Endorsements for Secrets to the Wind, Dauntless Series Book 1
Hard to put down! Gehret’s descriptive writing and intriguing plot allow an intimate view of the many twists and turns in the real life love story between Susan B. Anthony’s brother and New England socialite Annie Osborn. Great story-telling and an enduring theme keep you focused on a riveting historical era. Recommended reading for high school and adults.
In her novel Secrets to the Wind, author Jeanne Gehret weaves a richly detailed story of two lives bound together by destiny, but held apart at every twist and turn by a host of snags. The romance, based upon real people, is shot through with an astonishing depth and breadth of historical research.
Gehret’s immersion in understanding the times and people of the era (mid-19th century whaling New England and frontier Kansas) enriches, rather than embellishes the work. She has the uncanny knack of placing tiny and inconsequential actions into the narrative that add a layer of gritty realism beneath the lively dialogue and larger flow of the story. The overall effect is one of making the tale a very visual experience, on the order of watching a film.
A wealth of mannerisms, in speech, thought, and action thoroughly differentiate the varied cast of characters. And through the whole arc of the novel, Gehret continues to develop the goodly handful of major actors. The characters display depth, nobility, individuality, and that peculiarly human attribute of personal foibles.
Unpredictable departures and reversals accelerate through the story, weaving threads back and forth, over and under….found myself easily engaged by the tale, relating to the characters, learning more about the events of that time, and well satisfied with the fast paced ending. Read it—you’ll love it.
Secrets to the Wind makes history come to life. Real-life historical people walk out on the page in this dramatic account of Daniel Anthony, brother of Susan B. Anthony, but full of significance in his own right. Trace his struggles not only being the mayor of a frontier town, but in his efforts to win the heart of Annie Osborne from Martha’s Vineyard.
The best historical fiction is not just a plausible reconstruction, but an entry into the lives of people in times long passed. Jeanne Gehret demonstrates the ability to do just this sort of detailed retelling of times gone by in Secrets to the Wind, an evocative glimpse into the lives of Daniel Read Anthony and Annie Osborn in the midst of the Civil War. Gehret started her interest in their lives through her work as a museum docent and historical researcher, and her attention to the details of their lives shows through on every page. She successfully places her book in the midst of momentous events (the Civil War) and people (Daniel’s better known sister, Susan B. Anthony) without letting these elements of the story overwhelm the tale she wants to tell. Her ability to show the normalcy of life on the Union home front, to show the ways in which everyday life continued in the midst of national tumult, is noteworthy and impressive. The combination of detail, historical realism and a well-crafted, plausible historical relationship makes Secrets to the Wind a compelling and worthwhile read.
A tale of romance, courage, and secrets during the tumultuous era of abolition. This book left me wanting to learn more about the people and politics of the abolition movement.
Because insufficient historical sources exist about the meeting of Daniel Read Anthony and Anna Eliza Osborn, we can only speculate about what attracted them to one another, whether they really fell in love, and how they were affected by Anthony’s colorful career. However, their story is brought to life by Jeanne Gehret, who interweaves the Anthony-Osborn courtship with historical events.
In Secrets to the Wind, the author revisits “Bleeding Kansas” days that led up to and included the Civil War. She offers an intriguing perception of the challenges faced by the Anthony and Osborn families, as well as emigrants who started fresh in newly-opened U.S. territories. Martha’s Vineyard–seemingly remote from the effects of the Civil War–and Kansas–where the history of the West began–provide perfect backdrops for the early lives of Daniel Read Anthony and his bride, Anna Osborn, both important historical figures of their time.
A Captivating Tale of Love, History, and Commitment in Civil War America
Jeanne Gehret’s novel offers an enthralling glimpse into the tumultuous years of the American Civil War through the lives of two characters based on the lives of real people, Daniel Anthony (brother of Susan B. Anthony) and Annie Osborn.
Gehret’s line: “It often begins with a thread of truth that people embroider into a whole picture,” encapsulates one of the book’s most resonant themes. She applies this philosophy to her storytelling, skillfully blending historical fact with imaginative fiction to create a narrative that feels authentic and compelling. Moving between the diverse backdrops of Martha’s Vineyard, Saratoga Springs NY and Leavenworth KS, meticulous research and vivid descriptions immerse readers in the sights, sounds, and emotions of the era.
At the heart of the novel, Daniel and Annie’s romance blossoms through letters exchanged across a war-torn country. Annie, the daughter of a whaling captain from Martha’s Vineyard, falls for Daniel’s heroic efforts. He falls for her energy, beauty, and courageous spirit. They’re destined to be together despite the obstacles of distances and events placed upon their course.
Set in 1863, the story paints a sobering portrait of historical events on the periphery of the Civil War, including the devastating Lawrence Kansas Massacre when Confederate guerrilla forces attacked the town, a stronghold of anti-slavery sentiment and Free-State activists, killing close to 200 boys and men. As the mayor of nearby Leavenworth KS, Daniel Anthony comes to the aid of the survivors, cementing his family’s reputation as the defenders of the rights of others to live free.
Fans of historical fiction will relish learning about lesser-known events and people of the past.Secrets to the Wind tells a story of love, legacy, and human drama, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras.