*Editorial Book Review*
Censored Angel
Forgotten Women, Book #2
by Joan Koster
A nineteenth century mystic marriage counselor and her angel lover battle the Inquisitor of Smut in this biographical historical novel based on a true story.
She will not be silenced! Brilliant, corseted, and haunted by spirits from the Borderlands, a young girl turns her back on the constrictions of Victorian society and strikes out on her own, becoming a mystic marriage counselor. Teaching women the joys of love puts her in the crosshairs of Anthony Comstock, the nation’s Anti-Obscenity Postal Inspector. He promises to silence her forever. She vows to bring him down. With prison looming, Ida and her angel lover must prepare for a battle they may not be able to win.
Book 2 in the Forgotten Women Series
“You will accomplish great things, Ida. Do not let anyone dissuade you otherwise. Be brave, be bold, and be assured that I and the angels love you and watch over you, and will for all the days of your life.”
There is a fine line between angels and demons, for all demons were once angels. It is telling the difference that is the difficult part, for demons are very good at disguising themselves. Ida Craddock had always grown up presuming the worst of those around her, for her mother did the very same. It is often wondered that life might be better for everyone involved if Ida’s sister, Nan, had survived instead of her. At least Nan would have their mother’s love. Hence, when Ida finds herself surrounded by spirits, she presumes them demons, rather than angels.
As Ida grows, so do her ideas and plans. She would love to be the first woman to attend the University of Pennsylvania, but as she finds hurdles in the form of social constructs standing in her way, Ida begins to see just how unfair the world can be. When a close friend confides in her about her fears and misery regarding the marriage bed, Ida knows she cannot simply stand by and let countless women walk into marriage without knowing what is to come, or how they should approach the matter of intimate relations.
Censored Angel: Eye-Opening Historical Fiction (Forgotten Women Book 2) by Joan Koster is a glimpse into life under ‘freedom of speech’ in the late 1800s – as long as you were not a woman.
Koster has accomplished what Ida would have hoped for. Ida’s story is out there, for all to find out about, and yet, she is still a mystery to some. She is a historical individual I had never before come across, and to learn about her life in such detail was incredibly interesting and an absolute pleasure. The amount of time that has gone into this book is clear, for it has been written based on what little material is available about Ida’s life, including news articles and letters. With the amount of propaganda against Ida’s work in her mission to educate both men and women in the matter of sexual relations, a novel crafted so excellently from such sources is commendable.
There are a shocking amount of similarities between the contents of this book and some modern issues surrounding women’s right to freedom. Ida experiences a lot of discrimination as a woman, and attempting to enter the medical field is nearly impossible for her. She is not taken seriously, believed to be inferior in intellect to men, and at times is accused of hysteria. Her beliefs were radical for the time, but even her own mother jumped to the ‘solution’ of institutionalisation. That a woman with feelings and a strong point of view, not adhering to the path society deems it necessary she takes, is viewed as mentally unstable shows how much the world was, and still is, brainwashed to view women as inferior, emotional creatures who need controlling to ensure they do as they should. However, with Ida sharing these views so publicly, she put her own life in danger as she demonstrated that ‘freedom of speech’ did not include freedom for women to speak. This book approaches the topic from Ida’s point of view, and will certainly make you feel very strongly about the unfair treatment of women in both professional and social situations.
It is disturbing to know how little young women were told about marital relations before they committed themselves to a man. For a long time, Ida does not truly understand what actually happens between a man and woman in the marriage bed, for no one can supply her with the information. It is not to be spoken of between women, and books either do not specifically talk about the act, or risk being banned and the author tracked down. Ida’s mission is largely disturbed by Anthony Comstock, the United States Postal Inspector. The unequal power balance is clear, for while Ida has to fight for her right to speak aloud her thoughts, Comstock has the newspapers on his side, and is not concerned with simply having to take down one woman. Comstock is not actively in this book for very long, but his presence is known throughout, and an uncomfortable, ominous feeling lurks in the pages, for his reach and power are made very clear. There were many times when I feared for Ida’s safety, simply because Comstock may learn of what she was doing.
The spiritual aspect of this book was interesting, as Ida seemed to move away from it many times, and return when it proved convenient. She could not offer marriage counselling without a degree, and she would not be taken too seriously as an unmarried woman. On the other hand, spiritualistic marriage guidance was something different altogether. I certainly admire Ida’s perseverance and commitment to spreading the knowledge she so desperately needed to. The spiritualistic side of this book certainly provided Ida guidance when there was nothing else to guide her.
Ida’s journey is one so intricate and intense, you can’t simply tell the story. Censored Angel: Eye-Opening Historical Fiction (Forgotten Women Book 2) by Joan Koster solves the issue, for this book does not tell Ida’s story, it has brought her back to life so you can follow her every move as if she were part of current affairs. Ida Craddock lived to reach as many people as she possibly could with her information and views on the true freedom of speech, and Koster has ensured that she will not be lost to history. Ida lives within the pages of this book, and to read the novel is to be transported back to the oppression of America in the late 1800s, and live the struggle alongside Ida.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Ellie Yarde
The Coffee Pot Book Club
When she is not writing in her studio by the sea, Joan Koster lives with her historian husband and a coon cat named Cleo in an 1860s farmhouse stacked to the ceiling with books. In a life full of adventures, she has scaled mountains, chased sheep, and been abandoned on an island for longer than she wants to remember.
An award-winning author who loves mentoring writers, Joan blends her love of history, and romance into historical novels about women who shouldn’t be forgotten and into romantic thrillers under the pen name, Zara West. She is the author of the award-winning romantic suspense series The Skin Quartet and the top-selling Write for Success series.
Joan blogs at JoanKoster.com, Women Words and Wisdom, American Civil War Voice, Zara West Romance, and Zara West’s Journal and teaches numerous online writing courses.
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