It’s 1901 and the mists of change are swirling. Queen Victoria’s reign is about to come to an end, and an obscure widow in Buffalo, New York, is about to attempt the impossible.
Meet the courageous Mrs Annie Edson Taylor. The bravest woman you’ve never heard of and the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel ―over a decade before any man dared to do the same.
Enter a world of lost fortunes and friendship, as Annie, grieving the past and determined to change the lives of the women around her, attempts to alter the course of history.
With a single jump, that is.
Paperback, 416 pages
Published October 1, 2024
by One More Chapter
3/5 stars
I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw the cover and realized the setting is close to my backyard. There’s nothing this Canadian reader loves more than reading historical fiction taking place in Canada. Though most of the story takes place across the border it does revolve around Annie Edson Taylor the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel .
It’s not a quick read coming in at 400 pages and after the first couple of chapters I did move over to the audiobook. It was a fascinating look at Annie’s life, her friendships with those residents of a boarding house she helps to run. A look into her past reveals her grief over the loss of loved ones, but also shows her with an independent spirit as she strives to take care of others.
Told not just from Annie’s point of view there were times I felt it a little disjointed, and even parts of the story were not necessary, making the book longer than it needed to be. That being said one couldn’t help feel for Annie and the things that go on in her life after her trip over the fall.
Queen of the Mist was an educational read that will appeal to those that like reading about unknown women in history.
This book was part of my 2024 reading off my shelf challenge.
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