getting hysterical. The very word hysterical merely means someone with a womb, so it was again a way to dump all females as unreasonable and unworthy of consideration.
As to Devil Wears Prada, anyone realise that the unreasonable, inconsiderate and demanding boss is merely no different from any other male boss in any other male profession, but is being caricatured because she's a she, and is in an industry that's more or less imposed on women, hence not respected, despite the huge profits made by the said industry's corporate owners, presumably male? Switch the story to a sergeant in marines riding young males rough, and it's no longer about someone ridiculous. Yet it's hardly likely that an editor of a magazine that guides trends in a several billion dollar industry could be, say, lackadaisical, or someone not taking work seriously?
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This work portrays a serious concern or rather more than one, in form of a man who not only wouldn't take work or marriage or family seriously and demands being catered to as forthright, but is willing to go to any length - cheating, stealing, selling his baby, killing, and more - to get his next pleasure, and leaves a devastation around. Granted, most men aren't such rotten creatures, but when they are, there isn't much in form of social ostracisation, even, that they get as just desserts, much less the punishment they deserve.
Mainly such a creature is a vampire in all but physical terms, and again, it's only because they are male that they are coddled from birth onwards till they expect everything as their birthright.
Females have beaten out of them, on the other hand, not only possible socially undesirable faults such as laziness per selfishness, but also any serious aspirations such as quest of knowledge, more often than not - and West has the heritage of inquisition where being branded as a witch was the fate of any woman who had knowledge of any kind at all that males would prefer to keep as exclusive domain of theirs for trade considerations.
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And, of course, the most visible and understood problem of women's lives that is most visible as depicted here is the immediately obvious one - the lottery that is marriage, where being unfortunate enough to get such a rotter for a husband ruins a woman, over and over, despite her being intelligent, beautiful, honest, hard working, and even endowed with a wealthy and protective father.
Society has changed a little since, laws have changed a tad, since the time period of this story. Reality? Not that much. Women are now allowed education, but mostly discouraged in West from science and medicine, at every stage. Women always did, and mostly had to, work hard, but get portrayed viciously if they achieve a corporate high position. If they arent lampooned as in Devil Wears Prada, they might be labelled as 'bad in bed' by male scientists of German ancestry working in Europe's equivalent of NASA who have no personal acquaintance with the said high profile woman corporate executive, but are merely making a joke when meeting a new bride of an old friend who also is a scientist. The joke is meant to put down the new acquaintance by pointing out to her, not too subtly, that she lacks the only possible equipment for universal respectability.
When this fails, the European can do racist stuff too, of course.
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The book deals, of course, with a lot more, or it can be said it depicts more as background to the story, but really none of it is unimportant. There is the question of social classes, the wealthy and their servants. There is those honest suffering due to fault, mistakes or crimes of others, as honest dealers do when stock market crashes due to machinations of others and many more other than the guilty suffer as a consequence. There is the crucial question of women's finding a partner before their youth is lost, not only a question of losing attractive visage but life force itself and the joys of having a family of ones own with ones own children. There is the travails of relocating that so very many women went through, usually when their men did for one reason or another. There is the problems settlers in New places face, especially when the new places are less civilised than they are used to.
There is the U.S. West and the indigenous people fleetingly touched on - and still, fraudulently and falsely, called Indian, as if Indian is a label to be applied to every culture subjugated and vanquished by invading European hordes, not a distinct ancient culture, one related to an ancient land that crashed against the continent of Asia and rose as Himaalayan ranges higher than most of the earth.
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First of the Manhattan series, this begins with a marriage where a young intelligent woman marries a cheater, gambler, thief and worse, despite her father's warnings, because she'd rather not wait any longer, and hopes everything will fall into place with the marriage. As most often, it doesn't- Zachary Belk proves worse than they thought, Jessica faces the facts one after another, and manages, throwing him out and divorcing him when she discovers he'd stolen the emeralds that belonged to her mother.
Her father, William McCarthy, had secured his fortune for her with every caution so Belk would never have his hands on anything, even after Jessica's death.
But unfortunately she discovers she got pregnant from the rape after assault she suffered when she confronted him with the theft. She's dealing with it, only he discovers it too, and manages to convince her to keep the marriage and come out West with him to Kansas.
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They arrive at Manhattan, Kansas, after she's dealt with disposal of her house in Manhattan. But Jessica and her motherly companion, cook and housekeeper Caroline are in for a shock - the house is far from town and quite halfway in need of care including some repairs. Zachary resumes being rude to Caroline, and isn't much better to the new neighbours either.
When Jessica doesn't wake up morning after arrival, Zachary is frantic worrying about the baby, and one begins to get a clue why he was changing colours enough to be nice to her and persuade her to nullify the divorce. Perhaps it's his chance to gain some property from a will?
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Adele West, the neighbour across the street, visits Jessica when she sees her awake. She's already made friends with Caroline- Caroline is only working as a housekeeper because her own life fell apart when young, and she got attached to Jessica whom she'd birthed, after Jessica'smother died all too young.
"“You know, that first day, when you were sleeping, Adele came over and looked at you before the doctor even got here, and she told us almost exactly the same thing he did.”
"“That’s remarkable. Did you have medical training?”
"“Not formally. Not in a hospital or anything like that. Before we moved out of town to this house, I helped a midwife deliver a lot of babies and then delivered some without any help but the Lord’s, and of course, I had four of my own.”
"“That’s wonderful. It makes me feel so much better to know you’re right across the road if I need you.”
"“I’m so glad to have someone living here again. Helen Andersen was a wonderful neighbor and friend. It broke my heart that she died so young.”
"“Her husband was a distant cousin of my husband’s. That’s how we came to inherit the property when he died.”
"“Died? Jacob Andersen isn’t dead.”
"“I don’t understand. Zachary said--” Jessica leaned toward Adele. “Please tell me what you know about how Jacob Andersen came to leave this property.”
"“Jacob inherited this place from his father. It belonged to his grandfather before that. Helen came to live here after they married, about fifteen years ago. They never were blessed with children. After Helen died, he went a little crazy. If you ask me, he was carrying a load of guilt. He was never a very good husband. Helen did the best she could to keep the place up, but he was always too busy drinking and gambling with the trash in Junction City. He disappeared for almost a year, and when he came back to this area, he didn’t come back to the house. Last I heard, he’s living in a little rented shack in Junction City and working at a livery stable when he’s sober enough. He told some people that he went to New York and got cheated out of the deed to the house in a poker game.”
"Jessica slumped back in her chair, dropped her head, and closed her eyes. “I should have known. I wanted so much for my baby to have a father that I was willing to believe anything he told me.” She looked up at Caroline, tears welling in her eyes. “He’ll never change will he, Caroline?”
"“It doesn’t look like it, Jess. What are you going to do?”"
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Jessica confronted him when he came home and visited her room as she rested.
"“Oh, Jessica, please try to understand. I don’t want it to be this way. I’ll try to do better. I really will. What do you want from me?”
"“I want what I’ve always wanted. I want you to work and earn a living for us. I want you to stay sober. I want you to stop gambling away what money we do have. I want you to take care of your family. I don’t care if you have to take a job at the livery stable cleaning out stalls.”
"Through clenched teeth, Belk said, “You surely can’t expect me to do menial labor?”
"“I expect you to do whatever you have to do to take care of your child. The money from selling Father’s house isn’t going to last forever. Coming out here wasn’t cheap, and buying everything we need to get settled in this house will cost a small fortune. I can be very frugal, but if the agent in New York can’t get someone to lease my place, in a few years we won’t even have money to buy food.”
"“I was going into town in the morning to look for a saddle horse. I’ve already been to every one of the businesses. There aren’t all that many, and none of them were interested in me, but tomorrow I’ll go again and see if someone else will talk to me. I’ll try, Jessica. I promise.”
"He went to her and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. She turned her face away. He straightened up and looked at her as if he hated her. “So that’s the way it’s going to be?”
"“I’m afraid so.”
"“Now that you’ve recovered from the trip, I was thinking of moving into your bedroom, but I suppose that’s out of the question.”
