Naked Truth

Or Equality, The Forbidden Fruit

Fiction - Historical - Personage
318 Pages
Reviewed on 05/31/2020
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Over the years, Carrie has tried a lot of things. She’s sold vacuum cleaners, annuities and sofas. She’s lived at the beach and lived in Europe. She’s taught school and worked in film. For a while, she was an aspiring librarian, but she fell in love and threw her life away instead. Back in the States, she started over, then met an architect who said, “Why don’t you become a kitchen designer?” So, she did. Eventually she designed interiors, too. And all that time, she was reading. What mattered was having something to read. Slowly, she realized her craving for books sprang from her need to know how things would turn out. Because in real life, you don’t know how things will turn out. But if you write it, you do. Naked Truth or Equality the Forbidden Fruit is her first book.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Naked Truth: Or Equality, The Forbidden Fruit is a work of fiction in the historical and interpersonal drama sub-genres and was penned by author Carrie Hayes. Written for mature audiences, the work contains some usage of explicit language, sexual situations, and moderate violence. Set in the late nineteenth century on the cusp of the Gilded Age, this uplifting and dramatic work takes us through the early feminist movements made by a pair of incredible sisters in a novel based on some real-life events. As Victoria and Tennie move through life’s struggles, their incredible spirit and passion to make history as strong, powerful women endure despite the betrayals of friends and family, and the odds stacked against them by New York City’s traditional ways.

Author Carrie Hayes has crafted a highly engaging read, which balances a strong character-led story with a wider conceptual view of empowerment and gender rights. Fans of city history and feminist movements will enjoy seeing the sisters make their stand against the traditions of New York society at the time, and the work is peppered with intelligent references to characterize the period and the context in which they do so. I particularly loved the dialogue, which brought the unique personalities of the two women forward, especially when they spoke with one another, but also set the age of the period perfectly. A snapshot of equality history with plenty of twists and turns in its plot, this is a work of fiction that both entertains and educates, and overall I would highly recommend Naked Truth to readers of historical fiction everywhere.

Rabia Tanveer

Naked Truth: Or Equality, The Forbidden Fruit by Carrie Hayes is the story of two sisters who take the world by storm with their charm, wit, and tenacity as they fight for what is right. Tennessee and Victoria Claflin Woodhill are ambitious women whose dreams are bigger than the world. Victoria wants other women to stand up and fight for themselves and her sister Tennessee stands right beside her to give support. Women don’t have the right to vote and they don’t have the right to speak for themselves, but Victoria will change that. Victoria hopes to be the next President of the United States and no man will stop her. With her sister by her side, she rubs shoulders with some of the most powerful men in society. Victoria and Tennessee are sisters on a mission and will not quit until they get women the rights they deserve. This is the war for equality and the Claflin sisters will fight it until the end.

Naked Truth is a glorious story. Victoria and Tennessee are tenacious, confident, and very vocal about what they believe. The author did a great job of not only representing a historical figure as radical as Victoria but also giving a solid picture of what happened in the era when women had zero rights. The main focus of the story remains on these two incredible women as they open a brokerage firm, fight for women’s right to vote, and even start their own newspaper. The author touched upon the personal lives of these women in the background and allowed the reader to get a closer look at these sisters as persons and not just as historical figures. The reader gets a glimpse of their childhood, their adult lives, and how they fight their demons while supporting each other. The narrative flows exceptionally and creates opportunities for the characters to grow. Author Carrie Hayes built the momentum, kept the pace going, and hooked the reader in from the very beginning. I loved the chapter names and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

Christian Sia

Naked Truth: Or Equality, the Forbidden Fruit by Carrie Hayes is a historical novel that is transporting and features compelling female characters. The author introduces readers to two sisters, Tennessee Claflin and Victoria Woodhull, in New York. The two sisters open a brokerage firm in New York and run a newspaper. They are strong advocates for the voting rights of women. They are a fun pair, and while Tennessee is smart and sassy, it is her sister who runs for the presidency at a time when women were not allowed to vote. Follow these sisters as they purpose a challenging, albeit impossible route in history. In fact, they are about to make history and in a way no one expected. But the odds are stacked against them, with strong rivals, family challenges, and hard choices.

Carrie Hayes’s novel is rich with history, offering a setting that is politically relevant with historical and familiar names like President Grant, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Frederick Douglas becoming part of the story. The reader is left in no doubt that the novel is meticulously researched and beautifully written. The newspaper references add credibility to the already exciting historical setting. The shifts in the points of view create a powerful sense of suspense while allowing readers to connect intimately with the protagonists. The author does an impeccable job with the background story, giving vivid glimpses into the lives of the characters. It is easy to like the two sisters, their ideologies, and their core beliefs. Naked Truth: Or Equality, the Forbidden Fruit is a rich, balanced, and deftly written story that is as moving as it is entertaining.

Maria Victoria Beltran

Naked Truth Or Equality, The Forbidden Fruit by Carrie Hayes is a historical fiction novel set in 1868 Washington D.C. Tennessee Claflin and Victoria Woodhull live in a time when men ruled the world and sexual equality is but a dream. Beautiful, smart, and ambitious, they set out to break the rules and turn the world they live in upside down. Tennessee is a very successful clairvoyant while Victoria goes on to become the first woman to run for President of the United States of America. This is a story of two extraordinary women that will take the suffrage movement by storm. Living a life of lust and intrigue the world has never seen before, the sisters make their fortune, but greed and corruption will rear their ugly heads and threaten everything they have managed to achieve.

Carrie Hayes' Naked Truth Or Equality, The Forbidden Fruit has everything one looks for in a novel. Highly interesting characters that live at a time when history can be made and that is exactly what sisters Tennessee Claflin and Victoria Woodhull did. With the history of the United States as a backdrop, Naked Truth or Equality, The Forbidden Fruit is a very interesting read as it takes us back to the late 19th century. The story also has all the ingredients of a great novel, with twists and turns that give us an intimate look at how the ambition and determination of two beautiful women can wreak havoc on a male-dominated society. And as we learn about US history, we also learn about the depths of human emotion and ambition, which is really what drives us all to make something out of our lives.