Blog Tour: Donna Russo Morin on Why I Love American Suffragettes

I am super excited to welcome Donna Russo Morin today as part of the blog tour for her latest book Gilded Dreams. Part of the reason I am so excited is that this is also the launch of the Why I Love series here at my blog. Previously we used to run this series at Historical Tapestry, a group historical fiction blog I was part of for many years. Donna Russo Morin had previously contributed to the series with a post about Venice, so it seemed fitting to have her be the person to do the first post for the relaunch.

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To understand my love of American Suffragettes, we need to take quick look at how it all started.

One of the most admirable aspects of American Suffragettes is that they were born out of the Anti-Slavery and Abolitionist movements of the mid-1800s. When Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a founding member of the American Suffrage Movement, and Lucretia Mott were barred from attending the World Anti-Slavery Convention by male abolitionists who deemed it was not their (women’s) place to participate, they turned around, came back to the States, and began plans for a convention in America.

In today’s climate, I think it highly important to note that the suffrage movement was born in the anti-slavery movement. These (Caucasian) women were not just about equality for women, they were dedicated to equality for all.

It took them only eight years to organize the first Women’s Right Convention, held in Seneca Falls, NY. At this convention, much like at the Continental Congress during the Revolution, Ms. Cady Stanton (whose father often told her he wished she had been born a boy) wrote “The Declaration of Sentiments”, a document that, in its familiarity with “The Declaration of Independence”, set the purpose and mission of the suffrage movement.

At the 1850 and 1851 National Women’s Rights conventions held in Worcester, Massachusetts, not only were many abolitionists on hand, such as the likes of Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth, but many men as well…William Lloyd Garrison (journalist), Reverend Harry Ward Beecher (one of the nation’s most popular preachers), and Horace Mann (columnist for the New York Tribune). Such alliance firmly establishes that the women’s suffrage movement was a very inclusive crusade, further evidenced when, in1866, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony form the American Equal Rights Association, whose purpose was suffrage for all, regardless of gender or race.

Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, of New York and Newport (featured in both GILDED SUMMERS and GILDED DREAMS) not only funded the national suffrage party to a great extent as well as local parties in New York and Newport, she made it a priority to recruit women to the cause from all ranks of society, from servant girl to socialite.

While not as violent or as extreme as their UK counterparts, US suffragettes suffered just as many hardships and traumas, though their fight always remained non-violent; one of their longest and most impactful activities (and ultimately physically harmful and traumatic for the women), was their works as Silent Sentinels, wherein they stood for hours, days, weeks, months, and years in front of government buildings in DC and around the country, never speaking a word, holding placards calling President Woodrow Wilson to task for his lack of support. As a pacifist as well as a feminist, this only endeared them to me more.

Despite imprisonment, torture (in a few cases leading to death), ostracism, divorce and abandonment, and more, these women carried on. Despite the fact that the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment” as the 19th Amendment was nicknamed, was officially defeated four times, despite that it took seventy-two years, years in which many of the founding members of the movement passed away without seeing their efforts come to fruition, for it to become a law of our land, these women kept fighting the good fight.

The story of the American Suffragettes is not only a story of equality and inclusion, it is one of steely determination and never backing down in the face of extreme opposition and hatred. It is a cautionary tale not that we should but that we must always fight for what is right and just.




Thank you so much Donna for a fascinating post! To visit more stops on the blog tour check out the details below.

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GILDED DREAMS
BY DONNA RUSSO MORIN

Publication Date: June 16, 2020
Magnum Opus
Paperback & eBook; 495 pages

Series: Newport’s Gilded Age, Book 2
Genre: Historical Fiction

From the bestselling author of GILDED SUMMERS comes a powerful novel of the last eight years of the American Women’s fight for suffrage.

The battle for the vote is on fire in America. The powerful and rich women of Newport, Rhode Island, are not only some of the most involved suffragettes, their wealth – especially that of the indomitable Alva Vanderbilt Belmont – nearly single-handedly funded the major suffrage parties. Yet they have been left out of history, tossed aside as mere socialites. In GILDED DREAMS, they reclaim their rightful place in history.

Pearl and Ginevra (GILDED SUMMERS) are two of its most ardent warriors. College graduates, professional women, wives, and mothers, these progressive women have fought their way through some of life’s harshest challenges, yet they survived, yet they thrive. Now they set their sights on the vote, the epitome of all they have struggled for, the embodiment of their dreams.

