Praise for Born of This Fire
Jeanne Gehret’s Born of This Fire, brings 1864-1865 America to life at the time of the Civil War in the pioneering boomtown of Leavenworth, Kansas. The disparities of East – West / North – South show the expanse of the American experience through the prism of the heroine, Annie Anthony. Only in her early twenties, originally from the Northeast and married to the brother of abolitionist Susan B. Anthony, she moves from Martha’s Vineyard to Leavenworth, where her husband is mayor and then to become newspaper publisher. The heated and even murderous politics of post bellum Leavenworth seem to rival that of Washington, D.C. of the time. Gehret has done meticulous historical research onsite in Leavenworth and in Susan B. Anthony’s hometown of Rochester, NY. The book is a successful mixture of American history, historical fiction, romance and Annie’s bildungsroman—her development and growth as a woman. It will appeal to a broad audience, especially in women’s fiction.
The Civil War, women’s issues, and questions of passion and integrity coalesce in Born of This Fire, a novel about a war that affects not only a woman’s life, but her belief system and values. Annie Osborn Anthony enters unfamiliar waters from her staid Martha’s Vineyard home by journeying to Kansas, the state her husband Daniel fought to keep free for all.
The contrast between these two very different worlds captures a “you are here” feel from the start:
She wasn’t on the road anymore. And yet, even as her limbs rested, her mind drifted eastward—back to the mercurial Atlantic Ocean, the salt air of Martha’s Vineyard, the well-tended lanes and whitewashed fences. Everything she had once called home now seemed impossibly distant.
Annie faces many challenges in her new life, from armed civilians and Kansas politics to Daniel’s wartime tactics and the rumors that haunt their marriage.
More than a story about war, pioneers, shifting politics, or changing attitudes, Born of This Fire captures the passion and purposes of the times. It contrasts alliances with underlying horrors, the impact of Susan B. Anthony’s purpose and vision upon this changing environment, and Annie’s own consideration of how conventions need be set aside in order to embrace new possibilities for the lives of women, enslaved people, and all manner of men.
Jeanne Gehret builds thought-provoking contrasts between the social mores and politics of these times, viewing events through the eyes of a married woman who becomes caught up in new ideas and ideals for her future and that of her children.
As the point of view shifts between Daniel and Annie, different perspectives are contrasted and influences become cemented in a growing series of confrontations that test the boundaries of guilt, innocence, and survival.
History melds nicely with emotional and political realizations as the lives of Annie and Daniel Read Anthony come to life, firmly rooted in the hopes and expectations of their times.
Librarians will recommend this book to patrons seeking books about strained marriages, women’s courage in the face of loss, and the moral challenges of a divided nation. It lends especially well to book club discussions and reading circles seeking astute women’s historical fiction.
With its sterling reflection of powerful personalities whose choices influenced the era, Born of This Fire is hopeful, invigorating, and hard to put down.
“Born of This Fire,” a beautifully crafted love story with multi-layered relationships, is rooted in one of America’s most turbulent eras—the Civil War’s “Bleeding Kansas” conflict and the fight for women’s suffrage. With authentic historical background on the Anthony siblings, it feels palpable, sinking into our very bones and nourishing the mind while energizing the human spirit. This is a sublime melding of history, memoir, and “grab you by the seat of your bloomers” storytelling! I devoured it in just two sittings that flew by. Jeanne Gehret is a masterful storyteller whose work ought not be missed.
Once again Jeanne Gehret brings history & historical settings to life in Born of this Fire. I feel as if I’m in Leavenworth, Kansas living with the Anthonys, seeing and feeling everything that’s happening in and around their lives. Only a great historian could find so much information about the lives of Daniel, Annie and Susan B. Anthony, the history of Leavenworth, and how the border war with Missouri and the Civil War impacted Kansas. Gehret’s intertwining history and fiction make for a great read that’s hard to put down, and I hope there’s many more pages to enjoy.
A Hope-Filled Story of Courage, Healing, and Spiritual Depth
Born of This Fire by Jeanne Gehret is a beautifully written, courageous, and deeply moving book. Gehret weaves personal story, spiritual depth, and hard-won wisdom into a narrative that is both honest and hope-filled. Her voice is authentic and compassionate, inviting the reader to face pain, transformation, and healing with grace. This book doesn’t just tell a story—it creates space for reflection and inner renewal. Highly recommended for anyone seeking depth, resilience, and spiritual insight.