"“We could hardly be having relations now.”
"“I was aware of that. I simply wanted to be closer to you.”
"“I can hardly stand to look at you, much less sleep next to you. No, if you really mean to get a job and act like an adult, if you prove yourself to me, then we’ll see if I can ever have feelings for you again.”
"“I’ll do my best, Jessica. I really will.”
"She nodded and looked away from him."
Jessica confronted him when he came home and visited her room as she rested.
"“Oh, Jessica, please try to understand. I don’t want it to be this way. I’ll try to do better. I really will. What do you want from me?”
"“I want what I’ve always wanted. I want you to work and earn a living for us. I want you to stay sober. I want you to stop gambling away what money we do have. I want you to take care of your family. I don’t care if you have to take a job at the livery stable cleaning out stalls.”
"Through clenched teeth, Belk said, “You surely can’t expect me to do menial labor?”
"“I expect you to do whatever you have to do to take care of your child. The money from selling Father’s house isn’t going to last forever. Coming out here wasn’t cheap, and buying everything we need to get settled in this house will cost a small fortune. I can be very frugal, but if the agent in New York can’t get someone to lease my place, in a few years we won’t even have money to buy food.”
"“I was going into town in the morning to look for a saddle horse. I’ve already been to every one of the businesses. There aren’t all that many, and none of them were interested in me, but tomorrow I’ll go again and see if someone else will talk to me. I’ll try, Jessica. I promise.”
"He went to her and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. She turned her face away. He straightened up and looked at her as if he hated her. “So that’s the way it’s going to be?”
"“I’m afraid so.”
"“Now that you’ve recovered from the trip, I was thinking of moving into your bedroom, but I suppose that’s out of the question.”
"“We could hardly be having relations now.”
"“I was aware of that. I simply wanted to be closer to you.”
"“I can hardly stand to look at you, much less sleep next to you. No, if you really mean to get a job and act like an adult, if you prove yourself to me, then we’ll see if I can ever have feelings for you again.”
"“I’ll do my best, Jessica. I really will.”
"She nodded and looked away from him."
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Zachary could only get a job selling men'swear, and wenypt to buy a saddle horse. He picked one.
"“He’s a mite temperamental. If’n you took him, I’d say keep a cut-up apple in your pocket ‘til he gets to know you. He’ll do ‘bout anything for a slice a’ apple.”
"“Thank you for your honesty, Mr. Snipes. I’m quite sure I can handle him.”
"“I wouldn’t let Mrs. Belk ride him. He’d be a bit too much for a lady.”
"“I doubt that Mrs. Belk will be up to riding for quite a while.”
"“Now, Mimi, she can handle any horse God put on this earth, so’s if it came to it, she could ride him.”
"“Thank you for the information. We’re quite satisfied with Juniper. I doubt Mimi would ever have occasion to ride my mount. In your opinion, is he sound?” Everett scratched his stubble.
"“Yes, sir, I’d vouch for that. Now, he won’t pull a wagon, like Juniper does. He’s strictly a saddle horse.”"
When the baby was imminent, Adele sent Mimi to tell Zachary and he came galloping.
"A shock of curly auburn hair showed. Belk was in rapture. He walked to the bed in a trance, staring at the baby. He leaned over and hesitantly touched the blanket.
"“He’s beautiful, Jessica, simply beautiful. Caroline said you had an easy time.”
"Jessica smiled. “I don’t know if I would describe it that way, but that’s what Adele and Caroline tell me.”
"“I know you had your heart set on naming him after your father but I would really like to call him Zachary, Junior. You can name the next one William.”
"She laughed. “It may not be the right time to talk to me about another one.”
"“Can I hold him? Can I hold little Zachary?”
"Jessica held out the baby. Belk reached for it as Jessica said, “Even though she has your hair, I think she’d like it much better if we called her Amanda, after my mother.”
"Belk froze. He took a step back and dropped his arms. A look of disgust twisted his face. “It’s a girl?”
"“Yes, a beautiful, perfect little girl. She hardly cried at all. The first time they put her in my arms, I would swear she smiled at me.”
