Widow 1881

I chose this book because I typically enjoy books that are set in the 1800s. I was very drawn to the cover - I thought the design was striking and enigmatic.

One of the reasons that I typically enjoy period novels is because I find they stimulate my imagination and help me to escape the hustle and bustle of today's world.

I liked this book a lot. I was drawn into the atmosphere very quickly. This was a historical romance, but I also felt there was an eerie quality, that reminded me of Gothic novels. I thought the writing in general was very good, and no more complex. Nothing was drawn out or overly descriptive.

I liked the protagonist - she had a kind of passion and determination that I admired, and as she told her story,I felt emotionally involved. I found that I identified with and related to her, and I had to continue reading to find out if she would get the outcome she desired, and the outcome that I desired as a reader.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Another strong entry in the Flats Junction series, it had what I enjoyed from the first book and I was glad to read these back to back. The characters worked well in this universe, and it worked in the sense of a historical novel. I was glad to read this and continue the series.

"I watch him carefully during supper, and I catch his wink when he helps himself to an overlarge slice of my pie. He does not seem to be in any danger of being drunk, and I decide I may not need to worry about him after all. Bern, I notice, does not touch any liquor, which I find interesting. The rest of the Svendsen ranch hands are certainly enjoying the alcohol."

“Housework, wanted, a woman for general housework in the western territories. Must be sturdy, Send word Box 30.”

So begins the story of Mrs. Jane Weber, a young Bostonian widow who responds to an advertisement that will alter her life forever. Carrying secrets of her own, she leaves behind her family and all that is familiar to travel by train to the Dakotas and take up a post as housekeeper for Irish doctor Patrick Kinney. For the sake of propriety, Dr. Kinney arranges for Jane to board with Widow Hawks, a Sioux woman living on the outskirts of Flats Junction. Despite her initial trepidation of living with a woman from a culture so far removed from her own, Jane and the widow form an unexpected bond over time. As Jane settles in to her work and the rhythm of life in a western town, she soon befriends other women, grows comfortable with Dr. Kinney as employer and friend, and even finds herself with a surprising (to her) suitor.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic historical novel and look forward to others in the series. Sara Dahmen is new to me, but I’m very happy to have found her books. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

My first book by this author and definitely not my last. Great storytelling and wonderfully defined characters. The book is period perfection and the author has done much research to ensure a realistic experience for the reader. I truly enjoyed this tale. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Jane lost her husband Henry and had a dalliance with another man she found herself in the family way in an 1881 that is no small discretion. So she decided to apply to keep a house for a doctor named Patrick Kenny in the Dakotas but what she arrives she makes new friends the one she starts feeling things for the doctor she believes it is all for not because he is in love with Kate the owner of the General store. This was such a long but a very good historical read. I love historical romance and this was so good I’m so glad I read it the author has a great grasp on historical events in the book is accurate which is a big pet peeve of mine I found nothing she messed and thoroughly enjoyed this book. There’s something to be said for books in which you know how it’s going to end but you stay on board to find out exactly how and that’s a true testament to the authors abilities this is a definite five star read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t say enough about it and hope to read more by the author in the future. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate most of my review.

Sarah Dahmen has created a wonderful historical in Widow 1881. I enjoyed this story. I was intrigued and fascinated by the plot and loved the characters. The setting is vividly detailed, making the reader feel as though they have been transported back in time.

I was excited to find out that Widow 1881 is part of a series called Flats Junction. I can not wait to get my hands on the next book.

This one gets 5 stars from me.

I received this book from the author. This review is 100% my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book it was well written with well developed characters and a gripping storyline that jkept me engaged the whole way through. I loved the romance elements and I loved the gothicesque atmosphere woven through the storyline. A great read.

A great story about a widow in the 1880's. This new to me author has captured my attention and imagination perfectly of what the West might have been like.
I think that my most favorite character was Jane! She is what kept my interest throughout the whole book. I love her determination to do what she wanted and not no one else wants. I admired her. Her adventures became my own.
I also enjoyed in getting to the other characters too and of course there were some that I didn't like.
This book was well written and I enjoyed every minute of it.
5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was fortunate in being given an ARC of Widow 1881 from Net Galley. Thanks to NG, and the author and publisher for a chance to read this fine novel.
As evident from the title, the novel is about a woman , recently widowed, Jane Weber, who decides to make a great change in life. Following the death of her husband , she decides to leave behind the prospect of returning to her parents home in Glouster, Mass. for a drab existence as a widow living in her old bedroom at he parent’s house.
Jane sees an advertisement in a local newspaper for woman to be housekeeper to a doctor in Dakota Territory. Deciding that she find a new start, Jane sends off her letter applying for the position, and soon finds herself entrained for the days- long train journey to the Plains. She carries baggage, , of course, both literal and figurative . She is pregnant, not by her late husband before he died, but from a brief affair with a family friend that started and ended quickly .
When Jane alights from the train in Flats Junction , Dakota Territory, she sees before her the frontier village where she will make her new home. It is not much bigger than what we might today call a highway strip mall. Some good buildings, some shacks; cabins and cottages and blacksmith and saloons and a bawdy house and two churches strung out along the Main Street. The first people she encounters are in the general store: two old men hanging out around a checker who freely comment on everything and everybody, and Kate , the decidedly standoffish owner of the store. Soon enough she meets new employer, Dr. Kinney, who welcomes her with the assurance that she will soon find friends among the people of Flats Junction. This book is the story of Jane and the world she finds.
I enjoy reading historical fictions, especially when they are well done as “ Widow 1881”. Descriptions of the people and the town they inhabit, the lives they lead illuminate and. Drive a very well written tale. But it is the characters and their interactions that soon captivate the reader. The doctor is warm and welcoming ,quickly putting Jane at ease. She sleeps ( for propriety’s sake) at the house of a woman, a Blackfoot Souix, the Widow Hawks , These four characters, Jane , Dr. Kinney, , the Widow Hawks and Kate are the center of the novel . You can be sure that Jane’s life is changed in way she could not have imagined . She encounters prejudice against the Native American from the settlers who recall well the recently ended bloody prairie warfare. Jane encounters many challenges of a life on the frontier - the hard work she never had to do of running a house, of making new friends and learning new ways. The author’s insights into her characters are revealing and make it easy to become enrapt in the story. You will be drawn into Jane’s new life in Flats Junction
I recommend the book to all readers. For a man to say that he enjoyed a love story is to say that this book transcended the label genre of romantic historical fiction. It is a tribute to the skill of the author in presenting an excellent , readable and enjoyable novel. Easily a five star rating.
Notes to readers: some harrowing scenes , not sexual or violent

