The Visionist: A Novel, by Rachel Urquhart
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The Visionist: A Novel, by Rachel Urquhart
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An enthralling first novel about a teenage girl who finds refuge--but perhaps not--in an 1840s Shaker community.After 15-year-old Polly Kimball sets fire to the family farm, killing her abusive father, she and her young brother find shelter in a Massachusetts Shaker community called the City of Hope. It is the Era of Manifestations, when young girls in Shaker enclaves all across the Northeast are experiencing extraordinary mystical visions, earning them the honorific of "Visionist" and bringing renown to their settlements.The City of Hope has not yet been blessed with a Visionist, but that changes when Polly arrives and is unexpectedly exalted. As she struggles to keep her dark secrets concealed in the face of increasing scrutiny, Polly finds herself in a life-changing friendship with a young Shaker sister named Charity, a girl who will stake everything-even her faith-on Polly's honesty and purity.
The Visionist: A Novel, by Rachel Urquhart- Amazon Sales Rank: #586010 in Books
- Brand: Urquhart, Rachel
- Published on: 2015-03-17
- Released on: 2015-03-17
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.25" h x 1.00" w x 5.50" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 368 pages
Amazon.com Review A Look Inside The Visionist
A Shaker “Gift Drawing”
Drawing of the Shaker Village at Enfield, CT
Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA
Spiral staircase, Trustees’ House, Pleasant Hill, Kentucky Shaker Settlement
Inside of a Shaker Meeting House
From Booklist Urquhart constructs this debut novel around a seminal era in Shaker history. Set in New England in the mid-nineteenth century during the “Era of Manifestations,” this tale explores the often paradoxical nature of a zealously rigid and charismatic belief system. After setting fire to her family’s farmhouse while her abusive father sleeps, 15-year-old Polly Kimball escapes with her mother and young brother in tow. Seeking refuge as indentured orphans in a Shaker community, Polly is mistakenly hailed as a “visionist,” inflaming spiritual passions and arousing suspicions among various citizens of the City of Hope. As Polly attempts to guard her secret, a determined private investigator works behind the scenes to uncover the truth about the fire. Although the pacing is a bit plodding at times, the subject matter and the historical setting are compelling. --Margaret Flanagan
Review PRAISE FOR THE VISIONIST:"Gripping, profound, and beautifully written, The Visionist takes us to a world where faith and fear exist simultaneously and safety has a price. A remarkable exploration of love in all its forms with complex characters who linger far beyond the final pages."―Brunonia Barry, author of THE LACE READER"The Visionist is both a haunting, beautifully imagined tale of lives devastated by cruelty and transformed by love, and a gorgeously evocative portrait of an 1840s Shaker settlement that is as startling as it is convincing."―Cathy Buchanan, author of THE PAINTED GIRLS"Rachel Urquhart's transporting debut The Visionist lifts the veil on the intriguing, mystical past world of the Massachusetts Shakers. Equal parts exquisite historical coming-of-age story and harrowing crime procedural, The Visionist breathes life into desperate young orphan Polly Kimball, weaving a complex and compelling drama about one of American history's most elusive religious communities. Lovers of historical fiction and seekers after truth will devour The Visionist just like I did."―Katherine Howe, New York Times bestselling author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane"Rachel Urquhart paints a fascinating, complex portrait of Shaker culture in early America. An unexpected coming of age story, a suspenseful mystery. But what makes The Visionist particularly engaging is its thoughtful examination of the nature of good and evil, and our struggle to recognize it in ourselves and in others."―Eowyn Ivey, New York Times bestselling author of The Snow Child"Beautifully written in the language and style of the 1840s, The Visionist is a fascinating story detailing an often overlooked religious sect: the Shakers."-The Gazette (Iowa City)"Urquhart captures in exquisite detail the cruel demands of grueling poverty in 1840s New England, and, by contrast, the orderly Shaker community... She layers The Visionist with many startling moments, from the chorus of consoling angels that come to Polly when her father visits her bed at night, to the lengths to which ways her courageous mother goes to protect her...And in the course of her lyrically written tale, she offers a fresh view of this mysterious religious sect." -National Public Radio"Urquhart has created a world rich in details and vibrant in its historical dimensions...Urquhart captures how the Shakers live, dance, dine, garden, heal and worship, but she also has a genuine feel for her characters' longings and devotion...The true virtue of this story is the meditative consideration of the value of hardship and the transformative nature of ecstasy. Like Marilynne Robinson's Gilead and Edward P. Jones's The Known World, The Visionist aspires to illuminate our understanding of faith, resilience, shame and forgiveness." - Amber Dermont, New York Times"The Visionist reads in parts like a Victorian thriller...but [it] is more than a mystery. Ms. Urquhart also takes a close look at the notions of justice, faith and morality that prevailed at the time and the struggles of those trying to live 'pure' lives...In a painstakingly researched novel framed by a suspenseful plot, Ms. Urquhart gives the reader an intriguing glimpse behind these doors." - The Wall Street Journal"A daring novel of secrets, revelations, and redemption...Rachel Urquhart's engrossing first novel...sparks a story of guild, greed, friendship, and fanatical piety in 19th-century Massachusetts." -O, the Oprah Magazine"Rich with history and mystical intrigue, Urquhart's American gothic is capable of sending chills across your skin one moment, then warming your heart the next...The story is as eerie as it is heartrending, weighing miracle against coincidence, deviation against sincerity, with the remnants of one rural family hanging in the balance. The Visionist will have you holding your breath until the final, magnificent revelation." - Shelf Awareness (Starred Review)"Rachel Urquhart's shatteringly original debut transports readers...The Visionist is told in three eloquent voices, Polly, Sister Charity and Simon Pryor, all blazingly alive, each walking a high-wire act of moral choices...writing so rich, so detailed, that you not only come to care for all the characters deeply, you also become so immersed in the world of the Shakers, you can almost feel the floor moving as they stomp in ecstatic dance. Part mystery and part thriller, The Visionist is also a shimmering exploration of identity." -San Francisco Chronicle"A simmering, brooding novel...