It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Once again not much reading or blogging has happened over the past week. I've signed up for all the reading challenges I'm participating in this year and now I'm ready to do some serious reading and review writing.

What I Read Last Week

The Winter Siege by Ariana Franklin & Samantha Norman

Run, run, girl. In the name of God, run. It's 1141 and freezing cold. Gwil, a battle-hardened mercenary, watches in horror as a little girl with red hair is dragged away by his own men. Caught in the middle of the fight for England she is just one more victim in a winter of atrocities. But a strange twist of fate brings them together again. Gwil finds the girl close to death, clutching a sliver of parchment - and he knows what he must do. He will bring her back to life. He will train her to fight. And together, they will hunt down the man who did this to her. But danger looms wherever they turn. As castle after castle falls victim to siege, the icy Fens ring with rumours of a madman, of murder - and of a small piece of parchment the cost of which none of them could have imagined....

You can read my review here.

What I'm Reading Today

The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber

Scotland, 1830. Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister's estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to hide from the ire of those who believe her to be as unnatural as her husband, an anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit his own macabre purposes. Kiera wants to put her past aside, but when one of the house guests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to utilize her knowledge of human anatomy to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage--a fellow guest with some experience as an inquiry agent. While Gage is clearly more competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn't about to let her guard down as accusations and rumors swirl. When Kiera and Gage's search leads them to even more gruesome discoveries, a series of disturbing notes urges Lady Darby to give up the inquiry. But Kiera is determined to both protect her family and prove her innocence, even as she risks becoming the next victim...

Hoping to Also Read This Week

These books are still in my reading pile from last week's It's Monday! What are You Reading? meme.

I would also like to read one book towards my Reading England 2015 challenge, which will cross-over into a few other challenges:

Shirley by Charlotte Brontë

The Shirley of the title is a woman of independent means; her friend Caroline is not. Both struggle with what a woman's role is and can be. Their male counterparts - Louis, the powerless tutor, and Robert, his cloth-manufacturing brother - also stand at odds to society's expectations. The novel is set in a period of social and political ferment, featuring class disenfranchisement, the drama of Luddite machine-breaking, and the divisive effects of the Napoleonic Wars. But Charlotte Brontë's particular strength lies in exploring the hidden psychological drama of love, loss and the quest for identity. Personal and public agitation are brought together against the dramatic backdrop of her native Yorkshire. As always, Brontë challenges convention, exploring the limitations of social justice whilst telling not one but two love stories.

Reading Challenges 2015

I've finally signed up for all the challenges I'm participating in  this year. Last year I only participated in one and came into that rather late: it had four months left to run. So this year I decided to get in at the beginning of the year and do more than one. Saying that January is nearly over, but I'm organized.

These are the challenges with links to my sign up pages:

• Aussie Author 2015
• Australian Women Writers Challenge 2015
• Back to the Classics 2015
• British Books 2015
• Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2015
• Reading Challenge 2015 (Popsugar)
• Reading England 2015
• The Re-read Challenge 2015
• The Classics Club

I totalled up the minimum number of books to be read this year: 165. This total excludes any crossovers and includes an average of 10 books per year for The Classics Club challenge.

I've also signed up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015, but as this will encompass all books
planned for the various challenges it won't add to my book count.

Have I taken on too much? Time will tell. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Regretfully not much reading has been happening over the past week. I'm still trying to sort out what reading challenges I will sign up for this year. However, I did manage to finish three novels, though the reviews are still to be written.

What I Read Last Week

The theatres are padlocked. Christmas has been cancelled. It is 1657 and the unloved English Republic is eight years old. Though Cromwell's joyless grip on power appears immovable, many still look to Charles Stuart's dissolute and threadbare court-in-exile, and some are prepared to risk their lives plotting a restoration.
For the officers of the Republic, constant vigilance is needed. So, when the bloody corpse of a Royalist spy is discovered on the dung heap of a small Essex village, why is the local magistrate so reluctant to investigate? John Grey, a young lawyer with no clients, finds himself alone in believing that the murdered man deserves justice. Grey is drawn into a vortex of plot and counter-plot and into the all-encompassing web of intrigue spun by Cromwell's own spy-master, John Thurloe.
So when nothing is what it seems, can Grey trust anyone?

