An enchanting and heart felt love story in the 1944, surrounded with a polio outbreak, racial tensions and family turmoil in a town named Hickory, North Carolina. We follow Tess through her struggling times in life from love to despair. Will Tess ever find happiness and true love again? Is there more to Henry (Tess’s husband) that meets the eye!

when i first started the book i thought it was going to be a disappointment and not as good as others by Diane Chamberlain but she cleverly pulled you into the world of the Deep South and racism without you knowing it. suddenly you were invested in the characters and found yourself sympathizing whilst disapproving at the same time. I was not ready for it to end. Yet again a great read from a great author.

Once again Diane Chamberlain has written a compelling story.
With some fascinating history from the 1940's you are transported into the life of Tess.
All the characters are brought to life so vividly, due to the attention to detail that you feel their emotions.

Overall an excellent read, highly recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book

A few weeks ago someone asked if we ever read a book by our favourite author without reading the blurb. I’ve just finished The Stolen Marriage by Diane Lopresti Chamberlain and all I can say is Wow! I was lucky enough to have been given this book through Netgalley and much as I always love all her books I think this is her best ever.

Whilst I enjoyed reading this latest Diane Chamberlain novel it felt quite contrived tome, not as easily believable as some of her previous works.

I spent a lot of time wanting the main character Tess to just talk, speak out and be the strong character that she was being portrayed as, which was quite frustrating.

I am regularly surprised and continually astounded when reading about segregation in the USA and the seemingly easy acceptance of the masses that it was OK and this was part of the book I liked the best - showing that people are just people regardless of the colour of their skin. A bit more love in the World and it would be a lot better!

Another fabulous book from Diane Chamberlain this time it is a wonderful historical fiction. This one is set in 1944 and tells the story of a young 23 year old woman Tess De Mello and how she overcomes the many obstacles and heartache that is put in front of her in order to achieve the life she truly deserves.

Diane has researched thoroughly for this book and it certainly shows as she explores the subjects of racial discrimination, social classes and America’s polio epidemic at that time to name but a few.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Stolen Marriage and have no hesitation in recommending this 5 star tale. Be prepared for heart tugging moments and surprises along the way.



Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC this is my honest opinion

Another great read from Diane chamerblain!! Full of interesting twists and turns, I loved how the story came full circle

Just one simple mistake and your whole life as you'd planned it changes in the blink of an eye. It's not just you your mistake affects but all those people in your life too. I loved reading Tess' story and how she coped and lived with her mistake. To think how we take polio vaccinations for granted these days. The way the whole town pulled together to build a new hospital for the polio epidemic, and how this part of the story is actually true. It made me think how lucky we are today. If you pick up this book you won't be able to put it down. A fab read.

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Dem's review Sep 12, 2017 · edit
really liked it

Wow ! Diane Chamberlain has a talent stirring for up a cauldron of emotions in her novels and her latest The Stolen Marriage is certainly a Story that will give many readers lots to discuss with its tightly woven and highly engaging and at times controversial storyline and I highly recommend this one for book clubs as there is lots here to make for a fantastic discussion.

In 1944, twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly ends her engagement to the love of her life when she marries a mysterious stranger and moves to Hickory, North Carolina. Hickory is a small town struggling with racial tension and the hardships imposed by World War II. Tess’s new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows no interest in making love. Tess quickly realizes she’s trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.

There is so much I want to say about this book but I really don't want to spoil it for others so I will keep it short. I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel, well researched in sense of time and place with interesting characters, a great storyline that really had me hooked from page one. There was so many times in this book " I wanted to phone a friend" just to vent my feelings and opinions and that is why I think this would make a great book club discussion book and will certainly be recommending this one for the months ahead and I have a feeling this is one that is going to come up in one of my Book Groups and I would have no hesitation in revisiting this one again.

. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel in return for an honest review.

The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain describes how a community pulled together, and built an urgently needed polio hospital.  With engaging characters who grow stronger and stronger through adversity, it's a book that pulls you in and inspires. I loved it!

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Balancing the books is a quick fire review where I list the assets and liabilities of a book (as I see them) and leave you decide if you think this book is worth investing in.

