Buy new:
-18% $14.70
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$14.70 with 18 percent savings
List Price: $17.95

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Friday, May 10. Order within 20 hrs 15 mins
Only 18 left in stock - order soon.
$$14.70 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.70
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$3.70
Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc... Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc... See less
$3.98 delivery May 16 - 17. Details
Only 2 left in stock - order soon.
$$14.70 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.70
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by glenthebookseller.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Susan J. Godwin
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Rain Dodging: A Scholar’s Romp through Britain in Search of a Stuart Queen Paperback – October 17, 2023

by Susan J. Godwin (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$14.70","priceAmount":14.70,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"70","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"h6gUbY3Sfi62PGoOkkhudH6NiznQeAVA%2Ffi0UnZzY1LS3WUN2EyWiBCXNCnRbML6ItuvowS3fnQWtFzbQzFDlbdhavhU1QGFQ0f6h5vZBCaqW2pdge2sEgWKyLnLEAypN4E08s6NDSkEe4Kkpna0aQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$3.70","priceAmount":3.70,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"3","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"70","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"h6gUbY3Sfi62PGoOkkhudH6NiznQeAVAsenZEW7FgFNjbRM4r6yxzLA9ZZo%2FoTTCMfCGIFQfdEF%2BTLiVJgr8s4WE9t0Y4wfQfZrNK1Ce4hz95ycQD850V4%2FtiM3gnWC5gMK9u7BKbvQAGGauind5LOXyR8nHCwv2rg%2BB%2FZB8aRTh8D3ZCU1I1quAOaCtKzBL","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Scholar Susan Godwin is hooked when she comes across the captivating story of Mary of Modena—a seventeenth-century Italian princess who was only fourteen when coerced into marriage with the future king of England, James II, yet went on to cultivate a court full of women writers in an age when female authorship was rare. How did Mary achieve such a feat?

Rain Dodging is Susan’s creative nonfiction account of the years-long search upon which this question—and her own unquenchable curiosity—launched her. Godwin travels through both space and time, solo adventuring through Britain in pursuit of truth and, in a spicy parallel arc, chronicling her own cluttered but resilient feminist path. From schizophrenic lovers to out-there musicians to one unhinged mother, Susan tells the story of her personal enlightenment even as she visits the palaces and manor houses in England and Scotland Mary once inhabited and pores over materials in Oxford’s stunning 400-year-old Bodleian Library, finding moments of transcendence and unexpected delight along the way.

Join Susan in this irreverent and illuminating journey—a fascinating account of the late Stuart monarchy, the progression of feminist history, and the unexpected connection between the two.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    She Writes Press
  4. Publication date
    October 17, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1647425697
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1647425692
  8. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Editorial Reviews

Review

“It was an honour to read Rain Dodging. It brought tears to the eyes and a renewed sense of how blessed I was with you and your cohorts all those years ago.”
—Professor Peter McCullough, Lincoln College, Oxford

“Rain Dodging is a kaleidoscope of memoir and mystery, a collage of images and events. In a voice that’s candid, engaging, and thoroughly original, Godwin takes us on a journey through her life and into the 17th-century court of British Queen Mary of Modena. You’ll be hooked as you watch the connections unfold.”
—Shellie Michael, Professor of English, Volunteer State College

“Rain Dodging is a vision quest. I am typing through tears. I LOVED THE BOOK! I love her; what a character, free spirit, person I would like to hang with . . . ‘eternally curious about so much.’”
—Teresa Steve, social worker

“The opening chapters of Susan Godwin’s memoir whet the appetite for more. With vivid portrayals of Oxford’s Radcliffe Camera and Rare Book reading room, Susan brings her memories to life and powerfully conveys the excitement of scholarly discovery as she explores primary sources for late seventeenth-century English society, religion, culture, and the awkward assimilation of an intellectually accomplished Italian princess into the English royal family.”
—John M. Fyler, Professor of Medieval English at Tufts University

About the Author

Susan J. Godwin is a fervent educator, writer, and freelance artist whose world has always been steeped in books, from Harold and the Purple Crayon―she couldn’t resist drawing on her bedroom wall, no matter how many reprimands―to her first job as a library book mender in her Shaker Heights High School basement to teaching English at the prestigious University School of Nashville. A former Oxford scholar, Godwin has received writing awards from the University of Michigan, Middle Tennessee State University, and Bread Loaf School of English. Though writing is her true passion, she is also a visual artist working primarily in oils and pastels. Her home is outside of Nashville, in Dickson, TN, on the banks of a winding Tennessee river, in a hayloft renovated by her sweet, sexy husband, Tony―with help from their rotty, Roady!