 
 A powerful novel set in Gallipoli, that's part war-story and part mystery. 'Amid Gallipoli's slaughter he hunted a murderer ...' It is 1915 and Thomas Clare rues the day he and his best friend Snow went to war to solve the murder of his father. The only clues - a hidden wartime document and the imprint of an army boot on the victim's face - have led the pair from the safety of Queensland to the blood-soaked hills of Gallipoli. Now not only are Thomas's enemies on every side - from the Turkish troops bearing down on the Anzac lines, to the cold-blooded killer in his own trench - but as far away as London and Berlin. For, unbeknown to Thomas, the path to murder began thirteen years earlier in Africa with the execution of Breaker Morant - and a secret that could change the course of history ...

To any passer-by, Eleanor Lee might be almost invisible - just another elderly lady - but beneath the surface lies a powerful secret she has kept hidden for decades . . . At the dawn of the Second World War, Eleanor is a fiercely independent young woman, determined to write her own future, rejecting marriage for passion security for adventure. But now, seventy years later, alone in her big old house, she is anxious to erase the past. Peter Mistley, a young man escaping his own ghosts, is employed to help Eleanor sort through her lifetime of possessions. For amongst them are things that her children and grandchildren must never find. Together, Eleanor and Peter uncover traces of another life - words and photographs revealing a story of forbidden love, betrayal, guilt and self-sacrifice. But by releasing her memories at last, can Eleanor still protect those who must never know the truth? 

Reading Today

Run, run, girl. In the name of God, run. It's 1141 and freezing cold. Gwil, a battle-hardened mercenary, watches in horror as a little girl with red hair is dragged away by his own men. Caught in the middle of the fight for England she is just one more victim in a winter of atrocities. But a strange twist of fate brings them together again. Gwil finds the girl close to death, clutching a sliver of parchment - and he knows what he must do. He will bring her back to life. He will train her to fight. And together, they will hunt down the man who did this to her. But danger looms wherever they turn. As castle after castle falls victim to siege, the icy Fens ring with rumours of a madman, of murder - and of a small piece of parchment the cost of which none of them could have imagined....

Hoping to Also Read This Week

As the fifth novel in acclaimed historian Adrian Goldsworthy's Napoleonic series opens, British fortunes in the Peninsula War are at their lowest ebb. Lieutenant Hamish Williams of the 106th Foot will soon discover just how precarious their situation is, and what bloody sacrifices are necessary to prevent total victory for the French. While the Navy keeps the British foothold at Cadiz from falling to the enemy, help from the valiant but divided Spanish geurrillos will be vital if the French advance on land is to be halted. Alongside the experienced 'exploring officer' Lieutenant Hanley, Williams joins the Spanish partisans behind enemy lines, but while he learns much about the viciousness of guerrilla warfare - not least that women can sometimes fight with all the ferocity of their male counterparts - he quickly finds that the greatest danger comes from his own side. Carrying vital knowledge of a traitor, Williams must find his way back to the British lines before a deadly French trap can be sprung, but with the British commanders determined to go on the attack, will he be able to avert disaster?

Patrick Paniter was James IV's right-hand man, a diplomatic genius who was in charge of the guns at the disastrous battle of Flodden in September 1513 in which the English annihilated the Scots. After the death of his king he is tormented by guilt as he relives the events that led to war. When Louise Brenier, daughter of a rogue sea trader, asks his help in finding out if her brother Benoit was killed in action, it is the least he can do to salve his conscience. Not satisfied with the news he brings, Louise sets off to find out the truth herself, and swiftly falls foul of one of the lawless clans that rule the ungovernable borderlands. After Flodden is a novel about the consequences of the battle of Flodden, as seen through the eyes of several characters who either had a hand in bringing the country to war, or were profoundly affected by the outcome. There have been very few novels about Flodden, despite its significance,and none from this perspective. It's a racy adventure, combining political intrigue and romance, and its readership will be anyone who loves historical fiction, or is interested in the history of Scotland and the turbulent, ungovernable borderlands between Scotland and England.

