An interesting read that I'm glad to have discovered. I'll definitely be seeking out more by this author.

A timely novel that facilitates critical thinking about the law and power structures, about gender and race. This novel explores the societal ideas of a woman's place, marriage, and politics from the nineteenth century. And more specifically, how society treats those who fight against these norms. A woman's presidential campaign before women have the right to vote is certainly courageous, but the sacrifices to fight for what they believe is a striking example of what resistance can look like, and how long these issues have been fought over.

There are a lot of characters, and would highly recommend reading the dramatis personae at the beginning. I still sometimes found it difficult to follow, as the narrative felt choppy while moving between different perspectives. Not a book I would normally read, but I appreciated the historical moments and stories of these women being brought to light.

"He smiles even as he thinks, I will never book you. You're obviously overeducated whores with an axe to grind and you're the death of any standard. No, I won't book you. Not in a million years."

Every now and again a story will come a long and completely take you by surprise, Naked Truth is the perfect example. The story follows the unique lives of Tenessee Claflin and Victoria Woodhull, two sisters who rise from a criminal past to Presidential nominee. The scandals throughout their lives are shocking and I found myself more than once trying to Google search the truth behind the story, but don't worry, I won't spoil anything...

The care and consideration taken when writing with historical fiction should absolutely be applauded, Hayes has so brilliantly intertwined factual detail with gripping story telling that it is difficult to know where the story starts and the truth ends.

This is an absolute must read for anyone who enjoys historical or political literature.

Now to wait for the sequel...

This book focuses on (and also imagines) the colorful lives of two real-life American sisters, Tennessee Claflin and Victoria Woodhull, who were early proponents not only of women’s rights, but also of universal suffrage and free love. Mrs. Woodhull actually got as far as running for the US presidency on the Equal Rights Party ticket with Frederic Douglass in 1872!

Naked Truth does a good job of immersing readers in the social and cultural climate of the post-Civil War ‘Gilded Age’: its spiritual seances, personal wealth, political maneuvering, religious fervor and booming investment opportunities, and Carrie Hayes is good at writing credible dialogue that fits well with the citations from contemporary documents. The plot, which is based on the Claflin sisters’ real and sometimes scandalous interactions with historical figures like Cornelius Vanderbilt, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth C. Stanton, Harriet Beecher Stowe and her brother Henry Ward Beecher, is – after some acclimatization – totally engrossing.
For readers who don’t know or have forgotten their US history, it would have been helpful (and motivating) if the book had been prefaced with a ‘Dramatis Personae’ of the main characters. When I looked them up afterwards, I was hugely impressed by how true to life Hayes’ account is. One other suggestion: the book needs a final line edit for typos and incorrect German.

I found this novel very disjointed and confusing. While I enjoyed learning about the sisters it was difficult to figure out who was narrating. I did not enjoy the book at all.