The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber

The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber. Skyhorse Publishing, 2019. Adult historical fiction.

Deborah and her husband, Samuel, live in 1888 in Utah and are Latterday Saints. Samuel leaves on a business trip and is overdue coming back home. Winter sets in and Deborah struggles to do all the chores and go on without him. A stranger appears as often happens, but never in the winter. Deborah helps him. Then, a marshal appears, hunting the stranger. Misfortune befalls the marshal and Deborah becomes entangled more than she ever wants. Will Samuel be back? Will Deborah's good deeds be found out? What will happen to Nels, Samuel's only nearby family member, and who cares for Deborah?

Weisgarber wastes no words. She builds her characters and the actions slowly and carefully. Readers care about Deborah and will want to know what happens to her. The details about the Latterday Saints ring true. The worry, the lack of medical care, the very real dangers of travel and of life on the farm, and other things weigh heavily on Deborah's mind. She is a good woman in a terrible situation. Weisgarber makes readers care.