A Violet Season: A Novel
“A mother and daughter discover empathy, courage and autonomy in this powerful first novel . . . rich with historical detail and strongly defined characters . . . a finely tuned study in human endurance. An excellent debut.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred))“Engrossing.” (Booklist)“An intriguing portrait . . . accomplished.” (Publishers Weekly)“Fiercely compelling . . . well played and suspenseful.” (Historical Novels Review)"A Violet Seasonis the rare moment we hold history in our hands. A hundred years ago we loved and feared and we worked and tired as fiercely as we do today.A Violet Seasonis fully imagined and a beautifully written book, the transport complete and unforgettable. It’s a wonderful and well-earned debut for a brand new writer and I so look forward to her next book." (Robert Olmsteadauthor of Far Bright Star)“In this stunning debut, Kathy Leonard Czepiel illuminates the sometimes heartbreaking choices women can face as they struggle to preserve their families, their marriages, their very sense of self.A Violet Seasoncombines searing realism with propulsive suspense to create a story that kept me up half the night.” (Lauren Belferbestselling author of City of Light and A Fierce Radiance)“The best historical fiction doesn't bring the past to the reader but carries the reader into the past, to see it, touch it, smell it, live it. InA Violet SeasonKathy Leonard Czepiel transplants her readers among the blooms at a turn-of-the-century violet farm in New York State, a captivatingly unique time and place, and teaches them how hardy a plant—and a woman—can be. Smell the violets with Joe Jacobs, and with Joe you will 'hardly imagine anything wrong with the world.' See Ida Fletcher's pain—'a great room with a cold floor and a light so bright it hurt to look,' and you won't be able to leave Ida's side, through mistakes and accomplishments large and small. As a writer I say, 'kudos.' As a reader I say, 'more!'” (Sally Gunningauthor of The Rebellion of Jane Clarke)"A Violet Seasonby Kathy Leonard Czepiel is a moving and detailed look at the hopes and hardships women faced at the turn of the last century. Czepiel centers her fascinating story on the world of mass-market violet growers in the Hudson River Valley. Her narrative is hopeful, painful and empowering. Rich in historical detail,A Violet Seasonpaints a delicate portrait of the ways women could support and sustain each other and their painful struggle for autonomy at a time when they had few explicit rights." (Taylor Politesauthor of The Rebel Wife)"Engrossing." (ATraveler'sLibrary.com)