Finalist in Historical Fiction, 2018 American Book Fest Best Book Awards She captured his heart, but at what price?
The long, bloody Civil War is finally at an end when Zee Mimms, the daughter of a Missouri preacher, is tasked with nursing her cousin, Jesse James, back to health after he suffers a near-fatal wound. During Jesse’s long convalescence, the couple falls in love, but Jesse’s … convalescence, the couple falls in love, but Jesse’s resentment against the Federals runs deep. He has scores to settle.
For him, the war will never be over.
Zee is torn between deferring to her parents’ wishes and marrying for security or marrying for love and accepting the hard realities of life with an outlaw–living under an assumed name and forever on the run.
For her, the choice she makes means the war is only beginning.
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I reviewed an ARC copy of this novel and this is my honest review.
I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, but when I do I want the fact portion of the story to be accurate. Ms. Wahler did an amazing job of researching the history behind the notorious Jesse James and his wife, Zee. She wove those details into her imagined love story to present such a compelling story that I had to look up Zee James to learn more. Only there wasn’t “more” to learn as Ms. Wahler included everything fact one could want to know and made me believe the parts she fictionalized.
I gained sympathy for the infamous Jesse James through the eyes of his long-suffering wife, Zee. I came to understand how powerful the lies we tell ourselves can be as Zee continued to convince herself that her criminal husband would change, and perhaps even had justification for his acts.
I highly recommend this powerful debut novel.
I Am Mrs. Jesse James reveals the passionate but tumultuous connection of cousins, Zerelda (Zee) Mimms and Jesse James and their love story, riddled with tension, secrets, and lies.
Zee ministers to her cousin, tending to his wounds from a shooting by Federal soldiers, but the Civil War for James, a Southerner, incurred more than battle wounds. A personal vendetta burned in him to get revenge for the atrocities incurred on his family and neighbors by the Federal troops.
With Zee’s help Jesse recovers from his physical wounds, but the inner ones run much deeper. He and his brother, Frank, team up, forming a band of outlaws wreaking havoc on Federal businesses and private citizens in retribution. Jesse keeps much of his nefarious activities hid from Zee or explains them away, telling her that the papers weren’t reporting the truth.
Despite protests from her family Zee eventually marries Jesse. In between times of marital bliss, Jesse travels with his gang, and Zee is left wondering what kind of man she married. They are blessed with children but grieve a deep loss. The little family moves time and time again in an effort to keep Jesse’s identity secret. Zee dislikes using a false name and lying to her friends and neighbors and teaching her children to do the same.
Zee constantly fears that Jesse will be caught and killed or punished for his crimes. After many years of shifting around, her hope of firm roots seems to come to fruition as they settle on a ranch to raise horses. But just as they settle in, the unexpected happens and ends it all, after which Zee reveals, “Yes, I am Mrs. Jesse James.”
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written saga of Jesse and Zee James. Fans of historical fiction, western fiction, clean fiction, and historical romance will enjoy this tale of an ill-fated love.
I just finished this book 5.5 stars. I was going to wait to get my thoughts together for my review and thoughts. But I haven’t seen really anyone talk about this book on booktube or on instagram. I being from Missouri loved to read about the history of where I am come from. The amazing people before me. This book gave me every kind of feelings that I am not sure what next book could live up to what I just read. 2019 started off amazing with this book. Okay now that I have talked so much how I love this book and the writing and the story I will tell you what this book is about.
About:
This story takes place in the 1800’s during the Civil War. We are reading in the point of view of Zee Mimms. Young Zee Mimms who lives with her family on their farm. When her cousin Jesse James comes back from war hurt. Zee is there to help bring her cousin back to health. But that is not all she does. She has started having feeling for young Jesse. And he to shares those same feelings. But their love and wanting to be together will not be easy. Especially for Zee who doesn’t understand Jesse life of being outlaw. And always having to move and change names. This is amazing story of a woman who loved so much and lost so much has well. I highly recommend this book. And yes it is Historical fiction but it didn’t feel like that. Just a beautiful story.
Once I began reading I Am Mrs. Jesse James, I didn’t want to put it down. The characters are well developed and the historic events of Jesse James and his family are presented in a painfully believable story.
The author’s vivid use of sensory detail makes Zerelda James’s world incredibly real. We may be familiar with the outlaw, but his wife has a fascinating story as well that unfolds in this compelling narrative. I was drawn into the book by the descriptions, but I finished it because I came to care about what happened to the main character.
I absolutely loved this book! Zee is a perfectly fleshed out character who captivated me easily. I felt her emotions including the blind love, tentacles of doubt, fears, passions and loss. The author took the story of the infamous Jesse James and retold the story through Zee, his wife. She took the facts and assumptions about James and weaved an amazing fictional story. The novel is not fast-paced in terms of action though that is not what its meant to be. The joy from this novel comes from the excellent writing, deep characters, view into history and ‘being’ Zee as she tells her tale.
The novel has great flow, editing and detail.
All in all, this is an wonderful book and one I will not forget!!
I loved this book. I know it’s fictionalized, but the author had me right there in Zee’s shoes as she navigates what it must have been like to live with a notorious outlaw and the love of her life. I am impressed with the amount of research and care that went into this book. I love how the fictional part of the story was woven into the actual history of Jesse James. A very seamless story with the appropriate gut-wrenching moments that Zee must have faced. Great job and looking forward to more from this author.
If you know your American history, then you know how Pat Wahler’s well-researched novel, I am Mrs. Jesse James, is likely to end. She does not play fast and loose with dates and details but employs her fine writing skills to weave these recorded events and truths into a story that is, at its core, a tapestry constructed of creative license—and what a rich tapestry it is. Ms. Wahler’s interpretation of Zerelda “Zee” Mimms James is poignant and believable as she takes us from the start of Zee and Jesse’s relationship through to its inevitable end. Told entirely from Zee’s point of view, we watch her life play out with all the joys, fears, and consequences inherent in committing herself to an outlaw she loves with all her heart and soul. Jesse James is seen here through the eyes of the woman who loves and trusts him the most, and it is through this lens Ms. Wahler brings him to life. It is greatly to her credit that even through the soft focus of Zee’s loving eyes, we know Jesse for the true outlaw he was and feel the emotional toll wrought from Zee’s firm decision to follow her heart. This is a terrific read. Put Pat Wahler on your “must read” list. I did!
As a Central Illinoisan turned Missourian I have been surrounded by the tales of Jesse James my whole life. He’s the handsome soldier-turned outlaw on a mission, who slipped through the fingers of law enforcement as he continued to fight for the Confederacy during Reconstruction. He was a hero to some, a villain to most, and has become a Missouri legend. But I didn’t know anything about the quieter part of his life. He was also a husband and a father. And he had to be hard to love. The heroine of this novel is Zee James, whose love for her husband Jesse never faltered, even when she wasn’t sure what he was up to, or when she had to live under an assumed name and fear for the safety of her children, or when she just wished he might give up his life as an outlaw and settle in a home they could truly call theirs. Wahler has given Zee a voice in the Jesse James legend, and has woven an emotional tale of complicated devotion in this well-researched and fascinating novel.