A five-month voyage to the Holy Land in 1867 led Mark Twain to write his novel Innocents Abroad. But what happened to those innocents after they returned to New York?
What readers are saying:
“Ulleseit renders the life stories of the two resilient women at the center of the book in crystalline prose and is always attentive to historical detail. An often inspiring story of two women who, at last, realize just how strong they are.” ~ Kirkus Reviews (see full review below)
“This tale of reinvention, friendship, and art is a fascinating look at a historical perspective not often in the forefront and well worth the read.” ~Mary Helen Sheriff, author
“With masterful prose, Ulleseit transports readers to the vibrant tapestry of 1867 America, where the echoes of societal upheaval resound against the backdrop of personal struggles and triumphs.” ~Grace Sammon, award-winning author and radio host
Summary
Nina Larrowe anticipates resuming her place in New York society, but Twain’s careless remarks about her behavior ostracize her and force her to reevaluate everything she thought she knew. Nina becomes an actress and embarks on a life she never could have imagined. After a series of disappointments, Nina must rise from the ashes once again to craft a life she can take pride in.
The daughter of a newspaper magnate, Emma Beach falls head-long in love with the flirtatious Sam on her trip to the Holy Land. Her dreams are proven to be fantasies when Sam marries another. She is content to spend her days painting and taking care of others…until she realizes there could be more to the life she’s been living and reaches for a chance at her own happiness.
Based on Nina’s autobiography and Emma’s letters to Mark Twain, Innocents at Home explores how these two women inspire each other to overcome devastation and discover the courage to live life on their own terms.
In the novel, Emma’s family makes Apple Cider Cake. For a recipe similar to what she might have made, click here.
Do you belong to a book club? Contact me about a virtual visit, and click here for a list of starter questions.
Full Kirkus Review:
Two young women’s lives converge via Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) in Ulleseit’s historical novel.
Nina Churchman Larrowe and Emma Beach meet aboard the Quaker City, a ship famous for a five-month tour of the Holy Land that occasioned Samuel Clemens’ breakout book, Innocents Abroad. Clemens, his eye on his career as a humorist, described his fellow passengers as boorish Americans and was not averse to stretching the truth for humorous effect. In Clemens’ book, Larrowe was depicted as one of the worst offenders of good taste. On the other hand, Clemens flirted with the teenage Beach, who would develop a major crush on the writer. Larrowe, snubbed by a New York society that aligned itself with Clemens’ jaundiced views, hates the writer fervently. Emma eventually outgrows her crush and will in fact become a good friend of Clemens. Nina and Emma become lifelong and mutually supportive friends, and the story follows them through the decades and especially through their letters to each other. Ulleseit’s story is based on fact: Both Beach
and Larrowe are in the author’s family tree. Larrowe (later “Larowe”) pursued a career in the arts—elocution, acting, lessons in dance—but always on the edge of poverty. Emma, the reclusive one, came from money, had painting talent, and eventually married Abbott Thayer, the widow of a good friend. Thayer was a respected 19th-century painter, and Emma gained some small renown herself. The famous Reverend Henry Ward Beecher makes appearances, too—he was rumored to be the father of Emma’s little sister. In the author’s capable hands, readers get to see Beach and Larrowe develop into strong, independent women—which is ostensibly the book’s theme. When Nina’s promising acting career finally fades out in unpromising Portland, Oregon, she bids “a sorrowful adieu to her stage name [Helen Temple] and [leaves] it in the empty theater.” (But she picks herself up in middle age and opens a dance studio.) All in all, Ulleseit renders the life stories of the two resilient women at the center of the book in crystalline prose and is always attentive to historical detail.
An often inspiring story of two women who, at last, realize just how strong they are.
Heritage Fiction
Innocents at Home is Ulleseit’s latest heritage novel, written about two of her ancestors.
Nina was the daughter of Samantha Churchman, who was featured in my novel The River Remembers. Click the button to find out more about her.
Emma was the daughter of Moses Beach, owner of the New York Sun. Click the button to find out more about her.