On a balmy summer in 1898 Vanessa Wetherburn is contentedly feeding a clotted cream scone to her young son in her Cambridge garden when she is startled by the abrupt arrival of her long-time friend, the journalist Patrick O'Sullivan. Eager to discover the identity of a beautiful young woman found floating in the River Cam, Pat has called on the one woman he knows is sure to be able to solve the mystery. Over recent years Vanessa has garnered a reputation for solving crimes - including murders, thefts and blackmail attempts - but never before has she faced an unknown victim. She is at a loss to know where to begin. As Vanessa considers what to do, her first important clue arrives in the form of Ernest Dixon, who is worried by the disappearance of his favourite actress; a young woman named Ivy Elliot, who was playing the part of Ophelia.Could the missing girl and unidentified body be one and the same woman? Forced to go undercover to continue her research, Vanessa stumbles across an amazing and revolutionary discovery, which not only helps her to solve the case but will have a major impact worldwide. Beautifully written and thoroughly researched, this latest case for the talented Mrs Weatherburn proves to be her most perplexing yet.

Completed - 2014 Australian Women Writers Challenge

I am pleased to say that I have completed the 2014 Australian Women Writers Challenge, with a couple of hours to go before the end.  Not ideal that I was finalising reviews on New Year's Eve, but I was determined to honour my commitment.

My commitment was to read four books and review three - the "Stella" level.

The four books I read for this challenge were:

Behold, New Holland! by Rix Weaver (Review)
The Dark Mountain by Catherine Jinks (Review)
A Cargo of Women: The Novel by Babette Smith (Review)
Beneath the Southern Cross by Judy Nunn (No review)

I am looking forward to signing up for the 2015 challenge. Hopefully, I will be better organized and post my reviews earlier.

Book Review: A Cargo of Women: The Novel by Babette Smith

From the back cover:

England, 1828. Susannah Watson is forced to steal to feed her starving children. Ann Kinsman steals because her man tells her to. Sarah Bryant steals to bring a little colour into her drab and miserable existence. Sentenced to transportation, they become part of the cargo of women convicts aboard the "Princess Royal", bound for Botany Bay.

In New South Wales they find a community which offers them opportunities beyond their dreams - or degradation to match the worst they left behind. As they struggle to come to terms with their lives as prisoners and learn to endure their servitude, they draw comfort and support from each other. Working as assigned servants, incarcerated in the notorious Female Factory, fighting to protect their children, caught up in the passion and heartache of love, the women's lives continue to overlap and interweave.

Babette Smith's original non-fiction work A Cargo of Women: Susannah Watson and the Convicts of the Princess Royal,  was inspired by her discovery of a convict ancestor. This history of convict women and their lives as prisoners received great reviews, but Babette Smith's decision to turn Susannah Watson's story into a novel received mixed reactions. I, for one, am glad she did.

Susannah Watson, mother of four children, the youngest still a baby, is  sentenced to "fourteen years transportation beyond the seas". She is one of a hundred women transported on the Princess Royal, some of whom have been transported for life. However, regardless of the length of their sentences, all know they will never return to England. Many of the women are philosophical about their plight and others rail against the cruel injustice of it all. Some see it as a chance for a better life, others carry on their lives of crime where they left off.

Babette Smith's research on the lives of the women convicts show that they were mostly from the lower classes of society, the young and not so young, repeat and first time offenders. Unlikely friendships were formed in gaol and on board ship.

Conditions en route to Australia were not ideal, though the surgeon did his best to prevent sickness by ensuring the convicts were allowed on deck regularly and urged them to keep themselves and their living quarters clean.  Not only did the women have to survive the poor food and cramped conditions, they also had to be wary of the different factions below decks. Prostitution was still a bartering tool for some to gain extra rations, privileges or their all important supply of alcohol.