"Belk turned and almost stomped out of the room."
"Belk didn’t come home until after midnight. He stayed in his room for a few hours, but in the morning, he saddled up his horse again. He needed two things, a drink and a poker game. He set out at an easy canter. In town, he kept going, steering the horse toward the southwest road that led to Junction City. He didn’t want to spend his evening under the watchful eyes of people who might carry tales."
He went to Junction City to find his game, met a young blond, and skipped town with her after a few months of robbing hus wife of the proceeds of sale of her father's house. After hed left, Jessica found out the dire situation, and began by arranging to play the piano at church, give piano lessons there and also supply the milliners in town with handmade work. The pastor's daughter adored her and was ecstatic at the prospect of learning piano with her.
Zachary could only get a job selling men'swear, and wenypt to buy a saddle horse. He picked one.
"“He’s a mite temperamental. If’n you took him, I’d say keep a cut-up apple in your pocket ‘til he gets to know you. He’ll do ‘bout anything for a slice a’ apple.”
"“Thank you for your honesty, Mr. Snipes. I’m quite sure I can handle him.”
"“I wouldn’t let Mrs. Belk ride him. He’d be a bit too much for a lady.”
"“I doubt that Mrs. Belk will be up to riding for quite a while.”
"“Now, Mimi, she can handle any horse God put on this earth, so’s if it came to it, she could ride him.”
"“Thank you for the information. We’re quite satisfied with Juniper. I doubt Mimi would ever have occasion to ride my mount. In your opinion, is he sound?” Everett scratched his stubble.
"“Yes, sir, I’d vouch for that. Now, he won’t pull a wagon, like Juniper does. He’s strictly a saddle horse.”"
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When the baby was imminent, Adele sent Mimi to tell Zachary and he came galloping.
"A shock of curly auburn hair showed. Belk was in rapture. He walked to the bed in a trance, staring at the baby. He leaned over and hesitantly touched the blanket.
"“He’s beautiful, Jessica, simply beautiful. Caroline said you had an easy time.”
"Jessica smiled. “I don’t know if I would describe it that way, but that’s what Adele and Caroline tell me.”
"“I know you had your heart set on naming him after your father but I would really like to call him Zachary, Junior. You can name the next one William.”
"She laughed. “It may not be the right time to talk to me about another one.”
"“Can I hold him? Can I hold little Zachary?”
"Jessica held out the baby. Belk reached for it as Jessica said, “Even though she has your hair, I think she’d like it much better if we called her Amanda, after my mother.”
"Belk froze. He took a step back and dropped his arms. A look of disgust twisted his face. “It’s a girl?”
"“Yes, a beautiful, perfect little girl. She hardly cried at all. The first time they put her in my arms, I would swear she smiled at me.”
"Belk turned and almost stomped out of the room."
"Belk didn’t come home until after midnight. He stayed in his room for a few hours, but in the morning, he saddled up his horse again. He needed two things, a drink and a poker game. He set out at an easy canter. In town, he kept going, steering the horse toward the southwest road that led to Junction City. He didn’t want to spend his evening under the watchful eyes of people who might carry tales."
He went to Junction City to find his game, met a young blond, and skipped town with her after a few months of robbing hus wife of the proceeds of sale of her father's house. After hed left, Jessica found out the dire situation, and began by arranging to play the piano at church, give piano lessons there and also supply the milliners in town with handmade work. The pastor's daughter adored her and was ecstatic at the prospect of learning piano with her.
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They were doing well enough by the next Xmas so they were relaxing when someone from town was sent by the banker to inform them of what by now the town knew, which was that Zachary Belk had been killed in San Francisco during a quarrel at a poker game, the girl he had left with was back having witnessed it and had her own face scarred during it, and she had a son by him.
The growing close intimacy between Jessica's family and that of the pastor, Daniel Fields and his daughter Emily, was noticed by everyone, and most of them were happy about it, considering how suitable the couple seemed. Jessica invited the two to dinner on Friday, and it was so much a success the next invitation was eagerly accepted on Sunday. Emily spoke to her father on the way.
