The Wind Before the Dawn by Dell H. Munger

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By Rebecca King Posted on Jan 13, 2026
In Category - Faith & Religion
Munger, Dell H., 1862- Munger, Dell H., 1862-
English
Ever wonder what life was really like for women on the American frontier? Forget the simple tales of hardship—this book gives you the messy, complicated truth. Meet Elizabeth, a young woman raised with big ideas and an education, who suddenly finds herself married and moving to a Kansas farm in the late 1800s. The conflict here isn't just against drought or locusts. It's the quiet, daily battle between the person she was raised to be—someone who thinks and questions—and the rigid role society demands she play as a farmer's wife. The wind in the title? It's that restless feeling of change coming, the struggle for something more, long before the world is ready to give it to you. If you've ever felt trapped by expectations, you'll see a piece of yourself in Elizabeth's fight.
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again gladly acknowledge the gracious and untiring services of my wife. The illustrations, which, it is hoped, add considerably to the interest of the book, have been collected from many sources. Many of the highly informational “restorations” included are from the monumental work of Jakob von Falke, _Hellas und Rom_, the English version whereof has long ceased to be available to American readers. W. S. D. THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MINNEAPOLIS CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xxi Chapter I. The General Aspect of the City SECTION 1. The Prosperity of Rome in the Reign of Hadrian (A.D. 117–138) 1 2. Increasing Glory of the Imperial City 2 3. Population and Crowded Condition of Rome 3 4. The Country around Rome 5 5. The Tiber and Its Valley 6 6. A View over Rome from the Campus Martius 7 7. The Seven Hills of Rome 9 8. Building Materials Used in Rome 10 9. The Great Use of Concrete 11 10. Greek Architectural Forms Plus the Arch and Vault 12 Chapter II. Streets and Street Life 11. The Regions of Rome: Fashionable and Plebeian Quarters 15 12. A Typical Short Street, “Mercury Street” 16 13. The House and Shop Fronts 18 14. Street Shrines and Fountains 20 15. Typical Street Crowds 21 16. Frequent Use of Greek in Rome 22 17. Clamor and Thronging in the Streets 23 18. The Processions Attending Great Nobles 24 19. A Great Lady Traveling 25 20. Public Salutations: the Kissing Habit 26 21. The Swarms of Idlers and Parasites 27 22. Public Placards and Notices 28 23. Wall Scribblings 30 24. The Streets Dark and Dangerous at Night 32 25. Discomforts of Life in Rome 33 Chapter III. The Homes of the Lowly and of the Mighty 26. The Great _Insulæ_--Tenement Blocks 34 27. A Typical Insula 35 28. The Flats in an Insula 36 29. The Cheap Attic Tenements and Their Poor Occupants 37 30. A Senatorial “Mansion” (_Domus_) 39 31. The Plan of a Large Residence 40 32. Entrance to the Residence 42 33. The Atrium and the View across It 42 34. The Rooms in the Rear and the _Peristylium_ 44 35. The Dining Room (_Triclinium_) and the Chapel 45 36. The Garden and the Slaves’ Quarters 47 37. The Floors and Windows 49 38. Frescos, Beautiful and Innumerable 50 39. The Profusion of Statues and Art Objects 51 40. Family Portrait Busts 52 41. Death Masks (_Imagines_) 54 42. Couches, Their General Use 54 43. Elegant Chairs and Costly Tables 55 44. Chests, Cabinets, Water Clocks, and Curios 57 45. Spurious Antiques 58 46. Pet Animals 58 Chapter IV. Roman Women and Roman Marriages 47. Honorable Status of Roman Women 60 48. Men Reluctant to Marry 61 49. Rights and Privileges of Married Women 61 50. Selection of Husbands for Young Girls 63 51. A Marriage Treaty among Noble-Folk 64 52. A Betrothal in Wealthy Circles 65 53. Adjusting the Dowry 66 54. Dressing the Bride 66 55. The Marriage Ceremonies 67 56. The Wedding Procession 69 57. At the Bridegroom’s House 70 58. Honors and Liberties of a Matron 71 59. Unhappy Marriages and Frivolous Women 72 60. Divorces, Easy and Frequent 74 61. Celibacy Common: Old Families Dying Out 75 62. Nobler Types of Women 75 63. Famous and Devoted Wives 76 64. The Story of Turia 78 Chapter V. Costume and Personal Adornment 65. The Type of Roman Garments 80 66. The Toga, the National Latin Garment 81 67. Varieties of Togas 83 68. Draping the Toga 83 69. The Tunica 84 70. Capes, Cloaks, and Gala Garments...

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Let's set the scene: Kansas, not long after the Civil War. The prairie is vast, the work is endless, and the rules for how a woman should live are set in stone. This is the world Elizabeth Houghton enters as a new bride.

The Story

Elizabeth isn't your typical pioneer. She's educated, thoughtful, and full of ideas that don't quite fit on a wheat farm. The story follows her marriage to John, a decent but traditional man who believes a wife's place is clearly defined by duty. We see her try. Oh, how she tries to be the supportive partner, managing the home and facing the brutal realities of farm life. But a part of her keeps bumping up against the limits of her world. She longs for intellectual connection, for a purpose beyond chores, and for a partnership that sees her as an equal. The 'wind before the dawn' is that stirring of modern thought—about women's rights, personal fulfillment, and self-determination—that begins to blow through her settled life, threatening to upend everything.

Why You Should Read It

Here's what got me: this isn't a loud, dramatic rebellion. It's a brilliant, quiet study of internal conflict. Munger writes Elizabeth's frustration with such subtlety that you feel it in your bones. You'll recognize that ache of wanting to be both good (by society's standards) and true to yourself. The side characters, from neighboring farm wives to progressive thinkers passing through, perfectly frame Elizabeth's dilemma. The book asks a timeless question: How much of yourself do you surrender to fit in, and when is the cost too high? It's a pioneer story, but the territory it maps is entirely human.

Final Verdict

Perfect for readers who love historical fiction that focuses on character over grand events. If you enjoyed the emotional depth of My Ántonia or the quiet resilience in Old Jules, you'll find a friend here. It's also a fascinating, pre-suffrage look at the early rumblings of the women's movement, all wrapped in a compelling personal story. Fair warning: it's a thoughtful, character-driven pace, not a swashbuckling adventure. But if you're in the mood for a novel that feels profoundly honest and leaves you thinking, let this wind sweep you away.



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