A great story of a young woman who finds out who her real father is. She struggles with it. The author tells a great story.

Courtesy of The Book Whisperer and Netgalley, I received the ARC of The Poet's Daughter by C.K . McAdam. This interesting and compelling historical fiction imagines Goethe having an unknown illegitimate daughter, sent to live with him in Weimar in the early 1800's. Inheriting his love of reading and learning, she evolves into an accomplished student and writer of plays and poetry. As stubborn as her father is portrayed, she is his match in will and desire for independence, unknown for women in that era. Populated by actual and fictional characters, this story had me researching Goethe and learning of his literary importance!

I liked the premise of this book and I really liked the first 75% of it. It’s an interesting on the roles of women during the time period and the choices we make in life for family vs career. I thought the last 25% of the book was rushed and kind of abrupt, like the author was trying to hurry up and be done. While I liked how the book ended, I really think it could have been handled a lot more elegantly. There were parts that didn’t make sense to me, like the Napoleonic War coming out of nowhere and everyone being in a location and the infant daughter was where?

In this fantastic historical fiction novel, readers travel to 1801 and a small village, Sessenheim, in France, where Anna has lived her entire life with her mother and grandfather, the village pastor. However, with no marriage in her future, her mother sends her to Weimar to meet her father for the first time, and he just so happens to be Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the legendary poet. However, her new life is a beautiful cage full of fancy suitors who promise wealth and status but not love, and Anna must hide her love of writing and of the theater from her father. With an approaching French army and an unbowed heart, Anna must choose what she is willing to fight for and if defying convention and her father’s wishes are worth it. With a powerful, beautiful narrative and an absolutely incredible heroine, readers will emphasize with and root for Anna as her life changes overnight. Introducing a new side of Goethe to readers from Anna’s perspective, McAdam has brought early nineteenth century France and Germany to life in this incredibly detailed and powerful historical fiction novel. With a fantastic protagonist and a great emotional core, this is a great read and another excellent novel from CK McAdam that historical fiction readers will love.

This historical fiction story read weaves facts and fiction. about Anna, At the very heart, this is a story of a father and daughter's relationship. It also shows what times were like for women a long time ago. Many thanks to the author, The Book Whisperer and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Poet's Daughter
By C. K. McAdam

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is considered to be the greatest writer in the German language. He wrote poetry and plays (Faust his most famous) and philosophical discourses. This novel tells the story of a young von Goethe – as college student – who falls in love with a pastor's daughter. When he leaves her to pursue his writing, he does not know that she is pregnant.

Anna, the daughter, has spent her life with her grandfather (who has educated her) and her ill mother. Finally they decide that, in order to foster her own writing, she must go to live with her father.

This is a compelling book. It deals with societal mores of the time, the place that women held, the damage that secrets can do – even the generational clash of a parent and child who are too much alike in both temperament and gifts.

I really enjoyed this story. I found myself really liking all the major characters, even with all their foibles. Johann and his daughter were both difficult in many ways – but also strong in their love for each other – and for their writing.

I look forward to reading whatever the author writes next.

I didn't think I was going to get into this book as much as I did. I read one other book by C.K. McAdam so I wanted to give this a try. I was very pleasantly surprised with this story. I loved the story between Fredrich and Anna and between her father and Christine. Both absolutely beautiful stories. I loved Anna’s courage to stick to her plans and to stand up for herself with her father. I will highly recommend this story for any historical fiction fans, as this was beautiful done. I am a huge fan of C.K. McAdam's and look forward to more.
Huge thank you to C.K.McAdam, NetGalley, and Book Whisper publishing for the advanced copy of this book.

I enjoyed the characters and the historiacal context of the book. I would have liked to have learned more about Anna’s mother and grandfather. The timelines just wasn’t really explored . I enjoyed the book and highly recommend for anyone to read it and see what they think.

This historical read weaves facts and fiction about Anna, Goethe's daughter whom he knew nothing about until she shows up at his door. More than that, it is the story of a father and daughter's relationship and a what times were like for women back in the 1800's. It was interesting though it did move a little slow at times.