From the sinking of the Titanic, through World War 1, Pearl and Ginevra are once more put to the test as they fight against politics, outdated beliefs, and the most cutting opponent of all… other women. Yet they will not rest until their voices are heard, until they – and all the women of America – are allowed to cast their vote. But to gain it, they must overcome yet more obstacles, some that put their very lives in danger.

An emotional and empowering journey, GILDED DREAMS is a historical, action-packed love letter to the women who fought so hard for all women who stand on the shoulders of their triumph.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

About the Author

Donna Russo Morin is an award-winning historical fiction author. Donna has dabbled as a model and actor, working on Showtime’s Brotherhood and Martin Scorsese’s The Departed. Branching out with her storytelling skills, Donna is now a screenwriter. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Donna lives on the south shore of Rhode Island close to the ocean she loves so very much. She is the proud mother of two sons, Devon and Dylan, her greatest works in progress.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 10
Review at Books, Cooks, and Looks

Wednesday, August 12
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Friday, August 14
Review at Books, Writings, and More

Saturday, August 15
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, August 17
Review at Amy’s Booket List

Wednesday, August 19
Review at Book Bustle

Friday, August 21
Guest Post at The Intrepid Reader

Monday, August 24
Review at Books and Zebras

Tuesday, August 25
Feature at What Is That Book About

Wednesday, August 26
Review at The Love of Books

Friday, August 28
Interview at Passages to the Past

Monday, August 31
Review at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, September 2
Excerpt at Bookworlder

Friday, September 4
Review at A Darn Good Read

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of the book + a painting of a scene from the book painted by the author! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Gilded Dreams

Giveaway is open to US residents only and on September 4th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Direct Link: https://gleam.io/competitions/WMDYN-gilded-dreams

Top Ten Tuesday: Why I Love.....

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's TTT starts with an explanation, then a history lesson, then a pre-announcement and then the post. Stick with me though, I hope it will be worth it!

The theme for this week's TTT is actually Books that Should be Adapted into Netflix Shows/Movies but that's not really something that I spend a lot of time thinking about. Next week's topic is Questions I Would Ask My Favorite Authors so what I am doing this week kind of ties in with that. Sort of.

So what am I doing?

Here begins the history lesson. A very long time ago, I used to be part of a blog called Historical Tapestry, which was a group blog that focused solely on historical fiction and that was active for around 7 years. There were at any one time four or five of us who worked on the blog, and there were times that Historical Tapestry was the blog of my heart. There were so many great features! We hosted the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge for years (which is now hosted by Amy at Passages to the Past). And at the beginning, we had a member who was fabulous with blog design and graphics, so there are some great graphics too.

One of the features I loved most was called Why I Love where we asked the authors one question - to write about something they loved. That one question led to some truly amazing posts so today I am sharing glimpses of ten of those. And why would I do that? Well, because later in the week I am going to be relaunching the feature here, with a post from Donna Morin as part of a blog tour, and I have a few more lined up. And I may be somewhat cheeky and use some of the Why I Love graphics too!

So after that long introduction, here are ten Why I Love posts. I hope some of the links are interesting enough so that you can click through and read the whole posts! As I was preparing this post I got so engrossed in the posts. There are posts about shoes, about cruise ships, about people from history, eras, and so much more.

Why I Love Venice by Donna Russo Morin

I'll start with Donna Russo Morin because she is the author who will be relaunching this feature on Friday. Back in 2010, Donna wrote a post for us on Why I Love Venice. Whilst she is now writing about a different place and time, I have fond memories of my few days in Venice many years ago and I loved her post about the place.

Infatuation with magical, mythical lands has been a part of the human landscape for centuries. Atlantis, Shambhala, the Garden of Eden—all have been the topic of great research and discussion. Yet there are such real, magical places to be found—tangible, breathtaking, awe-inspiring places. And perhaps none is more mystical and compelling than Venice, Italy.

Why I Love Etruscan Art by Elisabeth Storrs

One of my favourite ever posts was by Australian author Elisabeth Storrs. She wrote about a civilisation I knew very little about and her post was so informative. Her post starts:

Funerary art seems a morbid source of inspiration but it was my discovery of an ancient sarcophagus that began my obsession with the art of a little known civilization and a ten year journey to write my novel, The Wedding Shroud.

Even now, rereading this post is completely fascinating.

Why I Love Fairy Tale Retellings by Kate Forsyth

It's no secret that I love Kate Forsyth. I have enjoyed several of her novels, particularly the novel Bitter Greens which I have used several times in both TTT and Six Degrees of Separation posts, and there is every chance that book will appear again in the future. It's one I never miss a chance to post about if I can!