The novel is an insight into the social conditions of the time. England, still recovering from  the Napoleonic Wars, is in the grip of the industrial revolution where traditional cottage industries are being replaced by machines in factories. The population is growing, poverty and sickness, prostitution, alcoholism and crime still rife. In Australia, conditions are much the same for the lower classes.

The Female Factory at Parramatta offered a slight improvement in the women's living conditions, as that it provided food and shelter, but life was still harsh, and convicts once assigned were reluctant to return here. It is interesting how the system worked and how it could be manipulated by the convicts themselves.

Once started I couldn't put this novel down. Susannah Watson's  story is one of many, but she had the strength of character and determination to make the most of her situation, despite being separated from her husband and other children, and suffering more tragedy and loss in Australia.

This was an engrossing story of a subject largely ignored until recent times. Babette Smith dispels many of the myths regarding women convicts with this excellent work. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it for those interested in Australian history.

 A Cargo of Women: The Novel  is Book #3 of my commitment to the 2014 Australian Women Writers Challenge

Book Review: The Dark Mountain by Catherine Jinks

Synopsis

The story of two fiercely strong women, mother and daughter, one determined never to explain her choice and the other equally as determined to dig deeply and unrelentingly for the truth.

Born into a life of privilege, Charlotte Atkinson is raised by her widowed mother on a vast and wealthy estate near Sutton Forest, New South Wales, enjoying an idyllic early childhood in the great stone house still known today as Oldbury.

But in the summer of 1836, a violent incident in the Belanglo wilderness sets off a chain of events that transforms Charlotte’s existence. Inexplicably, her mother is prompted to marry again, thereby surrendering her property, fortune and offspring to Charlotte’s vicious and degenerate new stepfather, George Barton. His presence turns Oldbury into a place of madness and terror, casting a shadow so long that it continues to haunt Charlotte for years after his mysterious death.

My Thoughts

Charlotte, the eldest of the Atkinson children, is the narrator of the story and through her eyes and thoughts are seen the consequences of her mother marrying her overseer, George Barton. Oldbury, once happy and prosperous, slides into ruin by Barton's mismanagement. He is a drunkard  and violent, feared not only by the family, but also by the convict work force.

This marriage brings so much misery to the Atkinson family that like Charlotte I asked what was the reason for it. Unfortunately there is never a clear answer given to this question and I was still left wondering at the end of the novel, though a mature age Charlotte  appears to gain an insight into her mother’s actions.

Throughout the novel Charlotte’s mother is forever battling  the trustees of Oldbury for money and guardianship of the children. As Charlotte grows older she is constantly at odds with her mother and cannot forgive, what she sees as the ultimate betrayal, her mother’s marriage to Barton. Desperate to understand, Charlotte is forever defying her mother, in an attempt to force an explanation.

The atmosphere of the novel is at times menacing, Oldbury  is built in the shadow of  Gingenbullen Mountain. It borders the Belanglo forest, where bushrangers roamed, and is still a notorious place today.  John Lynch, Australia’s first serial killer, also has a link to Oldbury, and  the evil presence of George  Barton adds further to the menace.  All these things have an effect on the impressionable young Charlotte and it is no wonder that she comes to dislike the home she once loved and, at times, her mother whom Charlotte blamed for her estrangement from the family.

I was totally engrossed in this story and sympathized with Charlotte. How her life would have been easier had her mother taken the time to explain, but for some reason her mother did not wish to do so. Society was quick to condemn those that stepped out of its boundaries and Charlotte and her mother, so much alike, shared this fate.

I was disappointed that no reason was ever given for the marriage of Charlotte's mother and George Barton, but this added to the suspense and kept me reading with the hope that all would be revealed at the end. However, even without a neat ending, the story was still powerful and I have no qualms in recommending this novel, a tale of one of Australia's colonial families, as a great read.

The Dark Mountain is Book #2 of my commitment to the 2014 Australian Women Challenge.

