I won this book in a giveaway and had been meaning to read it as soon as it arrived; and then my wife broke her ankle and we moved and I hadn't unpacked this book until a few weeks ago. It was a perfect read for both of my reading challenges this year -- Historical Fiction and Read Harder's challenge 9, "a book published prior to January 1, 2019, with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads".

I will confess to some apprehension ahead of starting this book, though. In this current political climate, in which neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and domestic terrorists are getting mainstream platforming, I wasn't sure if we needed historical novels that offer empathetic views of people who were, and remained, problematic in their lifetimes. (I keep wondering if Melanie Benjamin's [book:The Aviator's Wife|13642950] would be so casually cavalier abt Lindbergh's fascism if published now, for example.) As far I was aware, Jesse James was unrepentant in his violent support of the Confederacy, proud of his service with William Quantrill, and committed to attacking anything that seemed to support the current government. He wouldn't make my list of historical figures who deserve a humanizing take.

Finishing this book hasn't helped me find an answer to that question. Wahler has written a lovely novel of a woman married to a troubled man; a novel that doesn't pretend to answer for him or make sense of his legacy. Instead, it focuses on this minister's daughter who fell in love with a handsome rogue who couldn't shake his penchant for danger. For good or for bad, Wahler skirts away from judging his political views (or even his military service) in favor of articulating why Zee would have left her stable family to marry her first cousin and trail after him for years.

A little over 300 pages, I rushed through this novel because Wahler manages to convey tension and excitement even though Zee knows virtually nothing about her husband's activities and exploits. Little is known about the real life Mrs. Jesse James, and the figure Wahler evokes felt plausible to me. Certainly sympathetic. A very grounded portrait that counters the outlandish legacy that Jesse James has. This young woman, struck by puppy love, grows into someone who tries to corral her husband into being the good parent she's sure he can be, but tragedy strikes.

This book surprised me and I appreciated that; I even felt a pang of outrage at James' untimely death since I liked our heroine so much. This is Wahler's debut novel, and I'm hopeful she'll pick another less well known figure or era to write about for her next release. ( )

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. ( )

Zee Mimms grew up in the Missouri countryside. She is an obedient and helpful daughter to her parents who run a boarding house, dutiful in every way except allowing her parents to arrange a marriage for her. During the Civil War, Missouri was split between neighbors, Confederate and Union sympathizers were neighbors and friends. Zee's family, the James' felt deeply for the Confederate cause and her cousins, Jesse and Frank fought bravely for what they believed in. After the war, Jesse was badly wounded and a wanted man. He made it to the Mimm's where Zee took charge of his care. Over the course of Jesse's healing, Jesee and Zee fell in love. However, the life Jesse leads is not what Zee's parents want for her. Jesee is still fighting battles from the war, always on the run and living the life of an outlaw. Zee decides that love is worth the risk and steals away with Jesse for a life on the run.

Jesse James is a name that everyone knows, a handsome and cunning outlaw who continued to fight for his Confederate beliefs well after the war was over. However, not much is known about his wife, Zerelda. Told from Zerelda's point of view, I Am Mrs. Jesse James imagines the life that the wife of an outlaw would have lived. Taking the few little known facts about Zee Mimm's life, Pat Wahler weaves a story of immense love, trust, danger and concealment that became Zee's adult life. Zee was a very relatable character compared to her headstrong, fugitive husband. I was very surprised that Jesee James married a first cousin, although their love must have been strong in order to endure all the trials that they went through. Zee's life was a series of moves and living under different names, isolated in many cases since she was not allowed to get to know neighbors. I was even more astonished to know that Zee probably didn't know exactly what her husband was up to until later in her life. I felt strongly for Zee and Jesse's children, born into a world of peril and constant movement, unable to make friends of even use their real names. Even with all of this, Zee's love for Jesse kept her strong and unwavering. Overall, an informative and powerful story of the life of the woman behind the man who was Jesse James.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )