Pauper Auction

By: Mary Kronenwetter

Narrated by: Linda McGinnis

"A gorgeous and meticulously researched historical fiction examining a young woman’s struggle to escape unexpected poverty and find autonomy and purpose in early New England. Mankind are always seeking after happiness in some way or another." (Leavitt's Farmer's Almanac, 1805)

The fall from beloved wife of the town blacksmith to widowed pauper was swift. Margery Turner sits in the Thorneboro, New Hampshire meetinghouse on the second Tuesday of March, 1805. She and the other indigent town residents wait their turn to be auctioned out to the lowest bidder who will accept the paupers into their homes in return for town funds. The young widow and an abandoned child named Agnes find themselves taken in by farmer and ciderist Samuell Wheeler and his elderly mother, renowned bed rug maker Hannah Wheeler. Margery swears to herself that she will not forever remain a pauper in purse or purpose.

Secrets and sorrows live on the prosperous farm. An itinerant Abenaki stonemason, Sozap Wzôkhilain, known as Joseph, joins the household and touches each of their lives in unexpected ways. The farm is the setting for danger and tragedy as well as simple joys and blossoming love.

In Pauper Auction, strangers become friends, confidantes, and lovers. Tragedy becomes hope, and a family of the heart help each other find their futures, together and apart. Rich and sensory atmospheric period description and a strong sense of New England enhance the immersive narrative. Meticulously researched details of early 19th-century foodways, and the crafts of blacksmithing, traditional stone wall building, needlework, hearth cooking, and hard cider-making bring Margery's world to life.

The novel is a perfect book club pick with themes that transcend time. A significant afterword and discussion questions are included in the audiobook.

©2022 Mary Kronenwetter (P)2022 Mary Kronenwetter

I was hooked after the first chapter

After listening to the first chapter of Pauper Auction I was hooked. I had not heard of a “pauper auction” before, but the author Mary Kronenwetter explained it by putting it in the context of a New England town meeting in 1805. And before realizing it, I was there with the main characters experiencing life two hundred years ago and it seemed perfectly familiar. Making cider, blacksmithing, dying fabrics for blankets and building stone walls were the necessities of life back then and are the ardent pursuits of crafters and artisans today.

As the story continued, other themes appeared such as the challenge of assimilating Native American, First Nation and French Canadian culture into a relatively new country. Plus the growing love between two men and the perseverance of strong women at a time when they were not even acknowledged by their community.

Even the animals in the story had special significance. When I heard that the horses names were Persephone and Demeter (the Greek goddess of agriculture), I immediately thought of the new statue of Ceres (the Roman equivalent) being hoisted by a crane to the top of the capitol building in Montpelier Vermont in 2018. And as a dog lover and massage therapist I was especially moved when the dog Azeban (an Abenaki word) sensed the impending death of one of the characters and lay down on her feet to provide companionship and “touching” in her last moments.

My favorite chapter was the last one where all of the previous threads were wrapped into a very satisfying ending (and beginning) for the characters in the book. All of the hard work of the individuals was rewarded with the promise of a new and fulfilling future. I was personally filled with hope at the end. The afterword by the author was also a nice soft landing after finishing the story.

The narrator Linda McGinnis was perfect, and used different voices for the different characters without sounding fake or exaggerated. When I listen to a novel I don’t want to hear what the author might have been thinking while writing, I just want to be pulled into the story. That was part of the magic of this audiobook, and is a compliment to both the writer and narrator.

Chuck Laufer
Williamstown Vermont

This book stole my heart!

This book stole my heart, and kept me captivated throughout an entire sunny vacation in Mexico! I was completely immersed in the 19 century setting as author uses skillful language and engaging plot. I feel the book has great educational value about customs, traditions and the life challenges of this era. The women's characters bring so much life wisdom, human love and acceptance-it's simply empowering to read their story.

Beautiful story about little known history

This novel is so quietly beautiful, and so well-researched. I was pulled in immediately both the author's words and the narrator's voice. Set in New Hampshire in the early 1800s, it expertly describes how small town New England developed a social safety net for those who become destitute. It also deftly explores the themes of found family, of love in multiple forms, of the hardships and beauty of daily life of the time period. The narrator captures the various characters in such a way as to keep the story vividly alive. Read this book. It's historical fiction at its best. You will love it.