Book Review: Behold, New Holland! by Rix Weaver

I stumbled across this novel by accident. It was advertised in the back of a book I had just finished reading and I was surprised that I had not heard of this author before.

First published in September 1940, Behold, New Holland! tells the story of one family’s arrival in Western Australia and their first nine years  in the colony. This was Rix Weaver's debut novel.

Henry Mabie, an ex-British Army Officer, disenchanted with the Government of a post Napoleonic War England, wishes to protect his wealth and is convinced that to do so his family would be better off in Australia.  His brother, Jep Mabie, a soldier, recently returned from an expedition to Australia on board HMS Success, is also excited about the potential and opportunities available in the new colony and encourages his brother to emigrate.

Henry becomes part of a scheme by Thomas Peel to colonize Western Australia and in 1830, accompanied by his pregnant wife, Susan, his four sons, two daughters, his sister, Jane, and "Nanny", sails on the Rockingham, for the Swan River settlement.

The novel describes the hardships of the early settlers and the trials the Mabie family face: being shipwrecked on arrival in the new colony, desertion by their contracted labour, near starvation from loss of stock and crop failures, and personal tragedy. A further series of set backs sees their money disappear so that returning to England is not an option. 

Henry Mabie is a typical 19th century gentleman, who as head of the household sees his word as law and expects to be obeyed. Susan is a typical 19th century wife, deferring to her husband in all things.

And then we have Jane Mabie. A most delightful character, who is “ ... decidedly versatile in feminine coquetry, was neither shy nor demure. She didn’t fit in with the general rule. Rather than droop modest eyes she opened them with wide interest in the world about her and accepted pretty compliments with very apparent satisfaction.”

Rix Weaver in an interview expressed her opinion that women should have a role outside motherhood and this view is reflected in the character of Jane Mabie, who is not content to take a lesser role in colonizing and has no reluctance in voicing her opinions on political, family and personal matters, completely at odds with how a young woman was expected to conduct herself in the early 19th century.

Jane often antagonizes and exasperates Henry because of her outspokeness and also her refusal to marry, despite having received some very favourable offers. Her arrival in the colony causes a stir among the single men, especially the soldiers, who vie for her attention. At times she seems empty headed and at others possessed of a mind well beyond her years. This is not surprising as the span of the novel sees Jane mature from a girl of 16 to a young woman of 25. Her enthusiasm and determination to see the colony succeed forms an integral part of this novel. 

The descriptive passages of the land evoke images of an unspoiled landscape and one so different to that of England. Through Jane’s eyes we see its strangeness and its beauty.

While being a first class history of Western Australia, woven through this novel is also the romance between Jane Mabie and military officer, Captain Gratton Hird, who meets Jane and her family while on Government business. Both are stubborn, which makes for an interesting relationship.

Rix Weaver’s research into the history of the Swan River colony cannot be faulted, though she has taken liberties with some facts as she acknowledges in the Author’s Note. Her love of her home state and the recognition she gives to the early settlers is evident in her writing.  

I found this novel to be well written in a style that gives it an authentic 19th century feel. This added to its charm, along with the flowing narrative and a great cast of characters: a very enjoyable read.

The story of the Mabie family continues in the sequel, New Holland Heritage. I borrowed both books from my local library, though I did discover that  Behold, New Holland! and New Holland Heritage were combined and released in 1979 by Angus and Robertson under the title of Theirs to Bestow.

Behold, New Holland! is Book#1 of my commitment to the  2014 Australian Women Writers Challenge.

2014 Australian Women Writers Reading Challenge - Only 5 Days to Go!

I have just realized that this reading challenge is drawing to a close and though my commitment of four books has been read my reviews are still in the draft stage. Lots of quiet time to make use of today, so I will endeavour to catch up before the deadline.

Book Review: Rebels and Traitors by Lindsey Davis

This is a lengthy novel, an epic of 742 pages and was not the fictional work with the English Civil War as its background that I expected. The novel started promisingly with an intriguing prologue, which introduced two of the main characters, but a few chapters in, I realized my error, when the fiction began to be dominated by swathes of social, political and military detail. It is much later in the novel that the focus remains on the main characters. 