So why do I love such retellings? Because they illuminated the dark and hidden depths of fairy tales, the most mysterious and magical of all narratives.

Why I Love Music by Victoria Hislop

I recently borrowed a Victoria Hislop book from the library. I have really enjoyed the ones that I have read so I am very much looking forward to it. Victoria shared her love of Greek music:

Music is never just incidental in Greece, it is always at the centre of any communal activity and I have often found the atmosphere it creates immensely inspirational. And when I take CDs home in my suitcase, I find it travels far better than the local wine!

Why I Love to Write About Russia by Kate Furnivall

I remember reading and enjoying Kate Furnivall's books about Russia so I was pleased when she told us why she loved to write about Russia.

I devoured everything I could lay my hands on about Russia. Books, films, paintings, and of course travelling to the country itself to see it with my own eyes. I was mesmerised. By its fascinating history, its breath-taking geography, its amazing art and literature and by the passion of its people. Above all by its dramatic and often bloody politics that loomed so large over the world throughout the twentieth century.

Why I Love to Write Medieval Fiction by Elizabeth Chadwick

The very first Why I Love post was written by Elizabeth Chadwick who has long been one of my favourite authors, even though I am currently several books behind. She has actually written a couple of Why I Love posts for us but this one is an entertaining tale of how, as I young child, the seeds were sown for her love of medieval history.

Another post was 10 reasons why she loved William Marshall, who is someone she has written about at length.

Elizabeth Chadwick has just released a new book, medieval history of course, so check out The Coming of the Wolf!

Why I Love Time Slip by Susanna Kearsley

Susanna Kearsley is another of my long time favourite novelists. We even had an entire Susanna Kearsley Week for her as some of the other members were big fans too. She has also written a couple of posts for us. This one talks of why she loves writing time slip/dual timeline novels.

Time-slip novels, with their tandem narratives, allow me to explore that past while keeping one foot firmly in the present. And they let me explore, too, the ways that the present is shaped by the past, and the way what is happening now can be rooted in seeds that were sown generations ago. Straight historical novels can do this as well, of course – readers can spot the connections themselves – but I love how the use of both present and past, side by side, can make each one more interesting, just as complementary colours make each other more intense and vivid.

Why I Love Novels That Jump Between the Past and the Present by Pam Jenoff.

A similarly themed post, this time from Pam Jenoff.

Finally, I love stories that jump between past and present because, by showing people in different times and circumstances, they also allow the reader to draw parallels in characters’ experiences and explore timeless themes such as love, friendship, choice, betrayal, consequence and redemption. Perhaps that universality across the ages is at the heart of what makes the very concept of time travel so appealing.

Why I Love Old Letters by Sara Sheridan

Sara Sheridan talks about how you can get to know people through their letters, some of which may not have seen daylight for decades! Letters are one of the ways that history continues to reveal itself through the ages.

For me, there’s nothing like that feeling of getting close to someone who really made history – and that’s why I love old letters. They are as close as any of us is likely to get.

Why I Love Writing About Charles II and the Restoration by Susan Holloway Scott

Susan Holloway Scott has now moved to write about American Colonial history but at the time she wrote this guest post for us, she was very much still writing about Restoration history. I loved her books about Charles II and his many, many mistresses.

How can I not love England at its very merriest? Coming on the heels of a horrific civil war, a regicide, and the puritanical protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, the reign of Charles II (1660-1683) is a writer’s delight. Called the Restoration in honor of Charles’s return to the throne, this period has much in common with other permissive eras that follow a repressive period. An entire generation of aristocratic children had grown into adulthood during the Civil War, and many who would once again form the ruling class were rootless, wild, and often undereducated. Once Charles returned from exile in France to take his father’s crown, traditional morality went out the window. There was considerable experimentation, not only in sexual behavior, but also in theatre, science, art, and music, even in fashion. It’s a fascinating time in which to set stories, looking forward to the humanist themes of the Age of Enlightenment, but still sufficiently medieval that traitors’ severed heads rotted on pikes on London Bridge.

So there are just ten Why I Love posts. There are so many more available in the archives at Historical Tapestry, and I can't wait to see what new Why I Love posts are to come!

The King's Agent by Donna Russo Morin

Battista della Palla was a real figure from history. He was an art thief, a wheeler dealer, a lifelong friend of Michelangelo, a man of many different facets. He is also the central character in this book. He leads a group of men who all bring their particular skills to finding and acquiring treasures, and also in interpreting the symbolism that is so often hidden in many of the paintings of the time. Generally when he steals, any gain goes towards the cause of freeing Florence - a cause close to his heart.

