Wow, what a historical fiction gem! Caroline Cauchi delivers The Woman Who Went Over Niagara Falls in a Barrel with such artistic writing skill and research thoroughness that I will never forget this fascinating tale! The author brought this courageous woman to light and life with her exceptional prose and helped me realise Annie Edson Taylor’s accomplishment but also her struggles, determination and true grit.
Some might say Annie was crazy to attempt such an impossible stunt as going over Niagara Falls in a barrel and rightfully so. But it was a way for this sixty-three year old to overcome her grief and prove her worth. Facing potential death shook the cobwebs from her mind and gave her a sharper perspective.
In so many ways The Woman Who Went Over Niagara Falls in a Barrel is a deep psychological character study for we are able to delve into Annie’s thoughts through her diary and see how private she was about her life. She never lets out very much about her past to those around her but we do learn that her only child was born and died in 1861 and her husband died two years later at Gettysburg. Losses that deeply affected her life. We, like the author, then ask the questions: what was Annie’s motivation to risk her life, lie about her age and believe she could survive a stunt that so many others had died attempting? What did she have to gain or lose (and to our minds a fair bit with the latter!). The author handles all these questions beautifully and paints a picture that makes sense.
Through extensive research Ms Cauchi learned that Annie wanted to earn money to help two friends—'one battling illness and the other to care for a child.’ Since there is no further info about these two available, the author created a young mother named Tilda and her baby Nora and older boarding house owner Mrs Lapointe to flesh out the possibilities of who they might have been and their importance to Annie. And Ms Cauchi has done a magnificent job in delivering these three important female characters (along with Annie). They all felt very real and I became emotionally invested in their lives. These women were part of the motivation behind Annie’s decisions and actions. They were as much a blessing to her as she was to them. When Annie decides to go ahead with her dangerous mission, they support and believe in her. Her cleverness and resourcefulness are evident in her plans. This wasn’t a quick hairbrained stunt idea but rather one well thought out. She drew upon science and other information available for her predictions and preparations. She was confident she’d survive the Niagara Falls drop in a barrel that she designed herself. Very clever indeed!
I must add, this story is not just a portrait of one woman, though Annie is the main focus. Character Tilda shares a viewpoint and offers another perspective on Annie but we also follow her personal journey. This young woman’s challenges are gut wrenching – what drove her away from home. How she ends up one night at Mrs Lapointe’s boarding house, shivering and drenched with a child on her hip. She has little funds but is allowed to stay for it is a home created for women in trouble. Tilda’s growth is astounding when she is given love. And courage springs from her closeness with Annie. In fact, Annie had quite an effect on the other women as well as noted by Evelyn Sinclair who said, “Mrs Taylor was more than just working in the boarding house; she was a guiding light in a world I believed was vicious and unforgiving. She taught me how to sew and how to tell stories. Made sure my voice was heard. Gave me hope. God bless her.” Mrs Lapointe provided a home that became a refuge. These women cheered and buoyed each other up from their troubles. This aspect of the novel is quite moving.
And, of course, the barrel stunt is a major plot focus in this varied tapestry. I have been to Canada’s Niagara Falls (I am a Canadian!) and looked over the edge of the viewing platform and marvelled at the awe-inspiring beauty, majesty and peril. To imagine someone going over this gigantic rushing waterfall is mind blowing and from such a height. Not to mention the significant force on the body it would cause—and in a barrel! To think Annie, a real person, did such a thing leaves me speechless. To face the raw unbridled power of nature and survive it, is epic. It was a great moment of victory for women for a number of reasons. It made a strong statement for those who tried to take charge of their lives after being dominated and belittled by men. Secondly, not only was Annie the first woman to attempt the impossible stunt but also the first person to ever live to tell the tale. Many men did not.
The one thing about this whole event, though, that is heartbreaking, is what happened afterward. The awful betrayal by her manager – a circus man who vowed to help her achieve her feat. He took advantage of her victory and stole what should have provided years of recognition and financial support for her and those she cared about. The whole sorry mess left her poor and a burial in a pauper’s grave. But, of course, the story does not end there as a community of friends and acquaintances who loved this woman pulled together and gave her the place she deserved in history and also gifted her a respectable gravesite with a re-burial ceremony.
As for Annie today, we should never forget this remarkable woman born in 1838 who at sixty-three in 1901 defied death! From schoolteacher, to dance instructor, to clerical worker and barrel stunt woman she is a heroine worthy to be acknowledged. She defied the archaic ideas, modes of restraint and ageism put on women of her era. She was a beacon of light and hope. I cannot rave enough about this novel and what a brilliant ‘fictionalised love letter’ Ms Cauchi has written in honour of Annie Edson Taylor. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for the ARC.
