Women's Struggles Archives - C.L.R. Peterson, Author

From Secret Intelligence to Soufflés: How WWII Shaped a Culinary Icon

by CLR Peterson | Feb 17, 2026 | Book review, Historical novels, Women's Struggles, World War II

Greetings Reader Friend!

This month, we discuss a surprising novel based on a little-known part of a famous chef’s life. Readers of a certain age may recognize the name of Julia Child, while younger readers can check youtube for her PBS cooking shows.

The Secret War of Julia Child, by Diana S. Chambers, cover image

How did Julia McWilliams progress from her role as a clerk for the Office of Strategic Services (the CIA’s predecessor) to gathering intelligence in World War II to becoming a celebrity chef and cookbook author?

Did her wartime life in Asia prepare her to dive into French cooking and cookbook writing (as Julia Child, her married name)?

In The Secret War of Julia Child, author Diana R. Chambers addresses these questions, as well as creating an entertaining, fact-based historical novel about Julia’s life, from her early years in Pasadena, California, to her departure from Asia at the close of World War II.

Julia’s “hunger for experience” comes through strongly in the novel—helping to explain why Julia rejected her first serious suitor, why she lobbied her boss to send her to Asia during World War II, and why she sought the most remote, adventuresome assignments during the war.

Chambers sets Julia’s adventures against the backdrop of women’s status in the U.S. in the 1940s—with fewer career opportunities than their male counterparts, most women (including Julia) sought the security of marriage. Julia’s height made her anxious that she wouldn’t find that security. Although she also desired independence, her goal of finding a husband emerges as a clear theme throughout the novel.

Julia views Paul Child in a negative light from their first meeting, when his Jeep splashed her with mud, leaving much change to follow through the novel. Their love story, with all its ups and downs, provides a non-linear thread reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Major Characters:

Julia McWilliams—protagonist; a tall, ambitious young woman who loves to take on challenges, but worries she’ll never find a husband

Paul Child—mapmaker whose brusqueness and apparent self-centeredness initially repel Julia

General “Wild Bill” Donovan: The real-life founder and head of the Office of Strategic Services; he hires Julia as a file clerk and later sends her into the field.

Lord Louis Mountbatten: The British chief of the South-East Asia Command; he’s friendly and polite to Julia, even when she secretly investigates his unit for potential moles

Jemadar Deepak Binoy: An Indian soldier; he’s a fictional character in the novel, highlighting the loyalty and bravery of the diverse personnel Julia encountered in the South Asia theater.

Caro McWilliams—Julia’s mother; she encourages Julia to be a free spirit, but also influences her to find a husband and settle down, fueling Julia’s internal conflict

Jane—a colleague and friend of Julia’s who served with her in Asia; Julia is frequently jealous of Jane’s attractiveness to men

Lieutenant James Mack—Mountbatten’s handsome assistant; he’s Julia’s romantic interest in Ceylon before Paul Child

Strengths:

Chambers immerses readers in the exotic locations of Julia’s experiences in a vivid, breath-taking way, including suspenseful descriptions of the dangers she encountered, both natural and human-caused.

Weakness:

Emphasis on romance seems a bit exaggerated, but this could be an accurate reflection of women’s perspectives in that era

Content Review:

This novel doesn’t shy away from the violence of war (as observed by Julia), or physical intimacy, but neither are portrayed graphically.

My Recommendation:

This novel offers an intriguing window into the years before Julia McWilliams became the Julia Child known to the world, as well as insights into the basic operations of the OSS in World War II. I enjoyed The Secret War of Julia Child, and I would recommend it to both foodies and history buffs.

Reader, can you recommend a novel set in the Asian theater during World War II?

When Privilege Meets Purpose: A Review of Last Light Over Galveston

by CLR Peterson | Nov 24, 2025 | Book review, Historical novels, U.S. History, Women's Struggles

For a well-bred young lady in 1900, the path to a comfortable life was clear: marry a wealthy gentleman. But what happens when that path clashes with a woman’s own burgeoning sense of justice and morality? This central question lies at the heart of Jennifer L. Wright’s Last Light Over Galveston, my book review choice for this month.

Last Light Over Galveston, by Jennifer L. Wright, cover image

Kathleen, a fictional eighteen-year-old from the Hudson Valley north of New York city, returns home with a new perspective on life after two years at a European finishing school. This creates a major conflict with her father, Lawrence, who raised her to become a genteel wealthy lady.

