Official Review: Weeper by Greg Morgan

[Praise GodWord]

From this review, I can spot a family that is ruin already with the way Augustus is being treated. I really want to go find out the endpoint of this story.

[Miraphery]

I'm not a fan of historical fiction myself but your review compels me to read this one. It would be enlightening to learn about the warners and weepers. Thanks for the great review.

[Goodness C N]

The storyline of this book is fascinating and will definitely be a good read for bibliophiles. Book of the day!

[Atieno Magero]

This seems like an I historical fiction novel. I really like the storyline and I can't wait to read this book. Great review!

[B Sheila Holt]

I was reading the sample pages and could easily have continued on, but came here to read your review before reading on. I’m glad I did!! Your review is unbelievable!! You have helped me to see that I truly do want to go finish reading this story.
I also had never heard of these jobs during funerals. Such interesting reading; both in the sample pages and in your review.
Thank you!!

[rifieka]

A historical fiction that will grip you on the throat to the very end. A love so forbidden that it not only breaks their hearts, it breaks yours as well. A character so deep that you'll fall in love. Don't be surprised to cry because of this book, or any book for that matter, because books are entire universes different from our own. And if you can't sympathize with other people's worries or hurt, then, are you even human??

[Fabulous mind]

It's sad Augustus had to be treated in such manner. I will like to know if he overcame all these bullying from his fellows. This seems like an amazing book to read, congrats on Botd.

[rifieka]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Weeper" by Greg Morgan.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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When people died in the mid-eighteen hundreds, it was common for families to employ the skills of warners and weepers. Warners would ensure the dead were ready for burial, and weepers were paid to attend funerals and weep for those who had passed. While both were crucial aids for the families in mourning, they did not mix—they most certainly did not fall in love.

Married warner, Archer True, is besotted with weeper, Charlotte Fenn. They carry on a secret affair, which results in Charlotte becoming pregnant. Knowing they can never be together, Charlotte agrees to allow Archer and his wife to take her baby, Augustus, and raise him as their own. Charlotte is heartbroken and secretly tries to follow Augustus' movements over the years.

Augustus True has always been treated differently than his siblings—it seemed like his very presence irritated Mrs. True, who didn't hide her disdain for him. When he and his brother, Jefferson, are sent away to a prestigious military school, he is excited about the experience. Still, he quickly learns that his happiness is premature when it is revealed that his parents sold him to the school to work as payment for Jefferson's education.

Why would his parents do this to him, and how will he overcome other cadets' constant bullying?

Weeper by Greg Morgan is a story about love, loss, and resilience. The emotionally driven book spans the decades between 1840 and 1887—starting in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. The family saga is written from the third-person perspective. It follows Charlotte Fenn, Archer True, and Augustus True as they grapple with war, illness, and losing loved ones. At nearly four hundred pages, the reading journey was long but unequivocally rewarding.

In the past, I tended to steer clear of historical fiction. In particular, stories that took place during the war, but am I ever happy that I chose to push aside my previous reservations to make room for this literary gem! One of my favorite aspects of the story was learning tidbits about the battles that took place during the Civil War, and, of course, the eye-opening world of the funeral business. Maybe I had been living under a rock, but before being enlightened by the author, I had no prior knowledge regarding the art of weeping.

I fell in love with Augustus' character—from his troublesome childhood stutter to his sheer determination to rise above his parents' reprehensible behavior, he continuously showed he was able to weather any storm. Moreover, I was delighted to learn that he earned his stripes not by fighting in the war, but by caring for the severely injured. I always cheer for the underdog, and in this case, I was cheering for Augustus. Needless to say, his character evolution was my favorite part of the book.

I feel compelled to talk about the author's decision to explore the plight of forbidden love. While there were many heartbreaking scenes, I commend the author for providing the harsh reality—sometimes love, on its own, isn't enough. Sometimes, the odds are not stacked in our favor, and the stars cannot align.

While I could sing the book's praises from the top of my lungs, the writing had one irksome quality. I found that the story was going along at a relatively steady pace until the last quarter. Without giving anything away, I was surprised by a specific outcome, which led to me having to go back a few chapters to see if I'd missed something. It turns out, I didn't miss anything, but the scene of importance was absent from the story. The author could easily rectify this by making sure to expand upon changes to important relationships.

Weeper was impressively written, and I found no issues with grammar or spelling. It was beautifully formatted and had insightful quotes at the beginning of each chapter. With that being said, I believe this masterpiece deserves the highest rating. I have chosen to give the book a rating of four out of four stars—it's character-driven, unique, and undeniably endearing.

I would recommend the book to readers who are fans of family dramas spanning many years. Those who love books that take place around the nineteenth century will enjoy this period piece. I would not recommend the book to readers looking for a quick, light read; Weeper is long and emotionally taxing.

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Weeper
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I'm not actually new to the art of warning and weeping, well, because it's a thing in my culture. I'm from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. And like Ethiopia, many countries in Africa probably have this art integrated in their culture as well. I'm guessing that's where the author picked up this interesting piece to incorporate in his book

[Nzube Chizoba Okeke]

Never knew something like warners and weepers existed. It's a great revelation.

I really believe I'd love this book. Congrats on BOTD!

[rifieka]

It's sad Augustus had to be treated in such manner. I will like to know if he overcame all these bullying from his fellows. This seems like an amazing book to read, congrats on Botd.

Doesn't the story end in this book? Does it leave room for book two?

[J_odoyo]

This story of love, loss, and resilience is definitely a great book. I love book involving family dramas, and I think this is one such. Added in my to-read list. Congrats on the BOTD!

[dragonet07]

This story sounds incredibly emotional, from the affair to the resulting child who is ostracized and mistreated, having to find his own way when he’s sold to a military academy to pay for his brother’s education at the same institution. It’s also intriguing that it brings in little-known aspects of funeral services during this time in American history. I can’t invest in such a long read right now, but I’ll remember this book for when I do. Thank you for the helpful review.

[jaliper]

This looks so intriguing. Aside from it's historical genre, it looks like there are a lot of twists and turns that keeps things moving and interesting. So excited to five into this. Thanks!

[Lorraine De Vos]

Thank you for sharing your review with us. It sounds like you truly enjoyed this historical fiction, but I am not looking for a long emotional read at the moment, so I think I will pass on this one.

[odlanra]

A very honest, complete and good review! The review found something not clearly emphasized in the story and yet gave the book the maximum rating. The story line of the book then is really appealing. Indeed, the review showed it is filled with a heavy love and family drama spanning decades. I would not have paid attention to the story since its setting is somewhat frightening or disturbing, my opinion, - paid personnel in a funeral. Why had the author chosen such a background? But the review changed my first impression. I just think and prefer that instead of referring to “a forbidden love”, the review alternatively could have highlighted that the story suggest an unintended incest, as stated in the product description of the book, both to warn unwilling adult readers and younger ones who might not be of age or to incite intrigue and willingness for others to read the book.