Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Jo Montfort is the daughter of one of the richest men in New York City. As such, she is expected to marry a wealthy bachelor and live a life of ease. But Jo yearns for more. She has aspirations to be the next, Nellie Bly, and become an investigative reporter. When Jo’s father is found dead in his study, Jo teams up with a handsome, young reporter named, Eddie, to investigate his death. Jo and Eddie’s investigation takes Jo far from her sheltered, upper-class environment and exposes her to a part of society she had only previously read about. Will Jo solve the mystery of her father’s death? Will she find the life and the love that she has always dreamed about? And will she survive long enough to do so? After all, secrets can’t stay buried forever… especially when buried in shallow graves! Continue reading below for my full review and feel free to leave a comment!

Shannon’s Rating — PG-13

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

“America is now wholly given over to a damned mob of scribbling women, and I should have no chance of success while the public taste is occupied with their trash…”

Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of the acclaimed novel, “The Scarlet Letter,” wrote those words in a letter to his publisher towards the end of the nineteenth century.  He was referring to women who dared break social conventions and write for newspapers and other publications. Gasp! How dare they!

Throughout the 1880’s and 1890’s, women pioneered a new form of investigative journalism.  They are sometimes referred to as “girl stunt reporters.”  Nellie Bly was the most famous of these female journalists.  She began her career writing newspaper articles that shed light on the horrible working conditions of lower-class women. But her most famous exploit was when she had herself committed to an insane asylum in order to secretly observe the horrid conditions there.  Her report entitled, “Ten Days in a Mad-House,” caused a sensation.  Not only did it lead to an investigation and reform of the asylum, but it also made Nellie Bly a celebrity. Through her courage and grit, Bly paved the way for other young women in the journalism field.  In 1880, women journalists were, for the most part, confined to writing articles about mundane domestic affairs. But by 1900, newspapers were publishing more bylines written by women than men. This was largely in part due to these “girl stunt reporters” who were willing to go undercover in deplorable conditions for their stories.

One of these “scribbling women,” whom Nathaniel Hawthorne found so distasteful, is at the heart of this engrossing novel, “These Shallow Graves,” by Jennifer Donnelly.

Josephine Montfort appears to have it all.  She’s from a wealthy, upper-class family living in New York City in 1890.  She’s expected to marry well and want for nothing.  But Jo yearns for more to her life than an endless parade of balls, parties and luncheons.  She knows her place in society but feels trapped. Jo dreams of following in the footsteps of Nellie Bly and becoming an investigative journalist. But she knows deep down that this is just a dream. While at one of the many elegant social events she’s expected to attend, Jo reflects…

“The glittering ball was a symbol of her life.  Everything was lovely and perfect as long as each person knew the steps and executed them.  The women must only ever watch and wait.  The men were the ones who would decide.  They would choose.  They would lead.  And the women would follow.  Tonight and forevermore.”

Jo’s seemingly idyllic life changes in an instant.  While away at finishing school, she receives a sobering message.  Her father is dead. He appears to have accidentally shot himself in his study while cleaning his gun. However, the more Jo learns about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. When Jo meets Eddie Gallagher, a young and handsome (of course) reporter at her father’s newspaper, the two of them set out to find the truth of what happened to Jo’s father.  Was it an accident?  Was it suicide? Or was it murder? Will Jo and Eddie find the answers they seek before the deadly secrets of the past catch up to them? Because, after all…

“If you’re going to bury the past, bury it deep, girl.  Shallow graves always give up their dead.”

A lively cast of supporting characters greatly enrich this novel. We meet Oscar, the reclusive medical student/coroner who uses his experience at the morgue to study forensic sciences. There’s The Tailor who runs a factory of little pickpockets and thieves; similar to Fagan in “Oliver Twist.” Fairy Fay and Tumbler are two of those thieving children and they were some of my favorite parts of this story.  If the author ever decides to write a sequel to “These Shallow Graves,” I hope she continues the story of Fairy Fay. Fay is a skilled thief and a master of disguises.  She can transform herself into a lowly beggarwoman or a wealthy socialite at will! I loved Fay and wished she would have had an even larger role in this book.

“These Shallow Graves” is a mystery, a romance, and above all, an ode to those late nineteenth century reporters who fought so hard for working-class reformation!

P.S. When I hosted book club with this novel a few years ago, I got super obsessed with all things made out of newspaper. I decorated with newspaper flowers, I handed out goodie bags made from newspaper, and I made up a newspaper article quiz for everyone to take. Yes, I went a little crazy. But if you’re the sort that likes to go a little crazy with your book clubs, this is a fun book to do that with!