The Unveiling of Polly Forrest by Charlotte Whitney takes readers back to 1934 in rural Michigan. The story is told from three points of view: Polly Forrest, Polly’s sister Sarah Wolcott Johnson, and Sarah’s husband Reverend Wesley Johnson. It can be confusing as the story switches between the three points-of-view plus it interrupted the flow of the story. The short chapters allowed us to see the story from each person’s point-of-view, but it also led to repetition. The first half of the book is mainly from Sarah and Wesley’s POV with letters from Polly to her mother. The second half of the book we get Polly’s take on the story and I was glad the pacing increased. The three main characters were realistic. They were flawed people who were hard to like at times. The most likeable was Reverend Wesley Johnson. He worries about providing for his family in these tough times. The donations the family used to receive (especially food) are no longer being received. Wesley must also take care of his flock as well as the church which has a leaky roof. Polly is a frivolous woman who only married to avoid having to move with her mother to take care of her grandmother. While Sam and Polly were dating, he took her out on dates and bought her gifts. Polly thought Sam had money which would allow her to dress in the latest fashions and keep making her hats. Polly was unprepared for the life of a farmer’s wife. Sarah gets frustrated with Polly’s immaturity and work ethic. Sarah has three kids to feed and clothe plus the farm chores. Sarah was very critical and self-righteous. I was glad that one of the characters changed by the end of the book. I thought the author captured the time period. I can tell that she did her research. The author really shows readers how stark life was on farms during the depression. The Great Depression was a rough time for our country. Everyone felt the pinch especially rural farmers. They had to grow or raise most of their food if they wanted to eat. The drought made it hard for farmers as well as the low prices for produce, meat, and dairy.
A dangerous bull kills Polly’s
husband. Polly and her relatives become
suspects. The police have to figure out
if the death was an accident or was it murder.
Did someone deliberately let the bull out of its pen? Polly did not have
a happy marriage, and this could have been her way to get free. The mystery suited the time period. It depends on the number of mysteries you
have read on how you view the mystery and how difficult you find solving it. I thought it was easy to solve. The author gave it away. I did not feel the mystery was suspenseful. There is a minimal amount of foul language in
the story. I did enjoy the descriptions
of Polly’s hats (I love vintage hats). This was an okay book for me. The alternating point-of-view, slow pacing,
and unsympathetic characters made this book a challenge for me to finish. While The Unveiling of Polly Forrest was not
for me, I suggest you obtain a sample to see if it suits you. The Unveiling of Polly Forrest is a historical
whodunit with a fatal farm accident, sibling displeasure, frustrating finances,
surprising secrets, a haunted home, and rampant rumors.
Kris
The
Avid Reader
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