Review: The Lost and the Blind by Declan Burke

Hardcover, 240 pages

Expected publication: April 1st 2015 by Severn House Publishers ore details...     

ISBN :0727884646 (ISBN13: 9780727884640)


From Goodreads: 

This gripping Irish thriller is an intriguing new departure for comic noir writer Declan Burke."
A dying man, if he is any kind of man, will live beyond the law. The elderly German, Karl Uxkull, was senile or desperate for attention. Why else would he concoct a tale of Nazi atrocity on the remote island of Delphi, off the coast of Donegal? And why now, 60 years after the event, just when Irish-American billionaire Shay Govern has tendered for a prospecting licence for gold in Lough Swilly?
Journalist Tom Noone doesn t want to know. With his young daughter Emily to provide for, and a ghost-writing commission on Shay Govern s autobiography to deliver, the timing is all wrong. Besides, can it be mere coincidence that Karl Uxkull s tale bears a strong resemblance to the first thriller published by legendary spy novelist Sebastian Devereaux, the reclusive English author who has spent the past 50 years holed up on Delphi?
But when a body is discovered drowned, Tom and Emily find themselves running for their lives, in pursuit of the truth that is their only hope of survival.

 My thoughts: For a book that is billed as a thriller, this one just did not do it for me. That's almost strange because I love books set in Ireland and I love conspiracy theories. Nazi characters involvement in a story fascinate me for some bizarre reason. So, all told, this should have been right up my alley. Wrong!

I found the pace excruciatingly slow, the characters not well developed and the thriller bits were somewhat MIA. My attention kept wandering. This type of book should have had me spellbound and riveted to the pages. Sadly, that did not happen.

I hate to write a negative review but honesty is my primary goal This is just MY experience with the book, you however might love it. Sorry, but this one garners the "meh" 2** rating from me.

Declan Burke is a Goodreads author and can be found on his page here

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Severn House Publishers/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Meadowlands: A World War I Family Saga by Elizabeth Jeffrey

Hardcover, 224 pages

Expected publication: April 1st 2015 by Severn House Publishers

more details...

ISBN: 0727884697 (ISBN13: 9780727884695)
From Goodreads:

The comfortable, upper-class lives of the aristocratic Barsham family are set to change forever with the onset of World War I."
August, 1914. The silver wedding celebrations of Sir George Barsham, MP, and his wife, Lady Adelaide, are overshadowed by the declaration of war with Germany. Over the following months, as the male estate workers head for the Front and the maids disappear to work in the newly-opened munitions factory, the Barsham family s comfortable, aristocratic lifestyle is set to change forever.
Determined to do his bit for King and country, James Barsham enlists as an officer and heads for Flanders, leaving Lady Adelaide s maid Polly devastated. To Lady Adelaide s dismay, her younger daughter Millie learns to drive an ambulance: a most unladylike skill. Meanwhile Millie s sister Gina finds fulfilment in helping the local wives and children, left destitute while their husbands are away fighting.
During the course of the war, with devastating loses, the strength of character of the four Barsham siblings will be tested as never before. They will encounter hardship, danger, heartache and unexpected love.      


My Thoughts:. With the popularity of Downton Abby, a historical drama on PBS,it seems there have been quite a few books set during the same WWI timeframe all with all the same "upstairs downstairs" themes and characters seemingly from the same mold. I swear I've read about a butler ironing the newspaper over and over. I still remember Mr. Hudson from Upstairs, Downstairs, ( PBS drama from the 1970's) ironing the newspaper.  So . . . . . .

I started out thinking this was going to be one big clichéd story but then found myself engrossed in the book right away. I was anxious to see what happened with all the  characters especially Polly, James and Gina. I think the author did a credible job with the historical bits and feel of the time, especially the effects of wartime hardship on poor families. It is hard to imagine what those  injured soldiers and their families went through but Ms. Jeffrey really brought these tragic circumstances to life.