Battista is a man who loves a challenges. He plans each of his thefts in meticulous detail, not afraid to take the chances he needs to take in order to meet his goal, but also not prepared to put his men, and his own life at any greater risk than he needs to. His interest is piqued when he receives an unusual missive but he has no idea that he is about to begin a quest unlike any other. He infiltrates the home of the Marquess of Mantua thinking that he will find the target item there. Instead, what he finds is a cryptic clue on a parchment, hidden in a room that looks innocent enough but in actual fact is booby trapped. He only escapes thanks to the help of Lady Aurelia.

She is the ward of the Marquess of Mantua, and lives a very sheltered life. What she longs for is adventure and for her, Battista is the key to adventure!

The parchment provides a small clue and that sets Battista and his men, and the Lady Aurelia, on the trail of an obscure triptych. The thing that becomes clear though is that the three pieces are held separately, and that each of the pieces is held in places where there are very dangerous and complex protections in place to stop anyone from finding it. If you are thinking Indiana Jones style quests at this point, then you are on the right track.

Battista and Aurelia must work together to solve the clues, both those in the paintings themselves and those held within the pages of the works of Dante's Divine Comedy. They must face symbolic Hell, Purgatory and Heaven, solve the clues, and find the pieces. In the process we meet some famous faces from history like Michelangelo and Pope Clement, visit some famous places like the Sistine Chapel, face danger,  and deal with their growing attachment to each other.

The biggest dilemma for Battista though is can he trust Aurelia? She is a woman with secrets and he knows that she is not being honest with him, but who is she really, and why is she so determined to be involved in the search for the three parts of the triptych? As a reader, I liked Aurelia, but despite the fact that I only finished the book a few hours ago, don't ask me to explain what her big secret role was.

When I was offered this book, I looked through the blurb and mentally ticked off several boxes for things I like in a book! Renaissance setting - check! Art History - check! Dante - check! (One of my favourite HF reads of the last few years has a Dante connection so I was happy to revisit this). Throw in secret brotherhoods (check) and I would be a happy reader. Sounds all good, right?

Unfortunately, there were a few things that would have made me rethink that if I had of known them at the time. This book is really a cross between a novel and the expanded story behind a computer game. The author freely admits this in the notes where she talks about her love for the game Princess Zelda. The quest that our characters go on therefore consists of find a clue, travel to a distant location, follow the path, find the key to open the gate/door, follow the path, dodge the shooting flames/rolling giant marbles/find your way through the maze etc etc before the final test to determine your worthiness to claim the prize and then barely escape. Rinse and repeat.

It's not really a technique that I enjoy at the best of times, and it really didn't work for me in this book. On of the other things that didn't really work for me was the reliance on the knowledge of Dante's work. Whilst I vaguely know enough, I wasn't familiar enough to see the clues. If you are more familiar with the Divine Comedy you may find it more interesting to follow the clues.

I am not sure if it was these factors that made this a very slow read for me, but it felt like it took me forever to get through it. It really was only a few days, but I could have sworn it was longer.

I must mention the author's notes which I thought were excellent. Donna Russo Morin gives us information about the real people in the book, about her inspiration, about the art in the book and more and the book also included a reading guide.

Ultimately, this book didn't work for me on many levels. If you check the reviews on places like Goodreads you will see that there are plenty of people who loved it

Rating 2/5


Synopsis

"Russo Morin skillfully blends historical fiction and fantasy in surprising ways. She draws effortlessly upon influences ranging from Dante to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the authority of her presentation makes the world she’s created come alive. A wonderfully action-packed ride through the lush landscape of Renaissance Italy." Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

The King’s Agent is based loosely on the life of Battista della Palla-a patriotic plunderer, a religious rogue-of the 16th century, a lifelong friend to the great Michelangelo.

As the cloistered ward of the Marquess of Mantua, Lady Aurelia is a woman with a profound duty, and a longing for adventure. In search of a relic intended for the King of France, Battista and Aurelia cross the breathtaking landscape of Renaissance Italy. Clues hide in great works of art, political forces collide, secret societies and enemies abound, and danger lurks in every challenge, those that mirror the passages of Dante's Divine Comedy. It is an adventurous quest with undercurrents of the supernatural, powers that could change the balance of supremacy throughout Europe.

Review originally posted at Historical Tapestry as part of a blog tour run by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours