Scandalous: The Victoria Woodhull Saga, Volume Two: Fame, Infamy, and Paradise Lost
Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Celeste Claflin are spiritual mystics, owners of high-end brothels, financial traders, journalists and publicly acknowledged advocates of women’s suffrage. They have become wealthy due to their expertise in financial investment. They claim to have spirit mentors who advise them on every business and spiritual step they take. This second novel in a series narrates their support and opposition in the suffragette movement, follows the “scandalous” side of their lives through an actual trial which was harrowing, as well as emotionally and spiritually devastating, to the famous sisters. Victoria surmounts these difficult moments to become a nationally renowned speaker for the suffrage movement, stressing the equality of women with men, rather than placing weight on the right to vote, believing the latter would follow once law put the former in place. Tennessee attempts to run for state government, and Victoria actually becomes the first woman to be nominated for the Presidency of the United States. Both become good friends and acquaintances with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, as well as Cornelius Vanderbilt, J. P. Morgan, Frederick Douglass, Karl Marx and the duplicitous Reverend Henry Ward Beecher.
The strength and courageous spirit of these two women are amazing. The author is so adept in his descriptions of characters, setting, issues, and challenges that the reader will feel she or he is right there in the thick of it all. Some scenes truly are so scandalously narrated that the reader is ready to condemn, but then with another turn of events withholds final judgments to acknowledge that such mastery of mind, body and spirit are the elements that truly reshaped history in unchangeable ways. Excellent historical fiction!