Kathleen’s presence at both the Croton Dam strike in the spring of 1900 and the Galveston, TX, hurricane of 1900, forces her to choose between her father’s values and her own, changing the direction of her life.

Major Characters:

Kathleen McDaniel—protagonist, young woman seeking her identity; she struggles to reconcile her privileged upbringing with the needy people and world she encounters

Lawrence McDaniel—father of Kathleen, wealthy farmer who hoped to secure his wealth by building a major dam on his land

Wesley Odell—impoverished young man, photographer and first love of Kathleen

Matthew Richter—young meteorologist protégé of Isaac Cline, befriended Kathleen

Theodore Walsh—Businessman recruited by Lawrence McDaniel to help fund dam construction and marry Kathleen

Isaac Cline—Galveston celebrity meteorologist and leading U.S. expert on storms who badly erred in his assessment of Galveston’s hurricane risk

Joseph Cline—brother of Isaac, also a meteorologist who never admitted any role in the Galveston disaster

Mother Camillus Tracy—strict but loving head of St. Mary’s orphanage; she took in Kathleen, in spite of her advanced age for placement in an orphanage

Emily—Kathleen’s roommate at St. Mary’s orphanage; an aspiring nun and inspiration to Kathleen

Maggie—lonely young girl in St. Mary’s orphanage; Kathleen took her under her wing

Strengths:

This novel presents fascinating portrayals of Kathleen’s personal development and the backgrounds of the Croton Dam strike and the Galveston hurricane

Weakness:

Alternating chapters—between Kathleen’s lives in a manor house in New York’s Hudson Valley and in Galveston—may cause confusion for readers

Content review:

Descriptions of the casualties of both the Croton Dam strike violence and the Galveston hurricane are appropriate for mature readers

My Recommendation:

Last Light over Galveston is a powerful reminder of the significant storms that rage within us. It masterfully weaves together the Croton Dam strike and the cataclysmic Galveston hurricane of 1900 with the internal turmoil of a young woman fighting to define her own identity in a world that has already prescribed it for her. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy coming of age stories, especially with inspirational themes, set within the context of historical events.

Reader, can you recommend a book, non-fiction or fiction, about a natural disaster and its impact on individuals?

Between Crown and Chisel: The Princess Who Wouldn’t Yield Her Dream

by CLR Peterson | Aug 24, 2025 | Art history, Book review, England, Historical novels, Women's Struggles

Imagine you’re from a wealthy English family, coming of age in the second half of the 1800s, an independent female thinker, a supporter of women’s rights, and a sculptor.

How could you live out your identity if you were Princess Louise, daughter of the domineering, grief-obsessed Queen Victoria?

In the Shadow of a Queen, by Heather B. Moore, cover image

Heather B. Moore answers this question in her recent historical novel, In the Shadow of a Queen, based on her research into the life of Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

The novel begins when Louise is twelve, includes her father’s death and many scenes of her interactions with family members and friends, revealing the unique personality of each individual. The author doesn’t shy away from conflicts, and she closes the story with Louise’s decision of what would be her life’s project.

Characters:

Princess Louise—fourth daughter and sixth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, a talented sculptor and independent thinker who chafed at her mother’s off-the-cuff dictums

Queen Victoria—a forceful personality who bonded so strongly with her husband, Prince Albert, that she depended to an unhealthy degree on her daughters, changed her mind frequently, and never recovered from Albert’s death

John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne—Scottish suitor of Louise, a commoner considered after no attractive royal options materialized

Sybil Grey—Louise’s loyal friend, daughter of General Grey, the queen’s loyal aide

Albert Edward (Bertie), Prince of Wales—Victoria’s oldest son, heir to the throne; a sympathetic older brother to Louise as she grows up, despite his moral lapses

Louise’s other brothers: Alfred, Arthur, Leopold (Leo)

Louise’s sisters: Victoria (Vicky), Alice, Helena, Beatrice

Strengths:

In the Shadow of a Queen captures the personalities of each member of the Victorian English Royal Family, as well as others. In particular, the author shows the pressures Queen Victoria exerted on Princess Louise (and her other children), and how Louise dealt with them.

Weakness:

The story reads more like a biography than a novel, because indeed, it’s a lightly-fictionalized biography.

Content review:

This novel reveals the character weaknesses of the royal family, including smoking, class discrimination, and adultery (all common in the era).

My recommendation:

I found this novel entertaining and educational. If you enjoy books that neither romanticize nor scandalize the lives of royals, In the Shadow of a Queen will give you an opportunity to get to know Princess Louise and reflect on her life, dreams, and achievements.

Reader, can you suggest favorite novels about royal families?

Escape to Oregon’s Pioneer Days

by CLR Peterson | Aug 23, 2024 | Book review, Historical novels, Medical History, Oregon Territory, Women's Struggles

Greetings, Reading Friend!

I hope you’ve had a chance for a break during this warm season (in the northern hemisphere). I’ve enjoyed time with family and friends in my native Pacific Northwest.

Returning to my Northwest roots, I discovered a novel set in that region, All She Left Behind, and I review it below.

When I’m not reading other authors’ novels, I’m revising Lucia’s Journey, my new novel, based on feedback from my beta-readers. (Thank you so much to each one!). I hope to publish it in the next few months.

My Review of All She Left Behind, by Jane Kirkpatrick

All She Left Behind, by Jane Kirkpatrick, cover image

How could a girl who struggled with reading and spelling, born into a pioneer family settled in the Oregon Territory, become a medical doctor?

Jennie Lichtenthaler’s passion to be a healer seemed an impossible dream, and she received little encouragement to pursue a life beyond the traditional role of wife and mother.

Yet All She Left Behind, a historical novel, tells the surprising, fact-based story of Jennie’s life. Readers may think its twists and turns couldn’t possibly reflect reality, but its skillful author, Jane Kirkpatrick, has crafted this captivating novel using information gleaned from historical documents.

Kirkpatrick shows the obstacles Jennie faced, including:

The attitudes of close family members
Society’s reluctance to allow female physicians.

The author also reveals how dreams delayed were not always dreams destroyed in Jennie’s life.

Characters:

They are both historical and fictional, distinctive, some even memorable.

Because Jennie’s life story includes many characters, I list only those who play major roles in the novel:

Jennie Lichtenthaler—protagonist; young pioneer woman married at 17; her circumstances thwart her ambition to become a physician

Josiah Parrish—Jennie’s second husband, a blacksmith, sheep breeder, and missionary who encourages Jennie’s medical studies and career

Elizabeth Parrish—Josiah’s first wife; Jennie takes care of her in Elizabeth’s declining days

Charles Pickett—Jennie’s first husband, he can’t overcome his addictions to alcohol and drugs

Douglas Pickett—son of Jennie and Charles, he struggles with addictions

Ariyah Cole—Jennie’s fictional best friend, an artist who provides a sounding board and support for Jennie

Priscilla Melvin—a prostitute whose life takes a new turn; Jennie’s encounters with her near the beginning and ending of Jennie’s adult life reveal her character arc.

Callie Charlton—Jennie’s fellow female medical student and colleague

Strengths:

Inspiring story
Well-developed characters
Setting details transport readers into the Oregon Territory and early days of statehood in the last half of the 1800s
This novel reveals the state of the medical profession and the status of women in that era.

Weakness:

The prologue seemed a bit confusing to place in the context of the chapters that follow.

Content review:

This novel discusses struggles with and details of addiction to alcohol, drugs, and sex.

My recommendation:

All She Left Behind will appeal to readers who appreciate a lively plot that Includes historical as well as romantic and inspirational elements. As a native of the Pacific Northwest, I enjoyed the window this novel provided into the history of Oregon in the early days of statehood.

Reader, can you recommend a novel set in the Northwest?

Into the Heart of Appalachia

by CLR Peterson | Sep 7, 2023 | Appalachia, Book review, Historical novels, Women's Struggles

As I continue to revise my latest novel for publication, I’ll join three other historical fiction authors in a Zoom discussion, “Women Breaking the Rules: Heroines in Historical Fiction,” on the afternoon of September 17^th. I’ll talk about my protagonist, Lucia—how I came to write about her, why she took risks, and more. If you ask in the comment section, I’ll send you information about how to sign up to watch the discussion.

Now, on to this month’s book review:

Who could have imagined that a Depression-era project encouraged by Eleanor Roosevelt to promote literacy could find its way into Giver of Stars, by Jojo Moyes, an exciting and moving novel focused on a group of women who deliver library books in rural Kentucky?

The Giver of Stars, by Jojo Moyes, cover image

Brief Summary (no spoilers):

The women of the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky not only bring books to an isolated population, but they themselves also benefit from their work, receiving salaries, becoming close friends with their coworkers, and gaining self-confidence and independence unusual for women in their era and place.

