Reply To: Martha and Ephraim’s past

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January 21, 2025 at 9:20 pm #33317

There were far more parallels between Martha’s life and that of Rebecca’s than I was expecting as a result of the revelations in the interstitial chapters. I wasn’t expecting Martha and Ephraim to have been on good terms with North to the level of him marrying them! I thought the glimpses of the early years reflected that Martha and Ephraim not only shared a deep love and respect for one another; they have also been through deep trauma together, from Martha’s assault to the loss of their children. I hadn’t thought that the hanging Martha remembers experiencing would have such a personal connection to her as it did.

That Ephraim defied Martha’s father’s wishes also reflected a man taking responsibilities for his soon-to-be wife’s welfare seriously. He revealed a strong will in doing that and a lot more common sense than Martha’s parents. I’m thinking of how he insisted that they begin “housekeeping” right away, concerned that if Martha is pregnant, she should not suffer any shame or speculation that the baby was her attacker’s. That Martha’s mother can’t see this or into the future and declares, “She has nothing” and that her father is obstinate and upset by being defied, thereby denying her the gifting and communal gathering that would have helped her ingratiate back into society, speaks to their narrow-mindedness and to Ephraim’s higher emotional intelligence. Something he reveals throughout the book. Ephraim knows how to handle a crisis effectively and “reads” people accurately.

In their relationship, I was struck most deeply by the loss of their children to diphtheria. We forget in today’s society of vaccines and pediatrics that so many children died of diseases that are preventable today. That Martha and Ephraim lost three over the course of a few weeks is heartbreaking. As she says after several of her children survive, “Though you never think it possible, you can celebrate and grieve in the same breath. It is a holy abomination.” Ephraim wanting to leave and build a new life immediately after their children’s death prompts Martha to react violently. It’s probably their biggest conflict in the story, and yet it is understandable but also heartbreaking. It speaks to their closeness that they are still a solid team nine years later when they move to Mill Creek.

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