Named one of the Best Books of 2012 by Kirkus Reviews.
“Powerful….brilliantly written… Czepiel affords readers a finely tuned study in human endurance. An excellent debut.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Fully imagined and a beautifully written book, the transport complete and unforgettable. It’s a wonderful debut.” — Robert Olmstead, author of The Coldest Night
“As a writer I say, ‘Kudos to Kathy Leonard Czepiel.’ As a reader I say, ‘More!’” — Sally Gunning, author of The Rebellion of Jane Clark
“Illuminates the sometimes heartbreaking choices women can face as they struggle to preserve their families, their marriages, their very sense of self.” — Lauren Belfer, author of A Fierce Radiance
“Czepiel’s narrative is hopeful, painful and empowering. Rich in historical detail.” — Taylor Polites, author of The Rebel Wife
The violet industry is booming in 1898, and a Hudson Valley farm owned by the Fletcher family is turning a generous profit for its two oldest brothers. But Ida Fletcher, married to the black sheep youngest brother, has taken up wet nursing to help pay the bills, and her daughter, Alice, has left school to work. As they risk losing their share of the farm, the two women make increasingly great sacrifices for their family’s survival, sacrifices that will set them against one another in a lifelong struggle for honesty and forgiveness. A Violet Season is the story of an unforgettable mother-daughter journey in a time when women were just waking to their own power and independence.