I was drawn to this book by the cover and the blurb and thought it sounded like a book I would like to read. And I did. And being originally from the USA I like to read stories of America and the lives of people there (fact or fiction).

The story of Jane Webber, a widow, a woman and is set in the 1800's and a time when it is very hard on women, widowed or otherwise. Jane needs to reinvent herself and sets of on a journey to do just that. And tis story is not only hers but is so many like her in this era.

This is a story about strength, struggle, romance. It is a wonderful story with wonderful characters and I really did get drawn into it and enjoyed every minute of it. Now I can't wait to read the next one I have.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this arc.

CW - There is a miscarriage described in detail. There is racial prejudice against Native Americans. 

Dear Ms. Dahmen,

I liked the idea of this book - an older woman, fighting against the rules of society, trying to find her way in life and discover her future. I'm torn about how I feel about it though. Jane is a complex character as are many of the others in the book. But Jane is also an unreliable narrator though I'm not sure she was intended to be one.

The bits of illustrations scattered throughout the book were unexpected but I enjoyed them a lot. We see the want ads Jane was perusing, looking for an escape from her situation, as well as the Western Union telegram her potential employer sent to a friend to discuss job requirements with her. Later some of Dr. Kinney's medical notes and another telegram appear.     


This is a more gritty, low key, and quiet style of women's fiction, romance and western. Jane has plenty of mice to kill in the larder (Ewww) . The small town of Flats Junction comes alive through Jane's observations. It's not always pretty in either looks or the townspeople's actions but it seems more realistic than books that have the characters described as looking like something from a photo shoot.  It isn't all that long ago that Custer's last stand occurred and there is a lot of racial prejudice against Sioux from the white settlers. Yes, it's hard to read but again, this seems more realistic of the actual times. 


Even Jane begins the story a bit afraid of her new landlady, the Widow Hawks, as the only things Jane knows about Natives are what she's read and heard about back East. The friendship they develop, though, is lovely to see and is based on reality rather than either woman faking a friendship. Widow Hawks and another woman in town have a strange relationship that Jane doesn't understand - until Jane learns a bit more about them. Kate's actions and reactions are painful for Jane to see but are related to how Kate uneasily fits into the racial structure of the town.   


Jane's past marriage colors her viewpoints about what she wants in a relationship and she vacillates - a lot. Sweet Lord - both Jane and Patrick needed to have their heads knocked together about love. Jane especially needed it spelled out in flaming 10 foot high letters. Both characters did need to discover their true feelings and tie up some loose ends in their thinking but it got frustrating when Jane urged Patrick - yet again! - to court another woman. When they were finally on the same page, I was happy for them but was also mentally muttering "finally!" 


For all the things that bothered me about the book, I did like seeing the Old West more as it probably was. The book, I'd say, is more historical fiction with a romance than romance. It's not pretty, it's not reimagined, but it did hold my interest and made me want to find out what would happen next and how things would end. There is a previous book in the series and I'm debating about going back to read it, too. B-

In her novel Widow 1881, master storyteller Sara Dahmen creates the story of Jane Weber, a strong, independent widow, who moves to the Dakota Territories to work for Doctor Patrick Kinney. I voluntarily read this complimentary copy of this well-written book full of secrets, friendship, love, but most of all acceptance of others who are different. If you love historical fiction, this book is for you!

I received this as a ARC copy. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to review this novel.

Jane Weber, recently widowed and discovering she's carrying another man's child, makes the monumentous decision to move from her comfortable life in Boston to the Dakota Territories to become a housekeeper for the town of Flats Junction's doctor. Inexperienced and new to hard work, she struggles to acclimate to the wild west ways. Fearing impropriety as Jane is much younger than the doctor thought she was, she is sent to lodge with Widow Hawks, a Sioux woman loving on the outskirts of the town. Though the days are challenging and she has much to learn, she slowly gets used to the routine of keeping house and helping the doctor and befriends the other women in the town.

Things are not always smooth sailing in a frontier town, although the native American's are now mostly on reservations, the town's residents still remember the recent skirmishes and even though Widow Hawks married a white man and had a daughter - Kate with him, the local residents continue to treat her with disdain.

Will Jane succeed in making a new life for herself?

All in all, I enjoyed this novel. The protagonist, although a strong woman, is a product of her time and occasionally I was surprised at her emotion or lack of emotion in certain situations. The characters of the townspeople are well rounded and I could picture both them and the towns layout in my minds eye as I was absorbing the story.

Brava!