The Widow's War - Sally Cabot Gunning

When her husband is lost in a whaling disaster, Lyddie Berry finds her status as a widow is vastly changed. Her son-in-law sets out to strip her of everything she and her husband worked for, but she refuses to bow to societal and legal pressures. n nMarried for twenty years to Edward Berry, Lyddie is used to the trials of being a whaler's wife in the Cape Cod village of Satucket, Massachusetts--running their house herself during her husband's long absences at sea, living with the daily uncertainty that Edward will simply not return.

And when her worst fear is realized, she finds herself doubly cursed. She is overwhelmed by grief, and her property and rights are now legally in the hands of her nearest male relative: her daughter's overbearing husband, whom Lyddie cannot abide. Lyddie decides to challenge both law and custom for control of her destiny, but she soon discovers the price of her bold war for personal freedom to be heartbreakingly dear.n nIncludes the fascinating story behind the story of The Widow's War, a map of colonial Brewster, and a driving tour of the village of Satucket.n