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Lilli de Jong A Novel Janet Benton 9780385541459 Books

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Lilli de Jong A Novel Janet Benton 9780385541459 Books

Some books just become part of you. That's how I feel after reading this beautifully written, haunting and ultimately uplifting book. Benton combines her mastery of language and story with the fascinating history of a laregly unexplored group of Philadelphia Quakers to tell the intimate story of a woman who feels deeply, notices everything, and allows us a glimpse into the past that truly brings it alive. One of my top ten books of all time. Thank you Janet Benton!


Tags : Lilli de Jong: A Novel [Janet Benton] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>“A powerful, authentic voice for a generation of women whose struggles were erased from history—a heart-smashing debut that completely satisfies.” <b>—Jamie Ford,Janet Benton,Lilli de Jong: A Novel,Nan A. Talese,0385541457,Family Life,Historical,Literary,Diary fiction,Domestic fiction,Historical fiction,Mother and child,Mother and child;Fiction.,Pennsylvania,Pennsylvania - Social life and customs - 19th century,Philadelphia (Pa.) - Social life and customs - 19th century,Psychological fiction,Quaker women,Quaker women;Fiction.,Self-actualization (Psychology) in women,Unmarried mothers,Unmarried mothers;Fiction.,AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION,FICTION Family Life General,FICTION Historical General,FICTION Literary,Fiction,Fiction-Historical,FictionFamily Life - General,FictionLiterary,GENERAL,General Adult,novel; fiction; literary fiction; motherhood; Quaker; single motherhood; raising a child alone; pregnancy; romance; 19th century America; Philadelphia; parenting; mother daughter relationship; Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Dutch; Historical fiction; family; diary; journal; first person; love; historical; marriage; wwii; historical fiction books; family saga; novels; historical fiction novels; fiction books; literature; england; sisters; friendship; family life; contemporary fiction; letters; relationships,novel;fiction;literary fiction;motherhood;Quaker;single motherhood;pregnancy;romance;19th century America;Philadelphia;parenting;mother daughter relationship;Pennsylvania;Pennsylvania Dutch;Historical fiction;family;diary;journal;first person;love;novels;historical;historical fiction books;historical fiction novels;alternate history;historical fiction;fiction books;historical novels;literature;books fiction;realistic fiction books;books historical fiction;wwii;england;sisters;marriage;friendship

Lilli de Jong A Novel Janet Benton 9780385541459 Books Reviews

”My time of shame began in glory.”

Lilli de Jong is a 23 year-old teacher, a Quaker whose mother’s death a year ago, in 1882, has changed her, her family. Her mother, a woman whose faith was strong, whose words were wise, whose life was built on the tenet of compassion. Lilli can’t help but wonder what her mother would think of her situation as she sits with her roommate in the room with the birthing table at the Philadelphia Haven for Women and Infants. Had she remained home, she would have been shunned by the members, but would her mother have shown her the compassion she extended to others?

Johan, a friend of her brother Peter, is often in and out of their home, sees her grieving. In an effort to comfort Lilli, he offers to accompany her skating, and it is on that day that Johan becomes ”the pinpoint of light by which I charted my path. It may be that the explanation for my unwise surrender to him lies herein, that I couldn’t perceive my own guiding star, or find it in the Light everlasting.”

”When all else fell away, one shelter remained. I’ll call it now the house of Johan. I entered it gladly in spring last year, on a Fifth Month evening.”

He’s promised himself to her, and she to him, as well, but he is going away in the morning, along with her brother Peter to Pittsburgh, both looking for a life with a future that looks nothing like the one they have there. That evening they seal their betrothal with an act of intimacy reserved for those properly married in the eyes of God, and in the morning he is gone.

Months pass. No letters from Johan. She’s thrown out of her home when her body no longer hides the truth of the child she is carrying.

