"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, soon 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 atmospheric period description and a strong sense of New England enhance this 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."--Publisher's blurb
About the author:
Mary Kronenwetter is by birth and disposition a New Englander and grew up in a 19th century Massachusetts farmhouse complete with barn and outbuildings, well, and stone wall-lined pasture and fields. She holds a doctorate in education and has taught at colleges in the United States, China, and Japan. Mary lives in the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region of New Hampshire and has served as a museum educator at Historic Deerfield, The John Hay Estate at The Fells and the Enfield Shaker Museum.
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