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ She Writes Press (October 17, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1647425697
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1647425692
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Susan J. Godwin

Susan J. Godwin

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

As a fervent educator, writer, and freelance artist, Godwin’s world has been steeped in books, from Harold and the Purple Crayon—she couldn’t resist drawing on her bedroom wall, no matter how many reprimands—to her first job as a library book mender in her Shaker Heights High School basement, to teaching English at the prestigious University School of Nashville.

England has a mystical hold on Godwin. She is blessed to be an Oxford scholar. As well, the author has received writing awards from the University of Michigan, Middle Tennessee State University, and Bread Loaf School of English. Whether working as a teacher or librarian, as a free clinic mental health coordinator or a cocktail-waitress in country-western dive, she has adventured! Be it Cleveland in the 70s, L.A. in the 80s, or the South of the 90s, each place has impacted who she is, her curiosities, her intellect, her view of the world. Steeped in each, they helped develop a dynamic, diverse cultural perspective.

Though writing is her true passion, she is also a visual artist working primarily in oils and pastels. Her fearless daughter, Jesse, is a litigation attorney in Los Angeles. Godwin loves nothing more than visiting—an excuse for hitting the back roads in her mother’s old Mustang convertible. A columnist for The Tennessean newspaper once dubbed her “Renaissance Woman,” which close friends still call her with humor and affection.

Godwin’s home is outside of Nashville, on the banks of a winding Tennessee river, in a hayloft renovated by her “sweet, sexy” husband, Tony—with help from their rotty, Roady!

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
11 global ratings
Scholars journey
5 Stars
Scholars journey
I absolutely loved this book. This book was written beautifully. It was engaging. I loved the British history, the travel guide of sorts, and this woman's connection to other women. The story flows beautifully.I love history and learning. I loved reading about the author and learning more about Mary of Modena. Mary is one of my favorites because she was able to do the unthinkable and publish a book back in the seventeenth century when a woman writer was unheard of. I love the feminism of this story. If you love memoirs, history, travel, and feminism than you will love this.1
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Katie Reen
5.0 out of 5 stars So many twists and turns in this journey.
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
Rain Dodging: A Scholar’s Romp through Britain in Search of a Stuart Queen is a masterfully crafted work of literature that manages to straddle the line between scholarly and salacious. Susan Godwin’s craft is a style all her own, making it impossible for me to put the book down. As she meanders her way through England chasing the mystery and history of a long-forgotten queen, the journey sparks a voyage through her own remarkable past. I loved the way Godwin toggled between the world of a court of learned and artistic women during the reign of the Stuarts and her own personal world of academia, art, and (mis)adventure. Susan’s voice is so sharp and so real that you actually feel like you can hear her as you read. She has a magical ability to tell the story of the hardship and misogyny that many women faced and continue to face in a way that leaves the reader with the hope and the hutzpah to confront it in new generations. As someone who identifies in the generation below the writer’s, I walked away with a renewed sense of confidence to face the struggles and challenges that women tend to endure with greater resolve and a healthy dose of humor. I enjoyed this book tremendously and appreciate the way Godwin paves the way for women to embrace their inner talents and share them with the world.
Helpful
 Report
Jennifer Weinblatt
4.0 out of 5 stars royal history + personal history = great reading!
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2023
Reading Rain Dodging is like visiting Great Britain with a spirited and knowledgeable companion. Author Susan J. Godwin is a student of British literature, still excited by new discoveries. Her book combines travelog, British history, and memoir. Godwin shares stories about historical figures who populate the book and stories of her own personal history. Both will keep readers enthusiastically turning pages.

