A More Perfect Union

A Novel (The Midwife, Book 3)

By: Jodi Daynard

Narrated by: Marcus Stewart

In 1794, Johnny Watkins returns to America from Barbados, intent on becoming a great statesman. Even his hero, John Adams, believes the gifted boy will go far. There's just one catch: Johnny must learn to pass for white.

He finds a spirited and lovely confidante in Kate, one of the few who knows that Johnny's father had been born a slave. But as he moves closer toward the new city of Washington, Johnny leaves Kate behind, falling instead for a prominent Maryland heiress who may not have his best interests at heart. Embroiled in the vicious politics of the approaching election, Johnny lives every moment at risk of being unmasked.

Then, a discovery about Thomas Jefferson, one that could sway the election, imperils not only Johnny's future but also his life. In the end, Johnny learns who his real friends are - and the truth behind the great promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

©2017 Jodi Daynard (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Great performance.

The story was a bit slow to grab, but it turned into a great examination of prejudice in the time after the Revolutionary War. The performance, however, was great. He does all the different accents so nicely, and it is always clear who is speaking even before it is told.

Finale not so grand...

I really enjoyed the series, it this last one was super slow. I kept hoping it was building, but not so much. I listened to the end to hear the conclusion of the characters, but I think I would have been OK if I had stopped after #2.

Worth the wait

It took many chapters to grab my attention but it is worth it! Truly a great listen!

I was disappointed

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I loved her first book of this series.....but this book found me falling asleep with its wandering about and i was disappointed with it as it revised history in a profound way!!!!

Would you ever listen to anything by Jodi Daynard again?

not sure

What about Marcus Stewart’s performance did you like?

I thought it was beautifully preformed

Could you see A More Perfect Union being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No.......not on its faulty history revisions

A well written 3rd installment

The adult life of John Watkins/Boylston is well written, enriching, and educational within the factual elements of the storyline.
Mr. Stewart is a perfect narrator for this novel, with a rich, warm voice and an excellent accent for both the proper American Johnny and the Barbados Johnny. He also voiced John Adams expertly.
It is painful to realize the prejudice and discrimination that was born of slavery, and that the residuals of those beliefs and subsequent behaviors are still evident today.
I applaud Johnny’s attempts to better himself as a man, black or white, and to try to make a difference in the world he was born into.
I would have liked more story of his life at the end of the book, but this is a satisfying read/listen, and I do recommend this book and this series as credit worthy.

Shouldn’t have been a book 3

I really hate it when an author ruins a series by making it a trilogy! This book added absolutely nothing to this series and, in fact, I think it weakened the story.

The story of Johnny was summarized in the end of book 2 and since the series had been about the love and friendships that these strong women shared, his story did not need to be told.

There is really not much I can say except that if you like book 1 and book 2 just don’t bother with book 3. The story is weak and the inevitability of what happened made it completely pointless!

Story is fun. The reader is TERRIBLE!

I enjoy the books of Jodi Daynard. They are well researched and weave historical characters and situations with her fictional characters. However, the young man who reads it is pretty bad. His many accents are good, but his speaking pattern is infuriating.

enjoyable

as the third book in the series, I looked forward to hearing this final story. I struggled, however, to finish it. The middle was a bit tedious. but, I enjoyed it overall.

Has some sexual content

It’s tastefully done, but there are a few instances of sexual actions. The first two books are better in my opinion and could do without this one.

Lovely end to the trilogy.

We visit the characters we met in books One and two but through the eyes of the next generation. History comes alive as we move through the struggles of these people. Well written and believable, this series shows you how life probably was lived in the early years of our Union. Loved the characters and really began to realize the harsh life both the characters and the Union had in their youth.