Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Pauper Auction

Audiobook
A gorgeous and meticulously-researched historical fiction examining a young woman's struggle to escape unexpected poverty and find autonomy and purpose in early New England.

Mankind are always seeking after happiness in some way or another.

~ Leavitt's Farmer's Almanac, 1805


The fall from beloved wife of the town blacksmith to widowed pauper was swift. Margery Turner sits in the Thorneboro, New Hampshire Meetinghouse on the second Tuesday of March, 1805. She and the other indigent town residents wait their turn to be auctioned out to the lowest bidder who will accept the paupers into their homes in return for town funds. The young widow and an abandoned child named Agnes find themselves taken in by farmer and ciderist Samuell Wheeler and his elderly mother, renowned bed rug maker Hannah Wheeler. Margery swears to herself that she will not forever remain a pauper in purse or purpose.


Secrets and sorrows live on the prosperous farm. An itinerant Abenaki stonemason, Sozap Wzôkhilain, known as Joseph, joins the household and touches each of their lives in unexpected ways. The farm is the setting for danger and tragedy as well as simple joys and blossoming love. In Pauper Auction strangers become friends, confidantes, and lovers. Tragedy becomes hope, and a family of the heart help each other find their futures, together and apart.


Rich and atmospheric period description and a strong sense of New England enhance the immersive narrative. Meticulously researched details of early 19th century foodways, and the crafts of blacksmithing, traditional stone wall building, needlework, hearth cooking, and hard cider-making bring Margery's world to life. The novel is a perfect bookclub pick with themes that transcend time. A significant Afterword and Discussion Questions are included in the book.


Expand title description text
Publisher: Stone Fence Press Edition: Unabridged

OverDrive Listen audiobook

  • ISBN: 9798985260960
  • File size: 222968 KB
  • Release date: March 21, 2022
  • Duration: 07:44:30

MP3 audiobook

  • ISBN: 9798985260960
  • File size: 223001 KB
  • Release date: March 21, 2022
  • Duration: 07:50:25
  • Number of parts: 9

Loading
Loading

Formats

OverDrive Listen audiobook
MP3 audiobook

Languages

English

A gorgeous and meticulously-researched historical fiction examining a young woman's struggle to escape unexpected poverty and find autonomy and purpose in early New England.

Mankind are always seeking after happiness in some way or another.

~ Leavitt's Farmer's Almanac, 1805


The fall from beloved wife of the town blacksmith to widowed pauper was swift. Margery Turner sits in the Thorneboro, New Hampshire Meetinghouse on the second Tuesday of March, 1805. She and the other indigent town residents wait their turn to be auctioned out to the lowest bidder who will accept the paupers into their homes in return for town funds. The young widow and an abandoned child named Agnes find themselves taken in by farmer and ciderist Samuell Wheeler and his elderly mother, renowned bed rug maker Hannah Wheeler. Margery swears to herself that she will not forever remain a pauper in purse or purpose.


Secrets and sorrows live on the prosperous farm. An itinerant Abenaki stonemason, Sozap Wzôkhilain, known as Joseph, joins the household and touches each of their lives in unexpected ways. The farm is the setting for danger and tragedy as well as simple joys and blossoming love. In Pauper Auction strangers become friends, confidantes, and lovers. Tragedy becomes hope, and a family of the heart help each other find their futures, together and apart.


Rich and atmospheric period description and a strong sense of New England enhance the immersive narrative. Meticulously researched details of early 19th century foodways, and the crafts of blacksmithing, traditional stone wall building, needlework, hearth cooking, and hard cider-making bring Margery's world to life. The novel is a perfect bookclub pick with themes that transcend time. A significant Afterword and Discussion Questions are included in the book.


Expand title description text
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Funding for additional materials was made possible by a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.