The Poet’s Daughter by C K McAdam is a piece of revisionist historical fiction that was interestingly written. Many of the names were accurate, although their relationship to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the famous poet and playwright, were not quite has history portrays them. That does not take away from the ethos of the piece. I found errors in word usage and in discovering that six years after she was eighteen, she was twenty-eight. I am assuming these were dealt with in editing. It was an interesting story of a young woman who was the illegitimate daughter of Goethe, one about whom he had no idea until she was older, at which time she was sent to live with him. Her mother hoped he could make a good match for her, something that could not happen in her village as she was known to be illegitimate. What she found when she arrived astounded her, although she grew to like her new home immensely. The only thing she didn’t like was that her father considered her beneath his academic notice as she was female.

McAdam drew a good picture of Anna as she matured into herself and started making her own decisions. She didn’t want to marry to older man her father had selected so she ran back to her village. There she found her grandfather older, but her mother slowly recovering. The reader didn’t really get to know either of these characters well, although they had shaped her. Her father was another matter; we got to know him better, at least as her father. It was her stepmother and half brother that were more fully-rounded characters. This is revisionist in that it made her more of a known-quantity as a poet and playwright than was probably possible in this time period. It did not make it any less an enjoyable read, full of information about the time. I enjoyed it.

I was invited to read The Poet’s Daughter by Book Whisperer. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BookWhisperer #CKMcAdam #ThePoetsDaughter

The Poets Daughter by C.K. McAdam is a beautifully written historical fiction book. It is absolutely a captivating story which is set in Sessenheim France in 1801. Anna is brought up by her grandfather who is the village pastor and her mother who has consumption, so Anna who is an adult helps take care of both her mother and grandfather. One day her grandfather and mother sit her down to tell her about her father who Anna has never met, and Anna is known as the illegitimate granddaughter of the preacher's daughter around town.
It is a great shock to Anna when she learns her father is none other than the famous poet Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. Anna loves his work, and Anna is shocked when her grandfather tells her they have had a letter from her dad, and she is to travel to live with him in Weimar. Her grandfather tells Anna she has more chance of getting a husband if she lives in her father's care and moves to where nobody knows her.
Anna is now 27 so she packs up her bag and the only life she has known and heads of. When Anna meets her father and his family, she soon forms a long friendship with her father's longtime partner and his son. Anna defies conventional ways and wants to become a poet like her father as she loves to read books and has a gift to write poetry and plays. Her rebellious ways clash a lot with her father, but she refuses to give in and wrestles against the expectations and rules of the day. When her father tries to marry her of she refuses.
I found I could not put this book down and finished it in one sitting. The story is beautifully set in its time “Utterly addictive and should come with a warning – once you pick it up, you will not be able to put it down until the final page.” Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I don't know much about German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, so I can't say what may be factual or not in the book. However, I did enjoy this book more than I thought I would.

Anna's character was very likable and I love how she stood up for herself during a time when women were expected to "be quiet and obey". I was so sad for her when she had to leave the comforts of her own home as well as the family she's known her whole life to live with the father she's never known and his family. Thankfully she is warmly welcomed into his home and starts to make a life there without everyone know she grew up illegitimate, and we get to see her build relationships with her father and others in the home. She meets and builds a strong bond with Friedrick, which helps her get through some of trying times.

A few of things I didn't care for were how the book description said Goethe used his daughter's writings when that really didn't play out the way it's insinuated. There are a lot of gaps in the timeline, where you don't know what has gone on during those times. Also, it felt like the book ended rather abruptly. Kind of felt rushed at the very end.

Overall this was a good story, with a sweet ending. This was my first book by this author and I would probably read another.

This is an historical fiction book that was enchanting and romantic. The story was entertaining and compelling from the start. It captured me from the very beginning with all the details given from that time period. As I read through the book, it came alive in my mind and kept be intrigued until the very end. As this author C.K. McAdam is a new to me, I'm looking forward to reading some other books by her as well!

* Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion/review of this book!

Thnk you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Full disclosure, I am not really familiar with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. I have heard the name, of course, but do not know his works, so for me this was as much an introduction to him and his work as it was a story about a possible illegitimate daughter. But I found it entertaining and the glimpse of Napoleanic-era Austria was interesting. Life wasn't very easy back then and medical care was very primitive. It seems a wonder that anyone survived to adulthood!!

Anna has been brought up quietly by her mother and grandfather, with a cloud over her head as an illegitimate child. In their small village there is little hope of her getting married at all, and even less of a chance of a good connection. So it is decided to send her off to live with the father who has never known of her existence. But she can be presented as anyone in the larger town and not constrained by the circumstances of her birth. Her father's household contains his lover, her half brother and several assistants and servants. Anna settles in and continues to secretly write in her journal, as she has all her life.

But her life really only opens up when she attends the theater where her father is the director and sees a play performed for the first time. She has read many plays and is in the process of writing one herself, but she has never seen one actually on stage. That night she also meets a carpenter whp shares many of her ideals and goals and will play a large part in her life.

I don't know if this is based on a true story, but it is a good read and a glimpse into the life of a great artist.

I truly love historical fiction and this novel did not disappoint! I’ve never read this author and am so happy to have been given the opportunity to read this early. Author so beautifully takes the reader on a coming of age journey and allows us to come alongside Anna as she works to find her own voice in a time when that was not easy. Well written and completely worth the read! Highly recommend!

The Secret Father

Anna lives a quiet and protected life with her grandfather and her mother in a small village. Her Grandfather is the paster so they live in the vicarage. One day her mother and her grandfather call her into the room for a meeting. She is told that her father, she has never known, is the famous poet Wolfgang Von Goethe. Not only that, but she is to go and live with him in the larger city of Wiemer where she will have a better chance of finding a suitable husband.

Anna arrives at her father’s house and is warmly greeted although her father did not know of her existence until her mother wrote him. Things are a bit strange at her father’s house but she soon adapts and finds herself indulging in her secret passion when he is gone.

All goes well until her father takes her to the theatre where she is fascinated by the production and is also introduced to a friend of his and she also meets a young carpenter named Friedrich. Soon her father’s friend comes to visit and proposes marriage, to which she is not okay with.

She has a secret which she keeps from her father and only Friedrich with whom she trusts knows what it is. Will she have to courage to face her father with the secret she keeps? Will she have the courage to resist the attempts to marry her off to his wealthy friend?

Amid the arrival of the French Army amid the French Revolution the story unfolds. The year is 1801.

It is a good story and I enjoyed reading it. I did love the way the clothing was described during the period and the style of the houses and the theatre. It made the story come alive.

I loved the story between Fredrich and Anna and between her father and Christine. Both beautiful stories. I loved Anna’s courage to stick to her plans and to stand up for herself with her father.

I received a copy of the book for free to read. The review and the words are all my own.

This is an enjoyable story and another good historical fiction read. It takes us on a journey with Anna through her life as a poets daughter, through her ups and downs of life in these hard times. She is a courageous woman who wants to make her own way in life and make her own decisions.

The story flowed well and the characters were interesting. I enjoyed the story and found it quite intriguing and at times sad to think of how things were for women in times gone by. It was a short and quick read for me and I would say with a bit of tweaking it could be a great book. But all in all I would give it 3 1/2 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Book Whisperer for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

ARC Review ✨️

☆Must-read☆

This is the second story I've read from this author. The author is incredibly talented when it comes to writing historical fiction. The way the story unfolds and comes to life as you're reading is amazing. The Poets Daughter is a historical fiction story set in 1801. The author has some highly descriptive imagery. It easily sets each scene in the book. The characters were also very well written. I completely loved Anna. I'll definitely be reading more from this author in the future!

Huge thankyou to the author, The Book Whisperer and Netgalley for the ARC!

