In the summer of 1924 Helen Danforth Manley, eldest daughter of a New England dynasty, falls in love with a middle-aged, middle-class man. Their love is a surprise to both of them. In the next few months it survives the onslaughts of the Roaring Twenties. It is a real story taken from Helen's diaries. It poses the question of how a brief season of love can fuel peoples' lives through generations.
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By Marsha Snyder
Oct 26, 2008
"Speedwell" This is a book that stands on it's own..Rivoting, fast moving, and very touching and emotional...If you don't read it, you may miss one of the best experiences of your life...Like The Bridges of Madison County set in New England with a bit more "trauma"......and it is mainly a true story...Tucker Davis
"Speedwell" I read Speedwell just after Christmas when I was visiting a friend's home.It read extremely fast and I did not want to put it down until finishing. It was a wonderful love story with all the trappings. A young innocent New England girl, a mysterious older man from Canada who instantly won her heart. Then there was her family - what did they know of this man who was so strongly wooing their daughter. There they all were in the midst of the roaring twenties... So much atmosphere, such love - was completely captivating. When I finished I wondered if I would ever feel that kind of intense love!...........Audrey Davis
"Speedwell, by Marsha Manley Reeves Snyder" Full disclosure. I am related to the author, and certainly one of the pleasures of reading this book was learrning more about my family, but the real interest was in the story itself. It's a wonderful love story set in the bobbed hair, bootleg gin of the Twenties. And it keeps you in suspense as you move from being skeptical of this romance between a young woman and an older man, to a full hearted endorsement of their love. And then you get the twist at the end. The structured cutting between diary entries, reconstructed scenes, historical documents gave the story a nice dynamic. Highly recommend this read. David Manley