Okay, so a few bits were a tad predictable, and yes, Lady Adelaide was more than just a bit annoying, I still enjoyed the book immensely. If you're a fan of romance, family drama, historical/WWI stories or British fiction, this could be the book for you. 4****

Elizabeth Jeffrey was born and grew up in Wivenhoe, the village of her parents and grandparents. Far from being born with a quill in her hand, Elizabeth didn't start serious writing until after her children were born, beginning with short stories - on the premise that not so much paper was wasted if they were rejected! She won first prize in a short story competition run by the Daily Express, which led to an invitation to write for Mills & Boon. This was a useful stepping stone and after publishing five titles for them she moved on to writing historical novels. Her third novel, Cassie Jordan, was short-listed for Angel Prize for East Anglian writers and later The Buttercup Fields (under the title. The Chair Mender,) was short-listed for the very first Catherine Cookson prize. She has written over 15 novels. http://www.severnhouse.com/author/Elizabeth+Jeffrey/9433   Author info from Severn House Publishers website.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Severn House Publishers/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: The Amber Keeper by Freda Lightfoot

 

Set against the backdrop of revolutionary Russia, The Amber Keeper is a sweeping tale of jealousy and revenge, reconciliation and forgiveness.
English Lake District, 1960s: A young Abbie Myers returns home after learning of her mother’s death. Estranged from her turbulent family for many years, Abbie is heartbroken to hear that they blame her for the tragedy.
Determined to u  

Paperback, 384 pages

Published December 1st 2014 by Lake Union Publishing

more details...

ISBN: 1477826157 (ISBN13: 9781477826157)                

From Goodreads:
Set against the backdrop of revolutionary Russia, The Amber Keeper is a sweeping tale of jealousy and revenge, reconciliation and forgiveness.
English Lake District, 1960s: A young Abbie Myers returns home after learning of her mother’s death. Estranged from her turbulent family for many years, Abbie is heartbroken to hear that they blame her for the tragedy.
Determined to uncover her mother’s past, Abbie approaches her beloved grandmother, Millie, in search of answers. As the old woman recounts her own past, Abbie is transported back to the grandeur of the Russian Empire in 1911 with tales of her grandmother’s life as a governess and the revolution that exploded around her.
As Abbie struggles to reconcile with her family, and to support herself and her child, she realizes that those long-ago events created aftershocks that threaten to upset the fragile peace she longs to create.

My thoughts: For some reason, Tsarist Russia has always fascinated me so I really liked this time frame and dual perspectives as told by Abbie in the 1960's and Millie in 1911. Ms. Lightfoot's excellent characterizations, sense of place and historical feel made this a wonderful read.

Although, I did like Millie' s story of her time in Russia  a tad better than Abbie's, they were both very good. There were some characters you could love and hate which made for a good balance in the storyline. The family ties and old hurts were well done. I could actually empathize with the characters. Along with Millie's past story and Amber's present day story, there was a plot line fraught with mystery and danger. It all came together with a fine cohesiveness. My attention never wavered and I even learned something about amber along the way. 4****

Ms. Lightfoot is the author of numerous historical fiction books and is a Goodreads author. She can be found on her page at Goodreads.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Lake Union Publishing/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: The Other Girl by Pam Jenoff

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: September 1st 2014 by Harlequin MIRA

From Goodreads:

One woman's determination to protect a child from the dangers of war will force her to face those lurking closer to home…

Life in rural Poland during WWII brings a new set of challenges to Maria, estranged from her own family and left alone with her in-laws after her husband is sent to the front. For a young, newly pregnant wife, the days are especially cold, the nights unexpectedly lonely. The discovery of a girl hiding in the barn changes everything—Hannah is fleeing the German police who are taking Jews like her to special camps. Ignoring the risk to her own life and that of her unborn child, Maria is compelled to help. But in these dark days, no one can be trusted, and soon Maria finds her courage tested in ways she never expected and herself facing truths about her own family that the quiet village has kept buried for years…

The Other Girl is comprised of just 24 pages but this novella is still a good introduction to the
 likeable characters and the feel of the story set against the backdrop of WWII. I greatly admired Maria and felt so sad for Hannah as they are both just trying to live their lives as normally as possible. Of course, during wartime, this is not always doable.


Even in such limited pages, Jenoff did a wonderful job with the main character of Maria. I could really feel her indecision, fear and determination. This novella is a companion story to Jenoff's  The Winter Guest. 3***


Pam Jenoff is the author of numerous historical novels. She can be found on her Goodreads page.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Harlequin MIRA/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

 

Review: The Wild Dark Flowers: a Novel of Rutherford Park by Elizabeth Cooke

Paperback, 368 pages

Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by Berkley Trade

more details...

