The New England Book Festival has announced awards for their 2015 book contest, in which a panel of industry experts judge books for general excellence, the author’s passion for telling a good story, and the potential to reach a wider audience. With a total of 17 categories for the contest, plus one grand prize winner, the judges gave awards in 3 categories to Crossing Swords: Mary Baker Eddy vs. Victoria Claflin Woodhull and the Battle for the Soul of Marriage by Cindy Safronoff (This One Thing, July 4, 2015).
Crossing Swords was the Winner (first place) in Regional Literature, the Runner-Up (second place) for Spiritual books, and it was one of six entries to receive Honorable Mention in the category of Biography/Autobiography.
The award ceremony for the New England Book Festival contest is scheduled for Saturday, January 30, 2016, in Boston at the Omni Parker Hotel in Beacon Hill along the famous Freedom Trail of sites relating to the American Revolution. This historic hotel was built in 1866, a significant year in the story of Crossing Swords, as around that time both Mary Baker Eddy and Victoria Woodhull began their public careers which would eventually lead them to figuratively “cross swords” in a Boston-area newspaper. In their ideological clash over how the advent of women’s rights should impact the institution of marriage, Mary Baker Eddy defended the values of the Puritan cultural heritage of New England.
Crossing Swords: Mary Baker Eddy vs. Victoria Claflin Woodhull and the Battle for the Soul of Marriage by Cindy Peyser Safronoff is available on Amazon or by special order from your favorite local bookstore.