Unruly Human Hearts
Elizabeth Tilton, a devout housewife, shares liberal ideals with her journalist husband, Theodore, and her pastor, Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, both influential reformers of the Reconstruction Era. She is torn between admiration for her husband’s stand on women’s rights and resentment of his dominating ways. When Theodore justifies his extramarital affairs in terms of the “free love” doctrine that marriage should not restrict other genuine loves, she finds the courage to express her feelings for Reverend Beecher.
The three partners in this triangle struggle with love, desire, jealousy, fear of public exposure, and legal battles. Once passion for her pastor undermines the moral certainties of her generation, Elizabeth enters uncharted territory. Telling the truth may cost her everything. Can a woman accustomed to following the lead of men find her own path and define her own truth?
What early readers are saying about Unruly Human Hearts...
“In Unruly Human Hearts, Barbara Southard masterfully unravels the poignant story of Elizabeth Tilton, ensnared in a scandalous love triangle of the 1870s. Rich with period detail and emotional depth, Southard’s flawless reimagining brings to life a time when a woman’s desires and concerns were considered a fault. Elizabeth's journey of resilience and self-discovery amidst societal constraints is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. With an eye for historical accuracy and a gift for heartfelt storytelling, Barbara illuminates the struggle of a courageous woman ahead of her time, whose fight for dignity and understanding serves as a stark reminder that the quest for gender equality and freedom remains as an ongoing challenge.”
Elba Iris Pérez, author of The Things We Didn’t Know
"Free love"? Elizabeth Tilton wasn't counting on the two well-known men she loved at the same time to attack each other so vehemently, shattering her life, but neither were they expecting her to finally admit her own truth so openly. In this complex portrait of power, lies, and sexual attraction, Barbara Southard conveys foibles not too removed from the present yet peppered with the intricacies of nineteenth-century characters and situations that engross readers. I couldn't put this novel down.”
María Soledad Rodríguez, English Department, University of Puerto Rico
“Imposition of impossible goals, insensitive statements, lies, taking your children away, shame, physical threats, gaslighting—women undergo similar incidents of violence no matter the times and circumstances. Elizabeth Tilton is a mirror to our own experiences. Unruly Human Hearts speaks to our world with loudspeakers, leaving us with a sense of impotence, rage, and hope. It sheds light on suffragist women in the US and women who fight for their rights everywhere.”
Yolanda Rivera Castillo author of Emergencia de la luz and Baladas de tentación y destierro.
