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A review by johnw613
City of Betrayal by Victoria Thompson
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
By the late summer of 1920, the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote had been ratified by 35 of the 48 states. All eyes were on Tennessee where both houses of the state legislature were about evenly divided between those favoring ratification and those opposing it. Elizabeth Bates and her extended family, having been involved in the suffragist movement for several years, journey to Nashville to help the cause. Shifting alliances, pressure from outside corporations, Southern traditionalism, and vivid determination on both sides provide the backdrop for a thrilling historical novel.
As always, author Thompson’s research into period history is deep and informative, and her interplay of actual figures from the time with her fictional characters is seamless. There were times during the run up to the final vote in the Tennessee House of Representatives that the narrative seemed frustrating and tedious, but that is precisely the point of the story: those weeks were tense and unpredictable, and Thompson portrays it all with a deft hand.
As always, author Thompson’s research into period history is deep and informative, and her interplay of actual figures from the time with her fictional characters is seamless. There were times during the run up to the final vote in the Tennessee House of Representatives that the narrative seemed frustrating and tedious, but that is precisely the point of the story: those weeks were tense and unpredictable, and Thompson portrays it all with a deft hand.