Satisfying new series set in Cromwell's England.
Tidelands (Fairmile #1) by Philippa Gregory
I am still recovering from the ending of this, the first in series Fairmile. Set in 1648 at the time of the English Civil War this dramatic tale reeks of authenticity, penned by the masterly hand of Phillipa Gregory.
The cover is a satisfying reflection of what my mind conjures up as I imagine the novel's geographic description. Tidelands is set on Sealsea Island, off the Wessex Coast. With its shifting sands and dangerous waterways, the community and the Island itself reflects the swirl of place and times and becomes so much more. The tide has swung against the rule of Kings. Cromwell's parliament is in charge.
And into the Tidelands, seeking help for King Charles, comes a young priest, a spy for the royal family and their followers sequestered in France, masquerading as a tutor and known as James Summer.
Waiting in the churchyard this Midsummer Eve was Alinor Reekie. She "went to the graveyard in case [her husband's] ghost was walking, so that [she'd] know for sure that he was dead... When [she] didn’t see his ghost, [Alinor] knew he must be alive, and was choosing not to come home."
The two chance upon each other here, on this waning eve, and in that meeting their lives and those of others will change.
Gregory takes us through these desperate times when Englishmen are at odds and the monarchy is overturned.
A time when a woman skilled in herbs, must be vigilant and do nothing to have people label her a witch. A woman who seems to be succeeding on her own. Times when a woman without a husband--neither widowed or subject to a husband is a suspicious entity. But when jealousy and fear are present, when surperstitions run rife, then any previous regard for Alinor's kindnesses and skilled treatment doesn't hold sway.
I was submerged in Alinor's story, the community she dwells in and the wider unrest that will infect them. My heart was heavy as circumstances were wrenched from her control. Love and betrayal it seems go hand in hand, and the meek are definately not inheriting the earth, when rumour, resentment and anger are involved.
After declaring eternal love for Alinor, it seems James' love cannot stand the tests presented. The gulf between Alinor's sense of right and the devout James' real being, his sense of self and worth, become glaringly obvious.
A skillfully woven tale set in turbulent times opening up new possibilities.
An Atria Books ARC via NetGalley
*****
The cover is a satisfying reflection of what my mind conjures up as I imagine the novel's geographic description. Tidelands is set on Sealsea Island, off the Wessex Coast. With its shifting sands and dangerous waterways, the community and the Island itself reflects the swirl of place and times and becomes so much more. The tide has swung against the rule of Kings. Cromwell's parliament is in charge.
And into the Tidelands, seeking help for King Charles, comes a young priest, a spy for the royal family and their followers sequestered in France, masquerading as a tutor and known as James Summer.
Waiting in the churchyard this Midsummer Eve was Alinor Reekie. She "went to the graveyard in case [her husband's] ghost was walking, so that [she'd] know for sure that he was dead... When [she] didn’t see his ghost, [Alinor] knew he must be alive, and was choosing not to come home."
The two chance upon each other here, on this waning eve, and in that meeting their lives and those of others will change.
Gregory takes us through these desperate times when Englishmen are at odds and the monarchy is overturned.
A time when a woman skilled in herbs, must be vigilant and do nothing to have people label her a witch. A woman who seems to be succeeding on her own. Times when a woman without a husband--neither widowed or subject to a husband is a suspicious entity. But when jealousy and fear are present, when surperstitions run rife, then any previous regard for Alinor's kindnesses and skilled treatment doesn't hold sway.
I was submerged in Alinor's story, the community she dwells in and the wider unrest that will infect them. My heart was heavy as circumstances were wrenched from her control. Love and betrayal it seems go hand in hand, and the meek are definately not inheriting the earth, when rumour, resentment and anger are involved.
After declaring eternal love for Alinor, it seems James' love cannot stand the tests presented. The gulf between Alinor's sense of right and the devout James' real being, his sense of self and worth, become glaringly obvious.
A skillfully woven tale set in turbulent times opening up new possibilities.
An Atria Books ARC via NetGalley
*****
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