THE GLOVEMAKER is a story that takes place in the winter of 1888 deep in a remote valley in Utah. This valley is home to a tiny town known as "Junction." It's residents are all Saints (as in the Latter Day variety).

This town is home to only seven families, all of them having drifted away from the strict rules of the church, and most of them did not agree with the practice of polygamy.

This book is based on a real life village and real life families, so it is history mixed with a giant dose of fiction and imagined characters. It is human nature to wonder about the lives of those who came before us. In THE GLOVEMAKER, author Ann Weisgarber has richly imagined an entire town, with backstories for all the characters readers encounter as the story moves along.

I read this book in a single day and found myself wrapped up in the life of the main character; thirty-seven-year-old Deborah Tyler. She is my type of woman. She is a tough as nails (but with a squishy heart) take-no-prisoners kind of woman.

In 1888 a woman living alone for months on end while her husband travelled the territory fixing and making wagon wheels had to be tough. She had to be resilient and she had to be hard working.

I found the fact that the villagers were all Latter Day Saints to be an interesting twist. And including some actual history of how the government saw the people who practiced that religion might be eye-opening for many readers.

I enjoyed the story and I give Ann Weisgarber kudos for the historical research that went into the writing of this book. I rate THE GLOVEMAKER as 4 out of 5 Stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

**** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book.****

The Glovemaker marks my first encounter with the work of Ann Weisgarber and I can’t say I’m disappointed with my experience. Though a little slow for my liking, the novel delves into some complex subject matter and I liked how it made me think about the characters and the issues that shape them.

Deborah Tyler is a woman of faith who questions both the traditions of her community and those who persecute her fellows for the practices they exercise. Her story centers on emotionally charged questions of both ethics and faith in the face of adversity and I loved how it emphasized the gentle grace and quiet courage of the heroine.

I thought the ending predictable but found it so sensitively drawn that I was not disappointed by it. I also enjoyed Weisgarber’s exploration of the Mountain Meadows Massacre and life in the Mormon settlement of Junction.