Book Review: True Women by Janice Woods Windle

A Christmas gift from my sister, Betty I began this book not knowing much about the story. Because I had lived in Texas at the time this book was published, my interest was piqued. Reading the book jacket, I learned that it was historical fiction about two Texas families from 1860 to the 1940’s. This story revolves around two Texas families and the specific women of these families. How, over the generations, women’s place in society changed and yet remained the same. These strong Texas women stayed home raising children, protecting ranches with rifles and courage, and living under the expectations of a man’s view of a woman, but according to their own hearts. What I particularly enjoyed was how the various women of this piece of fictionalized history dealt the sociological changes of each time. Each time had it’s own war - the Civil War, the First World War and the Second World War, not to mention the warring with Mexico and with Comanche. 

The story tells that when emancipation arrived, many of the people, previously slaves, remained to work the fields. This is such a delicate topic in history. Added to this delicacy are whispered family secrets that were never agreed upon even by the oldest living members. 

Janice Woods Windell has a Facebook page with updated information about the town of Sequin, Texas where the remaining family homes are now historical locations. 

“Everything in this world is all in one piece. It’s spirit and flesh and past 

and future all rolled together, like holy dough risin’  through time.”

~ Idella from True Women by Janice Woods Windle

Title: True Women
Author: Janice Woods Windle
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication Date: 1994 (Hard cover)
Format:  Hard Cover
ISBN: 0-399-13813-7
Type:  Fictionalized History
Printed in the United State of America
Published simultaneously in Canada