Too many characters left me overwhelmed and a little confused. Not only was there a large cast of historical figures, but also the extended families of the other characters to follow, necessitating in some back tracking. I thought the way the characters crossed paths throughout the novel interesting and it was one of these chance meetings that leads to the dramatic ending.

As mentioned, the novel opens with a prologue. It is 1649 and the day of King Charles I’s execution. Among the spectators are a Roundhead Captain and a wife of an exiled Royalist.

The story then jumps back to 1634 when the Roundhead Captain, Gideon Jukes, is a rebellious thirteen year old about to be apprenticed to a printer. Seven years later, his apprenticeship served, Jukes joins one of the London Trained Bands and eventually rises to the rank of Captain in the New Model Army.  

Juliana Lovell, the wife of the exiled Royalist, Orlando Lovell, is abandoned by her husband for years at a time, and copes alone with being destitute and raising children. At times she is aided by friends, including the steadfast Edmund Treves, another Royalist.

Orlando Lovell is an enigma. He explains his absences as being on the King's business, but this is open to interpretation. He flits in and out of the story like the proverbial bad penny. Forever plotting and scheming, preying on the weak, selfish, indifferent to the plight of his wife and children, he is definitely the villain of the piece.

Kinchin Tews, a young girl from a family of scavengers, thieves and opportunists, who is neither for King nor Parliament, witnesses first-hand the atrocities committed by the Royalists in Birmingham. She flees the city for London where she hopes her life will be better. Kinchin is a survivor. 

These four characters form the nucleus of the novel, representing the common folk and the affect the war had on them. It is refreshing to have the view point from this angle rather than from the upper classes of society.

The action takes place mainly in London, Oxford and Birmingham. At times jumping from one city to another describing events taking place at the same point in time. This added vast tracts to the novel when perhaps a paragraph or two linking the events would have been all that was needed.

There is no doubt that Lindsey Davis researched this time period thoroughly by the amount of historical detail included, plus other facts and figures thrown in as if this was her one and only chance to write about this period in history. It was too much for me at times and I skimmed quite a few pages. At one stage I was tempted to give up, but after putting the book aside for a while I picked it up once more, admitting that I was interested in the characters and needed to know their fates.

It took me a long time to write this review as I wanted to be fair to Lindsey Davis and the huge effort she undertook to produce this work. There were aspects of this novel that I really liked, but for me, it would have been a great read without so much historical detail. It is definitely not one for the fainthearted: a very challenging read.

The Warning Bell by Tom Macaulay Book Review

Synopsis

A son seeks to uncover the secrets of his father's wartime past, but the truth is more dangerous than he can imagine...

Iain Madoc should be a happy man. Having successfully sold his business, he can look forward to an exciting new chapter in his life with his beautiful wife and teenage daughter. But his father shunned him as he was growing up, and the old man's coldness still causes deep pain.

His father spent the war ferrying SOE agents across the channel into occupied France, and Iain knows that his change in personality dated from a mission in 1944 that ended in

My Latest Discovery: A Regency Romance by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

I should have been writing book reviews, but decided to log onto Facebook and see what was happening there instead. There were a few posts in response to The Historical Romance Network's latest event, Fall Back in Time, held on November 1st. Authors and readers were invited to post selfies while reading a historical romance novel.

So I headed over to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/historicalromancenetwork and scrolled through more posts noting what people were reading. One post in particular caught my eye: a reader holding a battered copy of a book by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss entitled THE RELUCTANT SUITOR.  I had read some of Woodiwiss’ other works, but had no idea this Regency romance existed and decided I needed to know more.

An internet search provided the following synopsis:

For as long as she can remember, Lady Adriana Sutton has adored Colton Wyndham, to whom she has been promised by an agreement of courtship and betrothal since childhood. As a young girl, she was wounded by Colton's stubborn refusal to comply with his father's wishes and by his angry departure. He was too proud and too stubborn to accept a future not of his own choosing. Rather than submit, he fled from his ancestral home for a life of adventure and danger as an officer in the British army.