ISBN: 0425262596 (ISBN13: 9780425262597)

From Goodreads:

"When May came that year in Rutherford, it was more beautiful than anyone could ever remember. More beautiful, and more terrible…

From inside their sprawling estate of Rutherford Park, the Cavendish family had a privileged perspective of the world. On the first morning in May, 1915, with a splendid view that reached across the gardens to the Vale of York, nothing seemed lovelier or less threatening. And yet…

At the risk of undoing the Cavendish name with scandal, William and Octavia Cavendish have been living a lie, maintaining a marriage out of duty rather than passion. But when their son Harry joins the Royal Flying Corps in France, the Cavendish family are forced to face the unavoidable truths about themselves, the society in which they thrive, and the secrets they can no longer bear.

In the wake of a terrible war, the emotional shifts between a husband and a wife, a wife and her lover, and a mother and her children, will shake the very foundation of the Cavendish family, and change the uniquely vulnerable lives of all who reside at Rutherford Park."


My Thoughts:   

The Wild Dark Flowers: A Novel of Rutherford Park has been compared to Downton Abbey. This is an excellent comparison as Rutherford is set during the same interesting historical timeframe and is an in-depth look at life on a large English estate during WW1. With  rich  lush descriptions, a mesmerizing sense of place, The Wild Dark Flowers had me hooked from page 1.  Not just an intriguing character study but an eye opening social commentary on the changing times.

 War is a great leveler: it affected everyone  whether upstairs or downstairs, everyone has their story.
Cooke did a fabulous job of bringing her numerous characters to life and giving them a unique voice.

I loved the surprise ending and can't wait for the next book in the series Very enjoyable read. 4****

Even though this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

Elizabeth Cooke is a Goodreads author and can be found on her page. She can also be found on her webpage and on Facebook.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by The Penguin Group/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: The Shadow Queen by Rebecca Dean

Paperback, 448 pages

Expected publication: August 14th 2012 by Broadway (first published May 10th 2012)

more details...

ISBN

0767930576 (ISBN13: 9780767930574)

edition language

English

From the publisher:

When debutante Wallis Simpson is growing up, she devotes her teenage daydreams to one man, the future King of England, Prince Edward. But it's Pamela Holtby, Wallis's aristocratic best friend, who mixes within the palace circle. Wallis's first marriage to a dashing young naval pilot is not what she dreamt of; he turns out to be a dominating bully of a man, who punishes her relentlessly. But her fated marriage does open a suprising door, to the world of Navy couriers – where navy wives are being used to transport messages around the world. This interesting turn of fate takes Wallis from the exuberant social scene in Washington to a China that is just emerging from civil war. Edward in the meantime is busy fulfilling his royal duties – and some extra-curricular ones involving married women. Until the day, just before he ascends the throne as Edward VIII, he is introduced to a very special married woman, Wallis Simpson.

Was Wallis Simpson really the monster the royal family perported her to be? Or was she an extraordinary woman who led an unimaginable life? A dramatic novel, that crosses continents and provides a unique insight into one of history’s most charismatic and multi-faceted women.

My thoughts:  The Shadow Queen  weaves fiction and fact together to present Wallis's life up to 1931. It was not until January of 1936 that Prince Edward succeeded his father to the throne and then abdicated in December of the same year. Dean's story explains how Wallis even got into these exalted circles after becoming friends at a young age with Pamela Denby, a young British aristocrat. Pamela would become both best friend and almost an enemy at different points in Wallis's life.

I'm not too sure I would call Wallis charismatic but obviously she had some kind of charm to get as far as she did. In the book, to me, she came across as snobbish, manipulative and always had her eye to the main chance. From all the things I've read about her and Prince Edward, frankly, I don't think I would have liked them in real life.

The most interesting part of the book was the time frame and Dean did a wonderful job of bringing that alive.
From good times with debutante balls to an abusive marriage through war time, Dean covers it all with expertise, perfectly setting the tone of the day. I had no idea Wallis was once a courier for the Navy and ended up in Shanghai. I found all these historical bits intriguing.

There has been a lot of questions about Wallis's sexuality. Why? I don't know but be sure to read the author's note on this. Although I could put the book down easily,  it's still an enjoyable and enlightening read. 3***

Rebecca Dean is also the author of Palace Circle ( a book I just loved) and The Golden Prince.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Henry Holt  in exchange for my honest opinion.