The Assets of The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain:

Tess: Tess is the main character and the heart and soul of the book.  As a naïve young woman, she makes some rash decisions which results in losing her fiancé and family.  And trapped in a loveless marriage in a town that doesn’t want her.  But she is not a victim.  I loved that she fought for what she wanted, and never lost hope.

1944 North Carolina setting:  Both the time and location settings felt so authentic.  I could picture this small town, the suspicious attitudes of the locals to an outsider, and the horrific black/white divide.  Plus I learnt so much about the polio epidemic which was something I knew very little about.

No evil husband:  I thought from reading the blurb, that maybe domestic abuse was involved.  I loved that her husband wasn’t a baddie, he was just wrong for Tess.  My heart ached for him as much as it did for Tess.

Emotional :  The plot and the characters touched me deeply, and I felt angry, sad, inspired, hurt and hopeful in equal measures.  Basically my emotional barometer was rising and falling all over the place.

The twist:  OMG, I loved the twist.  I immersed myself so completely into the lives and hearts of the characters, that I wasn’t thinking ahead to what might happen.  Then IT came and knocked the stuffing out of me.


The Liabilities of The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain:

I couldn’t put it down!  The only downside is that it stole hours of my life, as I just wanted to read and read and read, and lose myself in this fictional world.

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Investment potential of The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain:

If you love well researched historical fiction, heartfelt plotlines and resilient characters, then you just might love this as much as I did.  I’d also recommend this to fans of previous books by Diane Chamberlain, or if you like authors such as Liane Moriarty or Kristan Hannah.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration.  As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.

The Stolen Marriage is a very compelling historical novel with an element of mystery thrown in, set in the 1940’s in Hickory, North Carolina, like many towns of that era the author depicts a authentic picture of a small town steeped in racial prejudice, a polio epidemic and the hardships faced by people during World War Two. One moment of madness leads to Tess finding herself trapped in a loveless marriage to Henry, as she tries to adjust to married life she realises there's a lot more to her new husband than meets the eye. When a polio epidemic strikes the town Tess, who has a nursing degree, ignores Henry’s wishes and begins to work at the hospital, finding meaning in nursing the young victims. Tess begins her story in crisis and self doubt but as The Stolen Marriage progresses she grows stronger through adversity.

The Stolen Marriage is an eye opener and thank goodness the 1940’s are well and truly behind us. Everything was so different then, interracial Marriage was prohibited and punishable by up to ten years in prison, and a woman working, unthinkable! these views sound unbelievable but unfortunately they were alive and kicking in the 1940’s, for me this novel gave an authentic insight into an age where things were so different. Diane Chamberlain has created a host of characters some more likeable than others, Henry Kraft was a character that I found hard to like, but I was surprised by the last third of the book I actually ended up feeling a great deal of empathy for him.

Diane Chamberlain has once again written a fascinating novel and one I'm sure her legions of fans will love. If I had one small criticism I thought the first half of the book was very slow, but in saying that the author uses this time to develop her characters. The one thing I really enjoyed about this book was the author's attention to detail I really felt the town of Hickory came alive, it almost felt like I was stepping back in time to a town steeped in prejudice, snobbery and old fashioned views. It's also obvious the author has spent a lot of time researching polio, and has written a very credible story. All in all I found this novel to be an throughly enjoyable read.The Stolen Marriage is a book that I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy a historical novel with some mystery thrown in

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

Not one of my favourite books of Diane Chamberlaine , it took a while to get into but then found it a good read with an interesting and very unexpected twist at the end.

Really enjoyed this book. Diane is my fave author. I did feel the ending was rushed and not to her usual depth. However overall great.

Diane Chamberlain is one of my few go-to authors for a guaranteed fantastic read and "The Stolen Marriage," doesn't disappoint.

Although the story was a little slow to begin with as Tess goes about her everyday life in Little Italy, Baltimore, Maryland whilst missing her fiancé who has taken up a job across the country, once the story moves to Hickory, North Carolina the book really kicks into gear.