The years have been immensely kind to Lady Adriana. No longer the plain, thin tomboy Colton had spurned, she has blossomed into an uncommon beauty desired by nearly every eligible bachelor in the land. Yet the only man she desires is the decorated hero who has finally come home to claim his rightful title. Arrogant, unmoved, and seductive as ever, he remains averse to the idea of their betrothal in spite of his growing desire for her.

To demonstrate his belief that love cannot be forced, Colton agrees to court Lady Adriana for ninety days, after which time he will be allowed to keep his precious freedom if he so wishes. But much has changed since he balked at his father's plans. Forced into a courtship with this stunning, spirited woman, who is as different today from the young chit he left behind as spring is to winter, the heroic heart that was once closed to Adriana is moved by her charm, her grace, and her sensuality ... and begins to yield. But a secret from Colton's past may doom their burgeoning love ... even as the treacherous schemes of a sinister rival threaten to steal the remarkable lady from his arms forever.

The reviews for this novel were mixed: well, most were uncomplimentary. Never one to be put off by bad reviews,  I await my copy. Look out for my review.

Book Review: Yvonne Goes to York by M.C. Beaton

How do you decide which books to add to your TBR pile? Is it the name of the author, the subject, the title or the cover?

I added this Regency romance to my pile not because of the author, though I have read and enjoyed other Regency romances by M.C. Beaton/Marion Chesney; nor was it the cover that swayed me; nor  the title – well, not all of it anyway. I’ll let you work it out.

Perhaps if your name is Emily (Goes to Exeter), Belinda (Goes to Bath),  Beatrice (Goes to Brighton), Deborah (Goes to Dover), or Penelope (Goes to Portsmouth) you may be tempted to pick up one of the other romances in The Travelling Matchmaker series.

The six books in the series were re-released a few years ago with new cover art, which reflects the whimsical nature of these stories.

From the back cover:

No coach journey is ever dull with Miss Hannah Pym on board, and this one proves to be no exception. Miss Pym meets the young and beautiful Miss Yvonne Grenier, who is fleeing the Terror in France.

Yvonne becomes frightened when a dangerous enemy also boards the stage to York, but luckily Miss Pym is on hand to propose a plan which will save Yvonne – and throw her into the arms of the wealthy and unattached Marquis of Ware!

This is an entertaining Regency romance with a delightful cast of characters: a dashing hero, a loyal servant, French spies, a damsel or two in distress, match-making mothers and a host of others.

Even though the outcome is predictable, the narrative rattles on at such a fast pace that it doesn’t matter. This is a light-hearted, quick read perfect for those times when a more serious novel  holds no appeal.

2014 Australian Women Writers Challenge

I regret that I have only recently found this challenge, but what a wonderful way to promote Australian women writers.

The challenge runs from January 1st to December 31st, 2014, so there is still plenty of time to read and review books.

There are four levels of participation and, as I've come to the challenge with only four months to go,  my goal is  STELLA: read 4 – review at least 3. With so many great authors to choose from, the hardest part of the challenge will be deciding which four.

I should also mention that you don't have to read and review, you can read only. More information about the challenge and how to sign up can be found here.
 

Book Review: The Fort by Bernard Cornwell

Synopsis

While the major fighting of the war moves to the south in the summer of 1779, a British force of fewer than a thousand Scottish infantry, backed by three sloops-of-war, sails to the desolate and fog-bound coast of New England. Establishing a garrison and naval base at Penobscot Bay, in the eastern province of Massachusetts that would become Maine, the Scots, the only British troops between Canada and New York, harry rebel privateers and give shelter to American loyalists.

In response, Massachusetts sends a fleet of more than forty vessels and some one thousand infantrymen to captivate, kill or destroy the foreign invaders. Second in command is Peleg Wadsworth, a veteran of the battles at Lexington and Long Island, once aide to General Washington, and a man who sees clearly what must be done to expel the invaders.