Opinion: A Hundred Flowers by Gail Tsukiyama

Hardcover, 304 pages

Expected publication: August 7th 2012 by St. Martin's Press

ISBN: 0312274815 (ISBN13: 9780312274818)

edition language : English

From the publisher

A powerful new novel about an ordinary family facing extraordinary times at the start of the Chinese Cultural Revolution

China, 1957. Chairman Mao has declared a new openness in society: “Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend.” Many intellectuals fear it is only a trick, and Kai Y ing’s husband, Sheng, a teacher, has promised not to jeopardize their safety or that of their young son, Tao. But one July morning, just before his sixth birthday, Tao watches helplessly as Sheng is dragged away for writing a letter criticizing the Communist Party and sent to a labor camp for “reeducation.”

A year later, still missing his father desperately, Tao climbs to the top of the hundred-year-old kapok tree in front of their home, wanting to see the mountain peaks in the distance. But Tao slips and tumbles thirty feet to the courtyard below, badly breaking his leg.

As Kai Ying struggles to hold her small family together in the face of this shattering reminder of her husband’s absence, other members of the household must face their own guilty secrets and strive to find peace in a world where the old sense of order is falling. Once again, Tsukiyama brings us a powerfully moving story of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances with grace and courage.


My thoughts: When Mao instituted the 100 flowers campaign, the party invited thoughts from intellectuals and artists on ways to improve China and the party itself. Although the party had previously persecuted intellectuals and artists, Kai Ying's husband Sheng, thought this time it would be different so he responded in good faith and this act led to his downfall. He was dragged off to a labor camp to be "reeducated". This had not just a financial impact but also a deep emotional one on his wife, son and father.

Using several points of view, Tskukiyama presents a heartwrenching story of the day-to-day survival of Sheng's family. Kai Ying keeps busy with her herbalist patients and running the household. Tao has to recover from his accident and attend school and his father, Wei, has to live with his guilty secret, his sense of shame and loneliness. But, inside all three desperately miss Sheng in their own way.

"Kai Ying knew that being "reeducated" was like falling down a black hole. Some were never seen again, while others returned defeated, deadened by the experience of hard labor, illness, and starvation. She willed for him to hold on, to return to them. She didn't allow herself to think of what they were going to do if Sheng never returned, if she never heard his voice or felt his touch again. "

"Don't worry, you ba ba will be back soon," he said reassuringly. Tao nodded, but all he tasted as he sucked on the hard candy was grief."

"He and his mother were sad, but his grandfather's sadness was different, heavier, like a weight pulling him down."

The introduction of several minor characters along with some of their back story added to the richness and depth of the tale.

Every book Gail has written, I have read and loved. Tsukiyama mentally and emotionally transported me to China during this most turbulent time. Every one of uher books, although fiction, has taught me something about China's history. Tsukiyama not only makes her characters come alive but also the times and the place. Even though I didn't love it as much as The Street of a Thousand Blossoms, I still enjoyed it very much. 4****


Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by St. Martin's Press  in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mini opinion: The Union Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published February 22nd 2011 by Dutton Adult

more details...ISBN: 0525952039 (ISBN13: 9780525952039)

edition language : English

series: Elm Creek Quilts #17

From the publisher:

In 1862, the men of Water's Ford, Pennsylvania, rally to President Lincoln's call while Dorothea Granger marshals her friends to "wield their needles for the Union." Meanwhile, Anneke Bergstrom hides the shame she feels for her husband's pacifism; gifted writer Gerda Bergstrom takes on local Southern sympathizers in the pages of the Water's Ford Register; and Constance Wright struggles to help her husband gain entry to the Union Army-despite the color of his skin. As the women work, hope, and pray, the men they love confront loneliness, boredom, and danger on the battlefield. But the women of the sewing circle also forge a new independence that will forever alter the patchwork of life in the Elm Creek Valley.

My thoughts: Finally finished! A good portion of this book is as dry as dust. Reads like a recitation on the civil war; too much "tell me" with not enough "show me" especially with the characters. I really only found a few paragraphs where I could tell what the character was truly feeling.

"But she could not overcome the dull lethargy that had settled upon her in the wake of --'s death. (avoiding a spoiler) She could not bear to hear again how her husband was a hero, that the had died for a noble cause, and that her own sacrifice had ennobled her as his black-clad widow. He had died a hero's death, and for that reason her loss was a public one; it belonged to the town, to the nation. Other women might have found strength and solace in that, but she did not want to share her private grief with anyone. She wanted to be left alone to mourn."

That's still a lot of "tell me" writing but it's the best it gets.

