Tempest-Tossed: The Spirit of Isabella Beecher Hooker (Garnet Books)

First full-length biography of a key figure in nineteenth-century American culture Tempest-Tossed is the first full biography of the passionate, fascinating youngest daughter of the "Fabulous Beecher" familyone of America's most high-powered families of the nineteenth century. Older sister Harriet Beecher Stowe was the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Brother Henry Ward Beecher was one of America's most influential ministers, and sister Catherine Beecher wrote pivotal works on women's rights and educational reform. And then there was Isabella Beecher Hooker"a curiously modern nineteenth-century figure." She was a leader in the suffrage movement, and a mover and shaker in Hartford's storied Nook Farm neighborhood and salon. But there is more to the storyto Isabella's characterthan that. Isabella was an ardent Spiritualist. In daily life, she could be off-putting, perplexing, tenacious, charming. Many found her daunting to get to know and stay on comfortable terms with. Her "wild streak" was especially unfavorable in the eyes of Hartford society at the time, which valued restraint and duty. In her latest book, Susan Campbell brings her own unique blend of empathy and unbridled humor to the story of Harriet's younger half-sister. Tempest Tossed reveals Isabella's evolution from orthodox Calvinist daughter, wife, and mother, to one of the most influential players in the movement for women's suffrage, where this unforgettable woman finally gets her proper due. The “fascinating, forgotten story” of a daughter of a renowned American family—a suffragette and spiritualist who shocked New England society (Debby Applegate, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher).Older sister Harriet Beecher Stowe was the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Brother Henry Ward Beecher was one of the nation's most influential ministers. Their sibling Catharine Beecher wrote pivotal works on women's rights and educational reform. And then there was Isabella Beecher Hooker— “a curiously modern nineteenth-century figure.” Tempest-Tossed is the first full biography of the passionate, fascinating youngest daughter of the “Fabulous Beechers” —one of America's most high-powered families of the time. She was a leader in the suffrage movement, and a mover and shaker in Hartford, Connecticut's storied Nook Farm neighborhood and salon. But there is more to the story—to Isabella's character—than that.An ardent spiritualist, Isabella could be off-putting, perplexing, tenacious, or charming in daily life. Many found her daunting to get to know and stay on comfortable terms with. Her “wild streak” was especially unfavorable in the eyes of Hartford society at the time, which valued restraint and duty. In this book, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Susan Campbell brings her own unique blend of empathy and unbridled humor to the story of Harriet's younger half-sister and her evolution from orthodox Calvinist daughter, wife, and mother to one of the most influential players in the suffrage movement, where this unforgettable woman finally gets her proper due. Cover 1 Tempest-Tossed 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 CONTENTS 6 Preface 8 Genealogies 15 The Fabulous Beechers 15 Children of Isabella Beecher and John Hooker 16 1. The World That Awaited Belle 20 2. Training to Be a Beecher 32 3. The Education of Isabella Beecher 39 4. Isabella in Love 49 5. Isabella Marries, and Faces a Conundrum 57 6. Motherhood, and Confusion 77 7. Abolition, and an Awakening 98 8. A Woman’s Worth, a Brother’s Shame 125 9. A Spiritual Digression 160 10. In the Thick of It 164 11. The Elusive Ballot 174 12. The End, and a Legacy 185 Notes 200 Index 228