Susan Godwin first learned about Mary of Modena, a seventeenth-century Italian princess who married James II, eventually becoming Queen of Great Britain, during a summer seminar at Oxford. As queen, Mary remained devoted to her role and her faith while surrounding herself with talented women whose artistic and intellectual growth she encouraged. Godwin’s quest to learn more about this figure frames and propels the book. The opening chapter finds Godwin returning to England for five weeks of research that take her–and her readers–to Oxford, London, Cambridge, and Scotland, among other places. We follow Godwin into the Radcliffe Camera rotunda of the Bodleian Library; we sit beside her on the train to Bath, where she visits the spot Mary of Modena journeyed to, desperate to bear an heir to the throne of England; we share her excitement as she stumbles unexpectedly upon the room in Kensington Palace where Mary finally did give birth to a son (James III).

As with most journeys in life and literature, this retired English teacher’s journey beyond the contours of her “regular” life sets her on a path inward, through memory and reflection. We accompany Godwin on these travels, as well. We are taken into childhood scenes dominated by a mentally unstable mother, followed by an early adulthood rich in adventure and colorful characters who become dear friends. The adventures are punctuated by stories of pain and personal tragedy, beautifully rendered. In her later adulthood, Godwin finds greater intellectual and personal fulfillment, and greater room to be herself.

The two threads of history Godwin brings together in Rain Dodging–those of Mary of Modena and her own–meet and diverge repeatedly as the book’s narrative unfolds. Each thread becomes more resonant in the presence of the other. Rain Dodging shines a light on an historical figure remarkable for her time. With that light comes the reminder that women’s challenge to reconcile personal fulfillment with family and societal expectations is by no means a thing of the past.
Helpful
 Report
K. CROWLEYGARDNER
5.0 out of 5 stars More entertaining than I thought it would be
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
I wasn't sure what to expect from Rain Dodging. I read it because I want to support my friend, the author. As I got into this more memoir than history study, I found myself engrossed by her writing style and candid revelations about her challenging and traumatic life. As she travels Britain to research about Mary of Modena, memories are triggered that transported me to events of my own life during those same times; loves I enjoyed, and risks taken along the journey. Her interspersed commentary is amusing and in a writing style I was discouraged from using. I enjoyed reading it very much.
Helpful
 Report
Stephanie (Bookfever)
3.0 out of 5 stars a fun journey to be on
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2023
Rain Dodging is one of those books that don’t fit in just one genre. It was a blend of history, memoir and even a travel guide of some sort. I loved Susan J. Godwin’s writing, especially her descriptions of Oxford. She really made me want to visit there someday. I also really loved her mention of Deborah Harkness’s A Discovery of Witches when she passed All Souls College because it’s one of my favorite trilogies ever. It was just a small comment but it made me smile.

Another thing I enjoyed was learning about seventeenth-century Italian princess Mary of Modena who married James II of England at the age of fourteen. Previously I hadn’t know anything about her but the fact that she managed to have a court of female writers actually blew my mind and now all I want to do is read more about Mary of Modena.

This book is also very much about the author’s own personal journey through life. I do have to admit that I wasn’t as invested in these chapters quite as much as the ones about Mary of Modena or her fellow women artists but that’s probably just a personal preference as I usually enjoy history more than memoir kinda books.

Overall, Rain Dodging: A Scholar’s Romp through Britain in Search of a Stuart Queen by Susan J. Godwin was a fun journey to be on. I didn’t enjoy the whole book equally but I did discover the fascinating story of Mary of Modena and that made it a good read for me.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Michelle O-D
4.0 out of 5 stars Walking with two women through their journeys of personal freedom and expression
Reviewed in Canada on December 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
Rain Dodging was one of the most unique reading experiences I have had in a very long time. Susan Godwin walks us through her academic adventure in England while she researched the life and times of Mary of Modena and many of her contemporaries.

In addition to her exquisite description of the galleries and libraries she visited, she added many of the adventures and challenges she faced personally that led her to studying Mary and the impact on women's studies over the centuries.

Throughout the book Susan finds ways to weave both life experiences into a thought provoking read about how many things have changed for women over the centuries and how many things have not.
Report