As the novel unfolds, even this well-intentioned, successful project finds enemies opposed to a more literate community, which endangers the librarians and creates the central conflict of this story.

Characters:

This novel includes so many I can only mention a few, but the author paints each character in a memorable way.

Alice Van Cleve– young English woman, the protagonist, who escapes her culture’s constraints only to struggle with the realities of life as a newlywed in rural Kentucky
Geoffrey Van Cleve – owner of local coal mines who dominates the individuals and town within his reach
Bennett Van Cleve – Alice’s husband, lives under the shadow of his powerful father
Margery O’Hare – fiercely independent, freethinking head of the Packhorse Librarians
Fred Guisler– horse dealer, kind supporter of the Packhorse Librarians
Sophia Kenworth– Black woman who assists the librarians with record-keeping and common sense
Kathleen Bligh – Unassuming backwoods widow and mother of young children, she joins the Packhorse Librarians and aids them in an unexpected way
Verna McCullough – a young woman isolated for years in her family’s home on a remote ridge, she plays a key role in the resolution of the story
Sven Gustavsson– Fireman in the coal mines, he’s sympathetic to Alice and the Packhorse Librarians

Strengths:

A compelling read with complex, interesting characters, and a plot with many twists

Weakness:

I’m not in a position to judge this because I’ve read Giver of Stars and not The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, but questions have been raised about similarities between the two novels. Both deal with the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky, and Book Woman came out slightly earlier. If you’ve read both, I’d like to hear from you.

Content Review:

This novel contains descriptions of violence; multiple scenes focus on issues related to sexual intimacy, and discerning readers will find hints of the topic of incest.

My Recommendation:

If you enjoy deep immersion into an unfamiliar, yet American, culture, and can plow through its rough aspects, Giver of Stars will reward you with vivid, complex characters, and a strong plot. I found this novel both a difficult and yet a satisfying read.

Reader, can you share any knowledge about life in Appalachia?

It’s 1865: What’s a Woman to Do?

by CLR Peterson | Oct 8, 2022 | Book review, Historical novels, Medical History, U.S. Civil War, Women's Struggles

Suppose you nurtured a passion for your future and studied for years to prepare for it, only to have your father veto your choice!

What would you do?

In 1865, Vita, the teen daughter of a Massachusetts physician, dreams of following in her father’s footsteps, but he adamantly opposes her plan because of her gender.

The Physician’s Daughter, by Martha Conway, skillfully navigates this drama and the creative ways Vita pursues her ambition in an era when women have limited control over their destinies.

The Physician's Daughter, by Martha Conway, cover image

After Vita learns of women who have succeeded in becoming physicians, she devotes herself to joining their ranks.

In addition to external challenges, she confronts self-doubt as she realizes her ability to memorize medical facts is only one element in the skillset of a successful physician.

Vita must also deal with her family’s expectations that she will marry and settle into a traditional lifestyle. Her plan to marry but still pursue a career in medicine runs into problems, and the story reveals how she deals with them.

Characters:

Vita, the protagonist – elicits my sympathy for her plight and her smarts, even if her emotional intelligence develops slowly.
Jacob – a damaged veteran of the Civil War, he’s an interesting blend of old-fashioned and modern ideas (for his era), which makes him a challenge for Vita to understand.
Mitty – Vita’s mother, wife of Dar – I sympathized with her position in life, but I found her lacking as a support for Vita’s aspirations
Dar/ Dr. Tenney – Vita’s father, an old-school physician, dubious of women’s capabilities, he’s deeply affected by his son’s death near the end of the Civil War. When Vita brings up her desire to attend medical school, he responds with, “You think you can replace your brother? You hope to profit from our loss, like a turkey vulture? No one can take the place of my son.”
Freddy – Vita’s beloved brother, he dies at the end of the Civil War
Amelia – Vita’s younger sister, she’s very traditional and doesn’t support Vita’s dreams.

Strengths:

The Physician’s Daughter is an engaging portrait of life and women’s struggles in the Civil War era.

Weakness:

The portrayal of Dr. Tenney, Vita’s father, showed no sympathy for Vita; even before his son’s death, he never showed humanity or love toward Vita.

Content review:

The Physician’s Daughter includes descriptions of war wounds and intimacy within marriage.

If you enjoy reading about the Civil War era and how women in bygone times have struggled to overcome discrimination, this novel will inspire and appeal to you.

Reader, what novels about women have inspired you?