Heart-felt and written with attention to flow, this was an enjoyable read. It dives into the historical time period, centering around Goethe and the French invasion. The descriptions of Anna, her thoughts, and feelings come across clearly as she steers her protected life and deals with the social expectations of the time period (early 1800s). It allows the norms imposed on females of the time period to come to life, while also exposing concerns and daily struggles of people in this class. It's a slower read and keeps a bit of distance thanks to the writing style, and allows the reader to watch while developing sympathy and understanding. As I enjoy a faster-pace with closer connection to the characters, it wasn't quite my thing but still interesting.

Anna's father is Goethe, and while we see a bit about him as this tale weaves between historical facts and fiction, the details are light. This story is about Anna and her struggles, not about her father. So, details on his end are relatively light. The Weimar as well as the French invasion aren't quite as strong as I expected them to be. Instead, they set more of a backdrop to tale and offer world richness to propel Anna's tale forward. But on the historical depth end, it's also light.

For readers who enjoy sinking into a historical setting, where a woman does her best to find herself despite the expectations of the world around her, this is a lovely read in many ways.

The Poet's Daughter by C.K. McAdam tells the story of Anna, the daughter of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friederike Brion. Though Goethe and Friederike were indeed young lovers, Friederike later becoming a great inspiration for Goethe's work, their daughter Anna is purely fictional.

Anna has lived a quiet life in her grandfather's parsonage. As the illegitimate child of the pastor's daughter, Friederike Brion, Anna has few prospects outside of her family's home. In the hopes of giving Anna a better future, Friederike and Pastor Brion arrange for Anna to live in Weimar with her father, the great Goethe. Anna is warmly welcomed into her father's home by Goethe, his lover Christiane, and their son August, where she adjusts to her new life helping Christiane run the house. While living in Weimar, Anna is introduced to society, meets suitors, and finds love in a carpenter named Friedrich, all the while pursuing her dreams of writing. Overall, a good story with decent characters and writing.

I give The Poet's Daughter 3- out of 5 stars. Though I enjoyed parts of the story, this did not end up being a favorite. The Poet's Daughter is still a wonderful book, the author's style is just not for me.

One thing that frustrated me with this story was how time passed. Weeks, months, even years passed without detail or anything really happening. Situations and meetings felt forced and out of place. Anna and Friedrich's relationship was rushed and had nothing substantial behind it. Anna's relationship with her father felt equally rushed, and his eventual public acceptance of her as his daughter was awkward and unrealistic.

Something I enjoyed about this book were the characters. Despite other issues I had with the story, the characters all felt genuine with real emotion and depth.

Christiane was undeniably my favorite character in this story. Spunky and kind-hearted, she cares for her home and family with love and spirit. She accepts Anna into her home and the two become good friends, Christiane acting as a mother figure to Anna in Friederike's absence. Despite living as Goethe's wife, they are not officially married, which causes no small amount of pain to Christiane. But Christiane continues to hope, in spite of what the world says about her, that Goethe will defy societal expectations and fulfill his promise to marry her.

Goethe's character ended up being my least favorite. Inconsistent, proud, and self-centered, Goethe was an irritation at best. To maintain his image in society, he hides away his family, presenting Christiane as his housekeeper and Anna as the visiting daughter of a friend. His self-centered attitude wildly shapes how he views Anna. One moment he is a dotting father, and the next he calls her foolish and childlike. After discovering Anna's talent for writing, he decides she must pursue writing indefinitely, whether she wants to or not, and denies her his blessing to marry the man she loves. His unfeeling attitude towards Christiane is equally irritating. He knows the burden she carries, and despite her love and care, he denies her the security of marriage to save his own good name. Goethe continues to dig himself a hole throughout the story, and any redemption written for him was unsuccessful in making him a likeable character.

Overall, The Poet's Daughter by C.K. McAdam had some minor issues, but they do not impact the ability to read and understand the story. A good story with a valuable message, enjoyable characters, and an interesting concept. I give 3-stars to The Poet's Daughter, and recommend it readers of historical fiction or anyone interested in the concept!