With Tess married to virtual stranger Henry Kraft who seems secretive and aloof and feeling isolated amongst the tight-knit small-town community, will they be able to build a brighter future? Each character is wonderfully crafted and this multi-faceted novel is obviously well researched with a fantastic historical setting. This is one of my favourite books of the year and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

Tess, engaged to her lifelong friend Vincent suddenly breaks off the engagement, following a long period where he has been away volunteering as doctor during a polio epidemic. Tess marries Henry Kraft, a virtual stranger, and moves away from family and friends to live in his family home in Hickory, North Carolina. Here she discovers that her new husband has numerous secrets which she is not privy to. His mother, sister and the community seem to dislike and barely tolerate her and she does not fit in with their affluent lifestyle. She is discouraged from following her dream to work as a nurse and is unhappy with her new life. Things change when a polio epidemic breaks out in Hickory and a polio hospital is built quickly and needs to be staffed. Tess begins to work in the hospital as a nurse, find some happiness and gain some respect from her mother-in-law and the other residents of Hickory.

Diane Chamberlain has taken an incident in history and woven a well written story around it. The Stolen Marriage is easy to read with some great characters and a fascinating setting in both time and place. Set during the Second World War and in North Carolina, the changing roles of women and the issue of racial intermarriage are explored as well.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is wonderful and compelling historical fiction by Diane Chamberlain set in the 1940s. Tess and Vincent have grown up in the same neighbourhood of Baltimore, Maryland. They are engaged, madly in love and their families are over the moon. Vincent has just qualified as a medical doctor, and Tess is in the process of becoming a registered nurse. A medical emergency in Chicago has Vincent volunteering his help, promising Tess that he will return soon. He stays away longer than expected, making Tess jittery, insecure and nervous. To distract herself, she joins her best friend Gina on a weekend away at Washington that results in tragic repercussions. On a dinner with two men, Tess gets drunk, and actions which have her getting pregnant. Tess ends her engagement with Vincent, and is surprised when well to do, furniture man, Hank Kraft, wants to marry her. Tess moves to small town Hickory, in North Caroline, a place suffering from the privations of World War 2 and simmering racial tensions.

It soon becomes apparent that Hank and Tess's marriage is in trouble, given their wedding night where Hank shows no desire for Tess, despite having made her pregnant. Trapped in a loveless marriage, and a husband with secrets, Tess has to find deep reserves to adapt to her present set of circumstances. Hickory does not welcome her, Hank's mother and sister are resentful and suspicious of her motives, and apparently another woman was meant to have married Hank, and according to local women, she has stolen their marriage. Tess finds company in the domestic help, but her life feels empty and unfulfilled. When a hospital is set up for polio victims, Tess wants to do her bit. She finds her mettle as she faces down opposition to her working from Hank and his mother. Tess finds her calling as a nurse, but where is her life going to lead? What are Hank's secrets? This is a story of its time, where the past haunts the present as the truth emerges.

Diane has done impressive research of the period, capturing the culture and true life events of the time. Her details of the time, such as the illegality of marriage between the races, her deployment of a wide array of characters and her beautiful writing style gives us an atmospheric and compelling narrative located in the 1940s, with numerous twists and turns. The character of Tess captures the situations, attitudes to and expectations of women in this period of time. I really liked Tess and a number of other characters, such as Reverend Sam and the way he communes with the dead. This is a story of love, loss, race, marriage, tragedy and redemption. A wonderful piece of historical fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Just brilliant! Many thanks to PanMacmillan for an ARC.

Another fabulous book from Diane Chamberlain, whose writing is fantastic.

A compelling story of Tess and her struggles with the backdrop of the polio epidemic that swept the USA.

I found the earlier chapters a little frustrating but once the story developed I found myself getting drawn into it. I had mapped out where the story was going to end up, but didn't quite get it right!

The research that Diane undertakes really shows in the book and makes her stories even more readable as they provide insights into life in previous generations

4.5*

I do love Diane chamberlain books, they are always so unique and written about specific emotional situations and just grip you. She also writes characters you can visualise and you want to be happy, this is an excellent book, it centres around tess, who is happily engaged but makes a mistake which changes her path in life. Following this journey through the challenging times was amazing to read and I was thoroughly gripped! Def recommend

The writing didn't sit well with me, I felt that I was told, not shown the story and the voice was so very monotone. Now, this is my pov, I can see that I am the exception on Goodreads and the like, but hey, one cant always conform. The storyline isn't bad, its a good idea, just nor presented to my liking. Im sorry this is a one star from me

I don't usually enjoy historical fiction, but Diane Chamberlain writes so well, I sit had to try something out of my comfort zone and I wasn't disappointed. Another great read from a fantastic author.