This is the story of Lilli de Jong, and her infant, and Lilli’s struggle for them to survive against all odds. She will do almost anything in order for her baby to survive, but in an era where almost every option to provide a life for a family was closed to her, she had very few options. Those that she did have were, for the most part, dangerous, disagreeable, and despicable. You’ll feel it all, the dirt and grime of Philadelphia, the self-loathing that is mitigated by looking into her baby’s eyes, and knowing that whatever act she’s just committed has brought her one day closer to a way out. Life lived one day at a time with eyes kept on that indefatigable hope she still manages to hold onto. The city, the people, the way outsiders look at her with disgust. The shame, but there is also a fierce self of preservation, she will stop at nothing to protect her child. Most of all, there is an abundant amount of love.

”To love is to risk. To risk is to suffer.”

Told through the pages of her journal, you’ll be privy to her thoughts and struggles with giving up her newborn, her thoughts on her faith and how that plays into some of the decisions she makes, her regrets and hopes for their future. All of her thoughts that go into her decision to keep her child.

Janet Benton’s debut is a remarkable and heartrending debut, a riveting view at the lack of prospects for unwed mothers in this place and time. It isn’t always a pretty picture, but Benton’s lovely writing and her mesmerizing story makes wish I were still inside these pages.

“The doctor cut the fleshly cord that connected us, but an invisible one has taken its place. I begin to suspect that this one can be neither cut nor broken.”

“As you wander through this troubled world
In search of all things beautiful
You can close your eyes when you're miles away
And hear my voice like a serenade

How long do you want to be loved?
Is forever enough, is forever enough?
How long do you want to be loved?
Is forever enough?
'Cause I'm never, never giving you up
Is forever enough?
'Cause I'm never, never giving you up”

Dixie Chicks – “Lullaby” written by Billy Joel

Recommended
Lilli de Jong captured my attention and held it over the course of the weekend it took to finish her story. This debut novel by Janet Benton is set in 1883 Philadelphia, but Lilli’s troubles are timeless. After her mother’s death, the men in Lilli’s life fail to take her into consideration, and her losses multiply. Lilli’s voice kept me reading late into the night; her words whispered to me while I drank my morning tea at the kitchen counter, racing to discover her fate. Lilli’s love for her daughter Charlotte is fierce; the determination with which she acts on her devotion stirred my heart. II wish my mother were still alive, so we could read it together. I hope my granddaughter will love it as much as I do.
This story is well written, often like poetry. And the author's wonder of the beauty of the world is evident, even despite the difficult and at times painful events depicted. I enjoy historical fiction and stories of women's lives, and this one delivers on both counts. I also enjoyed learning about the Quaker philosophy and lifestyle.

I found the characters, relationships and story to be well developed. I read a couple of reviews where they felt there was too much description breast feeding. I did not feel this to be the case, I felt it was appropriate and supportive to the story. I also really enjoyed the author's notes that explained her process and experience.

I purchased and listened to this book on Audible. I have recently discovered that I love listening to fiction vs. reading it. However, sometimes, if I can't connect with the voice of the reader, I can't enjoy the book. This is definitely not the case with this book! Erin Moon did a beautiful job, I felt like I was listening to the voice of the main character. Her energy and interpretation of all of the characters was very engaging.

Note There is some explicit sexual content, so probably best for readers over 17.
From the moment I began this book, I could not put it down. Lilli de Jong became a living, breathing character for me, and I was intensely moved by her trials and her fierce spirit. Beautifully written, this novel pulls you into late 19th century life in a way that feels contemporary. The places, characters, language and events feel authentically of their time, and yet Lilli and her story feel as relevant and current as if they were set in the present. As I neared the end, I had that bittersweet experience of needing to know what Lilli’s fate would be, and also not wanting her story to end! Lilli de Jong is a work of genius, and I encourage all people who love reading, and are moved by great stories, to read this book!
Some books just become part of you. That's how I feel after reading this beautifully written, haunting and ultimately uplifting book. Benton combines her mastery of language and story with the fascinating history of a laregly unexplored group of Philadelphia Quakers to tell the intimate story of a woman who feels deeply, notices everything, and allows us a glimpse into the past that truly brings it alive. One of my top ten books of all time. Thank you Janet Benton!