[Urquhart] delivers a book perfectly suited to curling up with by the hearth...Both the era and the culture are deeply explored, as is the psyche of a tormented girl for whom it seems there is no safe haven." - The New York Daily News"Written in sparsely beautiful prose, Urquhart's novel is like reading Edith Wharton, the mood dark and subdued." - Curled Up With a Good Book
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Most helpful customer reviews
34 of 38 people found the following review helpful. The Visionist By Sandra Polly Kimball and her mother and brother were constantly at the mercy of her abusive father. When her drunken father came home one day, announcing that it was time for him to live on the farm alone, Polly knew that something had to be done. She loaded her terrified mother and brother into the wagon. When she took the lantern to check on her drunken, sleeping father one last time, his sudden movement startled her so greatly that she dropped the lantern. As they drove away, Polly watched the farm burn.Her mother drove them to the nearby City of Hope, a Shaker settlement. She dropped off both of her children and left. Confused and terrified, Polly, still fearful of her violent father, is seen as having visions during community prayer one evening. From then on, Polly, who considers herself to be a murderer, is now seen as a visionist, through which their founder, Ann Lee, can communicate with them.As the summary suggests, this was a really exciting and interesting book. Narrated in three persons, the reader is afforded three valuable viewpoints. The characters were well developed and very realistic. The setting was detailed and certainly influenced the storyline. Set in the mid 19th century in New England, the Shakers, at that time, were experiencing what they called the “Era of Manifestations”. During this ten-year period, many Shaker community members were said to be experiencing visions. Polly’s community, the City of Hope, just happened to be a community that was waiting for their own ‘visionist’ to spur on the faith. So the impact of Polly’s actions fell onto very fertile ground. Consequently, the tension built throughout the story, starting with the dramatic beginning.This book teaches the reader, in an interesting and unusual way, that things are not always as they appear. This book is filled with surprises. This is a great book!
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful. Lovely work, exquisite in delivery, magnificently researched. By Quickbeam Shaker history is a hobby of mine. They contributed so much to the US and are a bold page in the American story. I know enough to recognize solid footwork from shabby. This dark and mysterious novel is wonderfully woven with loving and fine attention to historical accuracy and detail. It is fiction but great care has been taken to represent Shaker life in as true a way as possible. The bibliography cites all the heavy hitters in Shaker scholarship. Ms. Urquhart deserves recognition for her investment in making this aspect as alive as possible.This novel revolves around the sad Kimball family, their escape from abuse and the use of a Shaker community as a safe haven. The story has 3 main characters: Polly, an abused child, Charity, a Shaker girl and Simon, an arson investigator. The story lines weave around one another until they merge. There is mystery, mysticism and consequence all braided together here. The story never falters. Character, plot and background are all unfolded with a skilled hand. I enjoyed every single page of this book. There is nothing more enjoyable than an inventive story in the hands of someone who can truly write.I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys strong plot in a historical context. I think it helps to have an enjoyment of Shaker history but I'd not say that is required. Excellent read; I look forward to more work from this author.
25 of 29 people found the following review helpful. Interesting Look into the World of the Shakers By Utah Mom Fearing for her life from her abusive father, 15 year old Polly Kimball sets fire to her house and helps her mother and younger brother escape. Her mother leads her to the community of Shakers to find refuge. With the Shakers, Polly will come to know the unique ways of the Shakers while being honored as a visionist. While Polly attempts to cover her secrets, there are those who suspect Polly is more than what she claims.Meanwhile, the fire inspector has been sent out to Polly's farm to discover the cause of the fire that destroyed the house and greedy men and women seek to claim the valuable land as their own.The Visionist by Rachel Urquhart had a lot of potential. The situation and characters were unique and it was interesting learning more about the Shakers. When we lived in New Hampshire, we drove often through the Shaker's community nearby and loved their beautiful, simple homes and lovely farms. Even so, I knew very little about their beliefs or customs, beyond the fact that they followed the guidelines set by their prophetess Ann Lee and that they lived a celibate life.I was immediately enthralled by Polly's story. She sought peace and safety from the world and The Shakers, who had forsaken the world, offered just what she needed. However, there was danger from within. Polly no longer was allowed to be with her younger brother Ben and she held her own secrets that would turn the other Shakers against her.The beginning of the book starts with plenty of action and excitement. The middle starts to lag and I almost abandoned the novel around 100 pages. Polly's friend Charity seems to say the same thing over and over. I persevered and thankfully, the novel has a dramatic and satisfying conclusion.
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