Granted, it's interesting that the women who were left behind managed to do so much to raise money with their quilting for the troops and still managed to run the family farm or business. Their courage was immense but what choice did they have?  Although, I did wonder at how true it was that they could get the supplies necessary to make so many quilts during wartime.

The most emotion this book brought out in me was the feeling of sadness at the deprivations of supplies felt most by the soldiers, the deplorable prison conditions and the waste of so many lives. Of course, any war documentary would make me feel this same way. I just wish the whole story had been written with a little more fictional feeling and with deeper looks into each character and not quite as dryly.

I've read one other book in this Elm Creek Quilts series and enjoyed it a lot, so unfortunately this was a little disapointing for me. Fans of Civil War fiction in no-nonsense fact style might very well appreciate it more than I did. 2.5 **

For more info about Ms. Chiaverini and her books, please visit her website.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by SA/Plume  in exchange for my honest opinion.

Giveaway/guest post by Susan Frasier King, author of Queen Hereafter: A Novel of Margaret of Scotland

I'd like to welcome Susan Frasier King to PPP today. I asked her to tell us a little bit about Margaret, the lead character in her new book, Queen Hereafter. Here's what Susan has to say. Giveaway opportunity at end.

Researching Margaret

Queen Hereafter tells the story of Margaret of Scotland, queen of Scots in the 11th century—a Saxon princess, Hungarian-born, she was descended from Alfred the Great and became a refugee from the Norman Conquest. Shipwrecked with her escaping family along the Scottish coast, she married her protector, King Malcolm Canmore, who had defeated Macbeth for the throne of Scotland. Margaret succeeded Lady Macbeth as queen of Scots, and so she seemed a perfect subject for a sequel to my novel about Lady Macbeth—and Margaret was an intriguing woman in her own right.

A good deal is known about Margaret, which is unusual in an early medieval queen and made the research and the writing easier in some ways than my novel about Lady Macbeth—and in some ways more complicated, as so much was known that some, inevitably, had to be cut from the novel. The contrasts in Margaret’s life and character were fascinating—piety and worldly power, gentleness and temper, obedience and mischief, saintliness and temptation: all those angles were part of her. She emerges from history as a real young woman thanks to a rare medieval biography written by her friend and confessor, Bishop Turgot—who seemed a pretty dry character in history until I discovered that Turgot, or Thorgaut, was a Viking name, and that this priest and monk had previously escaped from a Norman prison and had been shipwrecked and rescued by monks, so that he joined their order after his recovery. Tor, as he’s called in the novel, idealized his friend Queen Margaret, but in his biography of her, he left tantalizing hints of a vital, fascinating young woman.

Her biographer seems to have fallen under Margaret's spell—which says something about her personality. Reading between the lines of Turgot’s biography, Margaret comes across as a very real and fascinating character. And there is a lovely fairytale element to her true story that has such naturally romantic elements that a story was easy to develop: a beautiful, exiled young princess, a shipwreck, love at first sight (so says Turgot!), a brawny royal husband who adored her, eight healthy children, and enough charm and determination in this foreign queen to win the affection of the resistant Scots and then change them, bringing them from the Dark Ages, basically, into the Middle Ages. Margaret’s influence in that transition was quite significant, as medieval historians note about her. Yet some inner torment kept Margaret from being truly happy despite all she had – her story was hard for a historical novelist to resist.

Margaret is a crucial part of Scottish history at a critical moment, the period of the Norman Conquest of England, which threatened Scotland’s well-being too. She had a cosmopolitan upbringing in Hungary and then the English court; Edward the Confessor was her uncle, and after his death, when the Normans invaded England, she and her mother and siblings fled. Their ship wrecked on the Scottish coast and they came under the protection of Malcolm Canmore – and Margaret’s contribution to Scottish history, and to the history of women in power, began.

Turgot created an amazing document in his Vita S. Margaretae, written for Margaret’s daughter—it’s full of wonderful anecdotes about her, insights into her character, and verifiable facts. Other sources mention Margaret and her family, such as in annals and charters. The rest of the picture is provided by historical events and the actions of her husband, Malcolm Canmore, her brother, Edgar the Aetheling, and others.

