Henrietta’s Journal: A Life of Compromise

Henrietta had a simple life — that is, until she married Julian and traveled from her home in England to live with him in South Carolina. Despite not fully understanding the lifestyle of those in the south, Henrietta settles into her new life in America. Having children and taking a job in her father in law’s business, Henrietta’s life, while more exciting than it once was, is still rather simple. However, there is much more in store for her than she ever expected. Soon her life and those of the people she loves are turned upside down and changed forever. 

"Henrietta's Journal" closely follows Henrietta's life through her entries. The author gives readers such an intimate look inside the main protagonist’s head that Henrietta becomes less of a character in a book and more like a friend. Moreover, most of the characters have so much depth and substance they come right off the page. However, there are a few plot points brought up in the book that are never addressed, which will leave readers feeling a bit confused and let down. One example is the status of women at the time, and the relationship between Henrietta and Julian. Julian goes from telling Henrietta he is her boss to her suddenly telling him what to do without any change in the husband’s personality. This sudden shift in personality allows the book to skip over critical issues it seemed to want to discuss but then did not. Despite this, the book does an excellent job keeping reader’s attention with plot twists and compelling, memorable characters. 

Hannah Hurdle