This was an interesting book. I was intrigued by the storyline and the main character, Deborah.
Deborah lives in Junction, a town that houses Mormon families. She makes gloves and tends her orchards. Her husband , Samuel is a wheelwright. Samuel has been gone for longer than he should of been and Deborah os anxious for his return.One night a stranger shows up at her door. He is looking for refuge. She leads him to a fellow Mormon Nels. He shelters men who are traveling to a safe house for polygamists. Unfortunately, a US Marshall shows up looking for the polygamist, Braden. Braden had converted the marshalls' 16 year old daughter and he wanted her back home. Braden caused the marshall to fall off his horse and become critically injured. Nels brings Deborah to care for the dying man so that he can get Braden to safety. Deborah cares for the marshall as she hopes someone would care for her missing husband. The Marshall's family come for him and the townspeople fear retribution. Many families decide to leave. Deborah stays because she believes her husband will come home. Nels finally tells her that he thinks Samuel is dead. She convinces him to take her to the cliff where he thought he saw a demolished wagon. She realizes that Samuel is dead but she still wants to stay in Junction to be near him. ( )

Set in Utah, And no surprise, it's about Mormons. Several have settled in some harsh desert canyons, helping men who are being pursued by the authorities for bigamy escape to another town to hide. Only one man's pursuer didn't seem right and he inadvertently was injured....turns out that although a lawman, he was really a disgruntled father. I'm not sure why the title, except the woman does make gloves, but it doesn't add much to the story. ( )

This was a quiet, slow moving novel about a woman living in an isolated Mormon town in Utah. If you are looking for a story full of action and adventure, this is definitely NOT for you. However, I actually enjoyed the simplicity and slower pace of "The Glovemaker" and the author did a wonderful job bringing the time and place alive.

The historical aspect of the Mormon church and the hardships Deborah faced living in Utah while her husband was away were fascinating. I also liked the dual narrative that was shared between Deborah and Nels. Both of them found themselves in a situation which led them to question their beliefs, traditions and sense of duty. I liked both Nels and Deborah, especially Deborah, who displayed quiet courage and compassion. Occasionally her husband, Samuel, also had a voice through the letters he wrote to his wife.

Overall, a nice read. ( )

Set in 1888, The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber is an engrossing historical novel that offers a fascinating glimpse of the Mormon faith.

Thirty-seven year old Deborah Tyler is growing increasingly concerned about her missing husband, Samuel. He left months earlier on his annual journey as a wheelwright. She has not received the usual letters he sends to her but she is reassured by her step-brother-in-law and friend Nels Anderson. Nels' theory is a rock slide forced Samuel to turn around and take a much longer route home. Enough time has passed that they believe Samuel will be home any day. However, their lives are upended when Nels and Deborah help a polygamist evade capture by a federal Marshal. After an altercation leaves the Marshal fighting for his life, Deborah and Nels do everything they can to protect themselves and their close-knit community from any future harm. Both remain on edge as they wait for the Marshal's traveling partners to make their way to their enclave. At the same time, Deborah's fears for Samuel's safety intensify as he fails to return home.

Deborah and Samuel adhere to many tenets of their Mormon faith but they decided to join Nels in Junction, Utah due to their dissatisfaction with some elements of their religion. Joined by a few more families, they still practice their faith but in a more relaxed fashion. With the exception of one family, the small community does not believe in polygamy. In fact, Nels, Deborah and Samuel provide assistance to polygamists who are fleeing deputies who have warrants for their arrest.

While anxiously awaiting Samuel's return, Deborah offers assistance to one of these men. She is very uneasy since few deputies pursue polygamists during the winter months. Sheltering him for one worrisome night, Deborah sends him to Nels who will take him to safety. Apprehensive the snow-covered ground will reveal their assistance, she takes steps to conceal that he was on her premises. Deborah's fears are realized when the Marshall shows up and confronts her with the evidence that she aided the fugitive.

The situation quickly turns dire when Nels seeks Deborah's help for the gravely injured Marshall. Despite Nels' best efforts to protect her, she quickly realizes they are in serious jeopardy. Although she would rather not help the Marshall, Deborah's faith will not allow her to abandon him in his time of need. After her worst fears about his condition are realized, Deborah and Nels do everything they can to protect themselves and the other residents from future repercussions.

Based on true life events, The Glovemaker is a well-written and engaging historical novel. The pacing is a little slow but this adds to the overall tension as the events play out against harsh weather conditions in an extremely isolated area. Deborah and Nels are well-developed characters whose compassion for others could lead to their downfall. Ann Weisgarber provides a sensitive and nuanced portrayal of a little known time in Mormon history. A well-researched and thought-provoking novel that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.
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THE GLOVEMAKER by Ann Weisgarber
I almost stopped reading this novel because of the stream of consciousness style of writing and the repetition of a certain phrase. However, by page 20 I was hooked. Samuel is missing and Deborah, his wife, is waiting for his return when she is surprised by a stranger knocking on her door and seeking assistance.
Utah Territory in the 1880’s is the setting for Junction, a tiny hamlet of Mormon saints who are not anxious to have the official LDS church or the law visit them. The mysteries of Samuel and the stranger make a compelling tale. The tension of the community builds almost to the breaking point. Weisberger handles the tension and the setting very well. Deborah, and Nels, her neighbor and Samuel’s best friend, are realistically written. The forbidding climate and terrain become a part of the story as the tension builds.
A good story, a good writer, and interesting, well drawn characters all combine to make this read well worth your time.
4 of 5 stars ( )