In the Company of Like-Minded Women

'In the Company of Like-Minded Women' by Elaine Russel is a historical novel set in the early 20th century. Three sisters with very different ideals and opinions gathered together for a family reunion. Two sisters chose to stay in the small town where they grew up. The third  sister, Lida, chose to leave the small town, Lawrence, to marry a doctor and become a doctor herself.  Lida who lived in Denver was active in the women's suffrage movement after she was widowed. Eva the youngest sister was a caregiver for their manipulative mother. Mildred the eldest sister was a narrow minded married woman who also stayed close to their mother.  
Mildred and her mother planned a trip to Denver to keep Eva from a suitor, Mr Dearman. Eva maintained her relationship with Mr Dearman through letters and planned to meet him in Denver so he could meet Mildred and Lida. After much discussion among the sisters they  agreed to meet Mr Dearman. Mr Dearman was a wonderful gentleman who happened to have a politically active sister who knew Lida. The three sisters, after many quarrels, began to understand each other becoming like-minded women. 
This book has well developed characters who are likable. I was able to visualize Eva, Lida and Mildred wearing big hats and sashes and carrying signs during this important time in history. I like this entertaining book because it is a delightful read that is non-violent and clean. I recommend this book. I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Above is my honest review.

Elaine Russell has pulled off an engaging historical novel. The storyline and characters pull you in immediately and the character evolution throughout the book is impressive. The historical review of the women who worked so hard for women's and children's rights in the early 1900's is interspersed through the book in a realistic manner right down to the Unsinkable Molly Brown. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it cover-to-cover in 48 hours.

In the Company of Like-Minded Women is an excellent glimpse into daily life in 1901 Colorado, the impact on households in the wake of the suffrage, temperance and voter rights for women movements.  Add in the training for meaningful careers that women want to pursue, either to maintain a career alongside family life, or to eliminate marriage and family in the pursuit of that career, and you see that the western states were progressing toward equality very quickly.  After all Wyoming was the first to allow women to vote, and Colorado ran a close second.   

Lida is a widow with two living children, 14 year old Sara Jane and  5 year old Cole.  Lida has just obtained her certification as a Doctor from the Denver Homeopathy Medical College but finds it hard to establish herself in Denver.  At that place and time there were over 400 doctors in the Denver area.  Lida is able to obtain a position as physician for the catholic church in their refuge for needy women, House of the Good Shepherd, and their orphanage, the Mount Saint Vincent's Orphan Asylum.  Both jobs are very time consuming and often heartbreaking, but Lida is able to keep her home and the children are feed, clothed and educated.  

Long estranged from her Lawrence, Kansas family, Lida is thrilled to know that her sisters Mildred (4 years older) and Eva (15 years younger), are coming to spend six weeks with her over the summer of 1901.  Thank goodness their mother is staying in Kansas.  But Mildred, once jolly and gay, is presenting as a strong imitation of their bitter, self-absorbed and manipulating mother.  Lida really hopes that she can establish a relationship with her sisters over the summer, but the prognosis is not good....  

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Elaine Russell, and Independent Book Publishers Association in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

Set in the midst of the suffragette movement in America, three generations of women learn to navigate shifting gender rules and expectations. It’s a story about defining oneself, challenging traditions and falling in love in the context of a dynamic political environment. Elaine Russell's "In the Company of Like-Minded Women" combines history, feminism and romance in a very readable, feel-good story. – Leza Bredenkamp

This review appears in Romantic Intentions Quarterly #3 - October 2018

In the Early 1900s Three Sisters Struggle with the New Rights for Women

Lida, a widow, has two chldren, Sara Jane, 14, and Cole, 5. She has recently received her certification as a doctor, but the only job she can find is as a physician to the Catholic refuge for needy women, House of the Good Shepard. The work is time consuming, but Lida is glad to have the position so she can take care of her family. 

When Lida’s two sisters, Mildred, 4 years older, and Eva, 15 years younger, arrive for a six-week visit, Lida is excited to see them because it opens the possibility of healing the family rift caused by her marriage. The visit doesn’t start on a promising note. Mildred has good very heavy and is moody and controlling like their mother. Eva is recovering from a serious illness and is delicate, but she’s excited because she’s met the love of her life. Eva’s romance is causing as many problems with the family as Lida’s did.

This historical novel looks at early 1900s Colorado. Women have received the right to vote, and temperance is a strong movement. Women can now get training for careers like medicine, but it’s not easy to be accepted in a predominantly male profession. There are also the social problems of marrying outside your social class and geographic area. The book does a good job addressing these problems with a cast of likable characters. The plot is interesting and shows well the problems facing women embarking on a new century with new rights. 

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Wonderfully written and historically accurate, this book has rich, well-drawn characters and an emotionally driven plot that will keep you reading. An excellent edition to any historical fiction fan's bookcase.

Engaging and well-written novel of three strong women in the early 20th century in Denver. Three sisters reunite, each after having taken different life paths - one to marry, have a family, and become a doctor, one to marry but be childless, and one who has been kept home against her will to care for her mother. While each is unique, they each bring something to the table and this novel tells their intertwining story, set against the backdrop of women's rights and changing social times in American history. Told in various voices, this was a treat to read and one that historical fiction lovers should enjoy!
Thank you for my review e-copy! Full review forthcoming at Beth's Book-Nook Blog!

This book is a family drama with soo much more in it.  I honestly would love to see another book with the same characters.  It is 1901 Colorado where women have the right to vote at the state level and where Lida one of the main characters is a widow raising her two children, Sarah Jane almost 16 and Cole who is 5.  Her 2 sisters come to visit and the visit is a shock as she has been estranged from most of her family for years due to her marriage.

It is told from multiple viewpoints including first person chapters (with several characters but each chapter starts with who the narrator is), diary entries, letters, and even a telegram from a cat.  Yes a cat and it made me laugh out loud.

There were some amazingly descriptive scenes that brought the images up and I wished I was there.  Russell does not fall into the 'let's describe every single little thing' area which makes the descriptions even more enjoyable.  Two key moments involve a tea at the Brown Palace Hotel that introduces a key character to other characters and a horseback ride which prompts Lida to remember a memory with William, her deceased husband.

The Woman's Suffrage movement is definitely a minor 'character' in this book but I found it fascinating as it allowed one character to grow and realize what her husband and mother said might not always be right.

I LOVED this book for the variety of characters and the narrative changes that allowed us to see events from characters with varying opinions.   

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

A delightful.and light hearted novel.taking place in the early 1900's about a wonderful family with some very strong females.
Dear mother has caused much grief for her three very like-minded daughters. Two.she has managed to keep close to her by alienating the other.
After the two sisters take a trip to their alienated sisters home,who by the way had become a doctor,without anyone's help.The two sisters again become three against mother.
Set against the beautiful.mtns. of the old West near Pike's Peak,mining towns and ladies of indiscretions in Old China Town this story will offer much to many.
Families never change,just their lifestyles and times. 
Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to Read and review "In the Company of Like-Minded Women" by Elaine Russel.