The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers

The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers review.  Post may contain affiliate links. 

The Second Mrs. Hockaday is a novel that takes place during the civil war.  It is told though diary entries and letters.

We are introduced to the main character, Placida as she is meeting her husband to be, Major Hockaday.  Though she is still a teenager and has just met the gentleman, she agrees to marry him.  They set off to his farm, where a servant girl and a son, Charles,  from major Hockaday’s previous marriage are waiting.

Almost immediately the major must leave for war and Placidia is left to run the farm and take care of the baby Charles.

Through the letters we learn that events transpired while Major Hockaday was away fighting the war and that Placidia is accused of having a child and killing that child while he was gone.

I have to admit that I was confused a lot of the time while I was reading it.  There are many characters and with the story being told in letters, it was sometimes difficult to keep track of them.  I’m not sure that specific technique helped the storyline.

It did hold my interest from beginning to end.

I received an ARC copy of the book.