"“You really like Mrs. Belk, don’t you, Emily?”
"“I love her.”
"“I’m happy to hear that. I’ve been thinking about her a lot lately.”
"“I know. Your face gets all mushy when you’re around her.”
"“You know you’re the most important thing in my life, don’t you?”
"“Yes, I do, but some day I’m going to get married and maybe move away. If I married a missionary or something, I could wind up in South America or somewhere, and you’d be all alone. You should be thinking about asking Mrs. Belk to marry you so that won’t happen.
"Daniel laughed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t get married for a few more years. You should at least wait until you’re twelve.”
"“Oh, Daddy. Don’t be silly. I mean when I’m old, like eighteen.”
"“How would you feel about it if I married Mrs. Belk later on this year?”
"“I don’t know why you have to wait. You should marry her right away.”"
"“What about Amanda? Do you think you would mind having her live with us?”
"“Would you still like me best?”
"“Emily, I will never love anyone more than I love you, not even Jessica, and I love her something awful.”
"“Then I think it would be fine for Amanda to live with us. She could be my little sister. I could teach her all the things I know, like how to braid her hair and how to tie her bows. This is exciting. You could have a Christmas wedding. Would that be enough time to keep Mrs. Vickers from gossiping about it?”
"“What did I just say? Mrs. Vickers doesn’t gossip. She’s only concerned that everyone’s behavior is up to her standards.”
"“All right, we’ll put it that way. Would a Christmas wedding be up to her standards?”
"“I hope so, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I haven’t even asked Mrs. Belk yet if she’ll have me. She may turn me down.”
"“I don’t think so. When she’s around you, her face gets all mushy, too. Christmas is a long way away, but I think you ought to ask her today. She’s very pretty, you know. Someone else might come along and snap her up. I saw Eugene Lamont staring at her this morning.”
"“Eugene Lamont? He must be fifty years old.”
"“Maybe so, but he’s not ugly, and he earns an awful lot of money from those horses he raises. That might be very attractive to someone who’s had to work as hard as Mrs. Belk.”
"“Maybe you’re right. He must be rich. I heard him say that men come from all over Kansas and Missouri to buy his horses.”
"“We, he looks at her mushy all the time and goes out of his way to talk to her, so you better stop wasting time. There aren’t all that many unmarried women around here. If you lost out on getting Mrs. Belk, and she marries Mr. Lamont, who knows how long it might be before someone else I like comes along?”"
They were to marry on Xmas, but Zachary turned up the night before, and was shameless in not only claiming that it was his house, but kicking the locked door to the bedroom so it broke, and insisting Jessica should make herself available. She was able to leave, and next day enquired in town about renting a four bedroom house. She happened to meet Emmalou and they talked - Emmalou had stabbed Zachary and fled believing him dead, because he was going to sell his son by her.
Emmalou had, however, met Jacob Anderson who was in town with declarations of intentions to kill Belk if he weren't dead, for having cheated him out of his ancestral home, and she informed him about Zachary being in town. They waited until he turned up. They waited until he was out of the bar and on his horse before confronting him, and he shot, but the horse shied and he shot Emmalou. Jacob shot, and Zachary shot Jacob. The horse took off, and Zachary fell off, hanging by one stirrup, dragged by the frightened horse galloping home. Jacob told the bar owner and patrons zachary had murdered Emmalou , who verified the story by the distinct sounds of shots they'd heard.
They were doing well enough by the next Xmas so they were relaxing when someone from town was sent by the banker to inform them of what by now the town knew, which was that Zachary Belk had been killed in San Francisco during a quarrel at a poker game, the girl he had left with was back having witnessed it and had her own face scarred during it, and she had a son by him.
The growing close intimacy between Jessica's family and that of the pastor, Daniel Fields and his daughter Emily, was noticed by everyone, and most of them were happy about it, considering how suitable the couple seemed. Jessica invited the two to dinner on Friday, and it was so much a success the next invitation was eagerly accepted on Sunday. Emily spoke to her father on the way.
"“You really like Mrs. Belk, don’t you, Emily?”
"“I love her.”
