Wonderful little novel

Sally Gunning's "The Widow War" is a wonderful read. Set in 1761 in the small town of Brewster, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. Lydia Berry is tending her home when she's informed that her husband has drowned while whaling. Little did she know what that would really mean. In a world where women had no rights, she would become a "burden." A woman could only inherit one third of her home and whatever she brought into the marriage in the way of possessions. The rest went to the nearest male heir. In her case it was her son-in-law. Before she knew what was happening she had a room in his house with a trunk of her clothing and nothing else. Her daughter was resentful of another female in the house even though Widow Berry just wanted to help, not interfere. She was expected to stay in her room and only use the "hearth" on certain days and times to do her baking and cooking. She just wanted to return to her home and live on her own. What she goes through to accomplish this is an amazing story. Facing starvation she is forced into becoming a housekeeper for a Native American neighbor therefore becoming an outcast in her community. Her only friend is her lawyer who is trying to fight for whatever rights he can get for her. I remember reading the wills of my ancestors where the wives are barely mentioned and when they are they get a pan, a dish, a fork and a knife. How sad that their lives were reduced to just those few things.

My orientation was filled with "it's all about the customer!" An hour's travel (each way) in miserable weather just to hear that comment over and over. They could have just told me that when I was hired and saved the journey. I struggled through the long session and the rainy drive home. The fact that I'm facing two more days of that next weekend is not something I'm looking forward to. The rest of the training will be on computer or by shadowing a fellow employee.