Despite the amount of information available about the real Margaret, writing a novel about her required filling lots of historical gaps, extrapolating and leaping in order to bring history to life. I wanted Margaret to emerge in the novel as a real, vulnerable, sympathetic character. Part of the challenge was that she was represented as perfect and virtuous in her lifetime, a woman who later was named a saint. But along with the perfection were hints of flaws and quirks, such as her temper, her sharp intelligence, her impatience, her tendency to be very hard on herself and others, all revealed by her biographer along with her more idealized qualities. I was looking for the real Margaret, a young woman in a strange land, who was not always so sure of herself—a young woman who fell in love with a man who was very nearly her complete opposite—a love match that even the earliest historical sources attest—and a woman who loved deeply, passionately, not only her husband and children, but her loyalties, her causes and charities, and her adopted country of Scotland. I discovered that Margaret of Scotland was a complex woman who seemed very real to me—and I hope she seems that way to readers of Queen Hereafter too.

Thank you, Susan, for visiting today and letting us see how you did such extensive research. Quite fascinating!

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published December 7th 2010 by Crown (first published December 2nd 2010)

more details...

ISBN:0307452794 (ISBN13: 9780307452795)

edition language: English

characters: Saint Margaret of Scotland

Like what you read? Would you like your own copy? Thanks to The generosity of Crown Publishing, 2 giveaway copies are available. Open to US only.  Just leave a comment saying you would like to be entered. Be sure to leave an e mail in your comment. Deadline to enter is Dec 23rd.

Review: Last Train from Cuernavaca by Lucia St. clair Robson

Set against the backdrop of the Mexican revolution, Last Train from Cuernavaca, is the story of two very different women, the men they love and their deep feelings for Mexico: Grace Knight, a widowed British ex-patriot, has fallen for Captain Federico Martín while he was billeted in her Hotel Colonial where the Mexican elite and foreigners meet and mingle and sixteen year old Angel Sanchez whose intrepid nature and love for Antonio has led her to join the rebel forces of Emiliano Zapata.

At a pivotal point in the revolution the paths of Grace and Angel cross leading to some dramatic and harrowing circumstances. The strength and fortitude of the two women stand them in good stead but they fear for not only their own survival but also the fate of their country. Among the rebels and the Federales, conflicting loyalties abound, making the story not only one of revolution and romance but also intrigue, double dealing and peril. I couldn't wait to see how it ended!

The author's afterword is worth reading as it contains some interesting historical information. Although this is a work of fiction, the story is based upon the lives of two real women set in this time frame and location. My knowledge of the Mexican revolution is almost non-existent so this was most helpful.

Told from Grace's and Angel's perspectives, Robson achieves a smooth transition between the two. The excellent quality of Robson's characterizations will have me looking for more of this talented writer's work. I thoroughly enjoyed the pace and plot of the story and would highly recommend the book. 4****

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by GoodReads.

Review: The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Product ISBN: 9781402238154 Sourcebooks

Publication Date: April 2010

Originally published by Sphere 1980

From the publisher:

The first book in the epic bestselling Morland Dynasty series which spans from the Wars of the Roses to Queen Victoria's long reign, where war and famine, peace and plenty, love and loyalty, greed and envy spread the lines of the family throughout the country—into the courts of kings and the salons of the Regency, onto the battlefields of Culloden and the Crimea and beyond.

In The Founding, seeking power and prestige, grim, ambitious Yorkshireman Edward Morland arranges a marriage between his meek son Robert and spirited Eleanor, young ward of the influential Beaufort family. Eleanor is not only appalled at being forced to marry a mere "sheep farmer," but is secretly in love with Richard, Duke of York. Yet, in time, this apparently ill-matched union becomes both passionate and tender, the foundation of the Morland Dynasty, and sustains them through bloody civil war which so often divides families, sets neighbor against neighbor, and brings tragedy close to home.

My thoughts :

Despite being well connected and brought up as a gentlewoman, the orphaned 18 year old Eleanor Courtney had no dowry or expectations. When her guardian, Lord Edmund Beaufort, arranged a marriage for her, Eleanor was not too pleased especially since she harbored a secret passion for Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of York. Beaufort arranged a marriage with Robert Morland, meek and mild son of a sheep farmer. Other than the fact that Robert had been brought up as a gentleman, his father was a stubborn and coarse man. Morland had plenty of money but what he lacked was connection to class. The titled Beaufort had plenty of connections but he needed cash to carry on in the War of the Roses. Ah, a match made in heaven!

