Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule

De: Jennifer Chiaverini

Narrado por: Christina Moore

In 1844, Missouri belle Julia Dent met dazzling horseman Lieutenant Ulysses S Grant. Four years passed before their parents permitted them to wed, and the groom's abolitionist family refused to attend the ceremony. Since childhood, Julia owned as a slave another Julia, known as Jule. Jule guarded her mistress' closely held twin secrets: She had perilously poor vision but was gifted with prophetic sight. So it was that Jule became Julia's eyes to the world. And what a world it was, marked by gathering clouds of war.

The Grants vowed never to be separated, but as Ulysses rose through the ranks - becoming general in chief of the Union Army - so did the stakes of their pact. During the war, Julia would travel, often in the company of Jule and the four Grant children, facing unreliable transportation and certain danger to be at her husband's side. Yet Julia and Jule saw two different wars. While Julia spoke out for women - Union and Confederate - she continued to hold Jule as a slave behind Union lines. Upon the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Jule claimed her freedom and rose to prominence as a businesswoman in her own right, taking the honorary title Madame. The two women's paths continued to cross throughout the Grants' White House years in Washington, DC, and later in New York City, the site of Grant’s Tomb.

©2015 Jennifer Chiaverini (P)2015 Recorded Books

Excellent

This book was published March 3, 2015. The book follows the lives of two girls: Julia Dent and her slave Jule. As children they were best of friends and were always together. As they grew older the line between master and slave grew.

Julia married Ulysses Grant and despite his loyalty to the Union their marriage succeeded. Ulysses quickly rose in the ranks and Julia traveled with him from post to post. While the Civil war raged, Jule was battling her loyalty to Julia and her desire to be free. Julia Grant found it difficult to write, read and sew because she was cross-eyed. Chiaverini demonstrated repeatedly in the story how much difficulty Julia had with her vision problems and myopia.

The author paints a dramatic picture of the Civil War, from the assassination of Lincoln to Grant’s presidency as we follow the lives of Julia and Jule. Jule is able to read and is a gifted hairdresser. She is determined to make her own mark on society. I just finished read the book “First Lady of the Confederacy” by Joan E. Cashin about Varnia Howell Davis. Both books tell about the post Civil War friendship between Julia Grant and Varnia Davis and their work to bring the country together after the War. Julia Grant with the help of her son General Frederick Dent Grant arranged the military funeral in New York for Varnia Davis.

This book provides an inside look at the wife of Ulysses Grant and reveals her life as First Lady. Julia Grant apparently enjoyed being first lady. This is a well written and fascinating book about the life of Julia Dent Grant. Christina Moore narrated the book.

I’d listen to it again.

I really enjoyed this book. Everything about it. I wish Christina Moore would narrate every book I listen to.

very good

i enjoyed this book. It was , however, mainly about the Grants and a little about Jules, Mrs.. Grants slave. I was disappointed when I researched this that just about all the Jules portion was totally fictional. There was also never a Gabriel... .

I absolutely loved the story!

The only problem I had was with the audio it gets quiet and then loud 5 seconds later and repeats. It throws you off after a while.

Mr and Mrs Grant incredible love story

Wonderful story, full of depth and excellent writing. So moving and real. Very highly recommend for anyone who enjoys civil war history.Thank you for bringing to life this wonderful couple.

Narrator

I enjoyed the book very much & loved the history of the Civil War. My only complaint is that the narrator mispronounced the city of Cairo in Illinois. It was annoying.

Another good civil war story

The narrator’s voice fades out often-I would guess this is an engineering issue in the recording.
I enjoyed reading/listening from the perspective of the wife of US Grant, whose persona has a lot of layers.

Fantastic Book!!!

I love history - this book was written so that I didn’t want to miss a single word. I’m already a fan of Jennifer Chiaverini. One can read any of her books and be drawn into the story.

Two Stories, Two Woman, Two Destines

If you could sum up Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule in three words, what would they be?

Desperation, Denial and Deliverance

If you’ve listened to books by Jennifer Chiaverini before, how does this one compare?

This book gave a more historical timeline, The focus leaned heavy on Mrs. Grant and her narrative and less on Madame Jule. I felt that the author relegated Madame Jule's story as a accent to the more important Mr. and Mrs. Grant, after all she was just the slave.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene When Madame Jule, informs Mrs. Grant that she no longer wish to be her slave, and their relationship ends right there.

Who was the most memorable character of Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule and why?

Ulysses S. Grant is the most memorable character, because he was the one making history. The pecking order of the time Ulysses S.Grant, Mrs. Grant, and Madame Jule. The book most definitely reflected the male superiority of the era, and woman's complacent acceptance of that fact.

Any additional comments?

Good book, I learned a lot.

Good story, disappointing ending.

What made the experience of listening to Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule the most enjoyable?

I really enjoyed both of the main characters. Chiaverini doesn't sugar coat either woman.

What other book might you compare Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule to and why?

I would compare this book to Mrs. Lincoln's rival. A very good character story, that occasionally gets bogged down with too many Civil War details.

Which character – as performed by Christina Moore – was your favorite?

I liked both Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule equally, though both were annoying at times. They weren't predictable, which is refreshing.

If you could take any character from Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I think Madame Jule would be fascinating to visit with. Her life seems very genuine, difficult but rewarding. I'm not sure I could relate to Mrs. Grant.

Any additional comments?

If you like historical fiction, give it a try.