"“I’m happy to hear that. I’ve been thinking about her a lot lately.”
"“I know. Your face gets all mushy when you’re around her.”
"“You know you’re the most important thing in my life, don’t you?”
"“Yes, I do, but some day I’m going to get married and maybe move away. If I married a missionary or something, I could wind up in South America or somewhere, and you’d be all alone. You should be thinking about asking Mrs. Belk to marry you so that won’t happen.
"Daniel laughed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t get married for a few more years. You should at least wait until you’re twelve.”
"“Oh, Daddy. Don’t be silly. I mean when I’m old, like eighteen.”
"“How would you feel about it if I married Mrs. Belk later on this year?”
"“I don’t know why you have to wait. You should marry her right away.”"
"“What about Amanda? Do you think you would mind having her live with us?”
"“Would you still like me best?”
"“Emily, I will never love anyone more than I love you, not even Jessica, and I love her something awful.”
"“Then I think it would be fine for Amanda to live with us. She could be my little sister. I could teach her all the things I know, like how to braid her hair and how to tie her bows. This is exciting. You could have a Christmas wedding. Would that be enough time to keep Mrs. Vickers from gossiping about it?”
"“What did I just say? Mrs. Vickers doesn’t gossip. She’s only concerned that everyone’s behavior is up to her standards.”
"“All right, we’ll put it that way. Would a Christmas wedding be up to her standards?”
"“I hope so, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I haven’t even asked Mrs. Belk yet if she’ll have me. She may turn me down.”
"“I don’t think so. When she’s around you, her face gets all mushy, too. Christmas is a long way away, but I think you ought to ask her today. She’s very pretty, you know. Someone else might come along and snap her up. I saw Eugene Lamont staring at her this morning.”
"“Eugene Lamont? He must be fifty years old.”
"“Maybe so, but he’s not ugly, and he earns an awful lot of money from those horses he raises. That might be very attractive to someone who’s had to work as hard as Mrs. Belk.”
"“Maybe you’re right. He must be rich. I heard him say that men come from all over Kansas and Missouri to buy his horses.”
"“We, he looks at her mushy all the time and goes out of his way to talk to her, so you better stop wasting time. There aren’t all that many unmarried women around here. If you lost out on getting Mrs. Belk, and she marries Mr. Lamont, who knows how long it might be before someone else I like comes along?”"
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They were to marry on Xmas, but Zachary turned up the night before, and was shameless in not only claiming that it was his house, but kicking the locked door to the bedroom so it broke, and insisting Jessica should make herself available. She was able to leave, and next day enquired in town about renting a four bedroom house. She happened to meet Emmalou and they talked - Emmalou had stabbed Zachary and fled believing him dead, because he was going to sell his son by her.
Emmalou had, however, met Jacob Anderson who was in town with declarations of intentions to kill Belk if he weren't dead, for having cheated him out of his ancestral home, and she informed him about Zachary being in town. They waited until he turned up. They waited until he was out of the bar and on his horse before confronting him, and he shot, but the horse shied and he shot Emmalou. Jacob shot, and Zachary shot Jacob. The horse took off, and Zachary fell off, hanging by one stirrup, dragged by the frightened horse galloping home. Jacob told the bar owner and patrons zachary had murdered Emmalou , who verified the story by the distinct sounds of shots they'd heard.
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Daniel managed to get Jessica to marry him on New Year's day, instead of the Xmas they'd planned; since Jessica and Amanda would move to the rectory, Caroline and Belk senior would be continuing at the house with his grandson whom they'd all brought home, which the town gossip might consider improper, even though they were over sixty. When pointed out after the wedding, Belk proposed to Caroline, and there was another wedding.
Daniel managed to get Jessica to marry him on New Year's day, instead of the Xmas they'd planned; since Jessica and Amanda would move to the rectory, Caroline and Belk senior would be continuing at the house with his grandson whom they'd all brought home, which the town gossip might consider improper, even though they were over sixty. When pointed out after the wedding, Belk proposed to Caroline, and there was another wedding.
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March 07, 2020 - March 9, 2020.
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March 07, 2020 - March 9, 2020.
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