I was sucked in immediately to see how the two conflicting personalities of Eleanor and Robert would mesh. When the two were wed and began their life together, tensions ran high as Eleanor was not afraid to defy her father-in-law and make demands; something her husband Robert would never dare to do himself but he admired Eleanor for having the backbone to do so. Robert was very much in love with Eleanor right from the start but it took many years and the birth of many children before Eleanor began to feel any real love for Robert. Business wise, the two were well matched; in other words, Eleanor came up with wise and profitable business decisions and convinced Robert to go along with them. If it weren't for Eleanor, Robert would have been stuck in neutral as far as the sheepfarming business went.

Along with running a successful farm and building a large family dynasty to carry on, the Morlands were always very involved in political goings-on. They were staunch Yorkists and contributed to the cause with both money and men, sometimes to their detriment. I'm not that well up on British history but I liked the way this plot thread was woven into the story. It wasn't just a boring recitation of facts. I thought the characters really came to life although a few battle scenes were enough for me. I was more interested in the family saga side of the book.

Over the course of the book's 52 year time span, Eleanor lived to see the death of many loved ones, wars, prosperity, peace, unrest and backstabbing change in rulers on the throne. Through it all, she was always in charge and presented a stalwart, hard-working front and sometimes with a most dictatorial and stubborn nature. There were times I cheered Eleanor on and at times I was very disappointed in her "my word is law, live with it" decisions; particularly in the case of her daughter Isabelle.

Even though there were many characters, Harrod-Eagles gave them varied personalities that worked well throughout the story. I just wish there weren't so many characters with the same names. Sometimes it was hard to keep them all straight. The majority of them were well fleshed out and I was invested in the book enough to want to see what happened to them all. It was interesting to see through descriptions that took me back centuries to the mid 1400's and gave me a birds eye view of how people lived, worked and thought back then - makes me glad I didn't. Overall, I did enjoy this beautifully written fictionalized account of the Morland family. Would I read the other 33 books in the series? Probably not but I certainly would be inclined to read the next one. 4****

About the author: (from the back cover) Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born in Shepherd's Bush in London. The birth of the Morland Dynasty series enabled her to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four. Harrod-Eagles still lives in London and has a husband and three children, and apart from writing her passions are music, horses, wine, architecture, and the English countryside.

Note: Harrod-Eagles is also the author of the Bill Slider police proceduals, a contemporary series I have greatly enjoyed.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc. Thank you so much Danielle. The Sourcebooks link will take you to their page on The Founding where you can read an excerpt of the book.

Review: Our Hart by Lloyd Lofthouse

Publisher: Three Clover Press
ISBN: 978-0-9819553-1-5
Publication date: 2009
Pages: 290

Our Hart is the fictionalized account of the real life Robert Hart who in 1854, at a very young age, started out as an interpreter in the British consulate in China. With his burgeoning love of China at the forefront he set out to truly understand the Chinese way of thinking by hiring a tutor to help him study the early poets.

After he resigned from the consul to become deputy commissioner of customs for Canton, his loyalties now lay with the Ch’ing dynasty. Due to his deep understanding of the Chinese concept of "face" he helped to keep corruption to a minimum and a lot of potential crises were averted. Hart managed to increase money flowing to the imperial coffers thus earning him the ear of the Imperial government, a feat unheard of for any "foreign devil."

Although Robert witnessed may changes in China and much unrest among the many different people of the country, his ultimate goal was to insure a stable income for China so that the country could modernize and prosper. Robert may have left Ireland in disgrace but 54 years later he left China in honor as Inspector General of Chinese Maritime customs, chief advisor to the emperor and senior guardian of the heir apparent for the Ch’ing dynasty.

This is not just the story of Hart’s career but also a deeply tender love story between Robert and Ayaou, his concubine. As much as he loved Ayaou, sometimes their cultural differences presented problems but as Ayaou matured, she understood how important Robert was to China. Along with the history and adventure Lofthouse deftly tells the story of a man torn by his love for Ayaou and his western upbringing. Throughout the book his head was at war with his heart over the morality of loving and keeping a Chinese concubine; a love that would last the rest of his life.

I read My Splendid Concubine last year and enjoyed the book a lot but I think Our Hart is much deeper emotionally and has more in-depth content. Although Our Hart is the sequel to My Splendid Concubine, it is a stand alone novel but I would recommend reading My Splendid Concubine first as it provides the backstory of Ayaou and her sister Shao-mei and how they initally became part of Hart's life. Both books are excellent reads that I found difficult to put down. 4****

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest opinion.