But ineptitude and irresolution lead to a mortifying defeat and have stunning repercussions for two men on opposite sides: an untested eighteen-year-old Scottish lieutenant named John Moore, who will begin an illustrious military career; and a Boston silversmith and patriot named Paul Revere, who will face court-martial for disobedience and cowardice.

Grounded firmly in history, inimitably told in Cornwell's thrilling narrative style, The Fort is the extraordinary novel of this fascinating clash between a superpower and a nation in the making.

My Thoughts

My introduction to the writing of Bernard Cornwell was through his very successful  Sharpe series of  novels and so I expected The Fort to be a good read.

Set during the American Revolutionary Wars, The Fort is based on the true story of the 1779 Penobscot Expedition. This expedition was organised to oust the British Army from Fort George, on the Majabigwaduce Peninsula, Penobscott Bay, in present day Maine, and to prevent the establishment of a British colony there.

The expedition was under the command of Commodore Dudley Saltonstall, Adjutant General Peleg Wadsworth, Brigadier General Solomon Lovell and Lieutenant Colonel Paul Revere.  Bernard Cornwell’s research revealed that Saltonstall and Lovell, the naval and land force commanders respectively, continually disagreed; Revere was a law unto himself and Wadsworth, the only one of the four to emerge from this disaster with his reputation intact.

The British were greatly out numbered, but the reluctance of Commodore Saltonstall to commit his ships to taking the harbour, gave the British time to strengthen the defences of the fort and send for aid. Time and again, an opportunity for the Americans to launch a successful land attack was thwarted by disagreement. Eventually British reinforcements arrived forcing a retreat up the Penobscott River.

Peleg Wadsworth was certainly the hero of the expedition and of this novel. The opening chapter, with its heart-warming images of Peleg Wadsworth practising army drills with the help of his children, endeared the man to me. Throughout the novel he is the calming influence on those around him and unlike the other commanders does not engage in petty rivalries.  Wadsworth took charge of organising the retreat up the Penobscott River, ensuring that as many men as possible got away in the ensuing chaos.

Paul Revere did not fare well in this narration and I was surprised that he was not quite the hero I imagined him to be.  Bernard Cornwell himself pointed out that most of us are familiar with the Paul Revere from the poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a descendent of Peleg Wadsworth. In The Fort he is depicted as  incompetent and a coward.

General Francis McLean was in command of the British and one of his subalterns was none other than John Moore, later to become Sir John Moore, hero of the Peninsular Wars, who lost his life at the Battle of Corunna, Spain, in 1809

The ending is ironic in that Saltonstall’s obsession with keeping his ships safe resulted in most of the American fleet  being destroyed: the ships were either captured by the Royal Navy or burned by the Americans themselves as they retreated up the Penobscott River.

The Fort is another fine historical novel by Bernard Cornwell. Readers interested in this era will certainly enjoy it and those after a good adventure story will also find satisfaction here.

Searching for a Good Read?

If you’re searching for something to read, visit the Historical Writers’ Association web site http://www.thehwa.co.uk/

They have a timeline which allows you to browse books by period from the Ancient World through to the 20th century. If you click on the Members tab a list of authors is revealed with links to their biographies and websites.

I pleasantly whiled away a Saturday afternoon here and as a result added more books to my reading wish list.

The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton by Elizabeth Speller Book Review

I was disappointed with this novel. The first part was slow and I kept asking myself when will the mystery of Kitty Easton’s disappearance begin. I persevered to the end, but did not find this novel as engaging as Speller’s previous one <i>The Return of Captain John Emmett</i>.

I was certainly looking forward to meeting Laurence Bartram again, but I didn’t warm to the other characters and by the end of the novel I had lost interest in what had befallen Kitty Easton.

Book Review: Keane's Company by Iain Gale

This novel is the first in a new series featuring Captain James Keane, Exploring Officer. It is set in Spain and Portugal during the Peninsular Wars.

Expecting to be cashiered for disobeying Wellington’s orders and fighting a duel in which a fellow officer is killed, Lieutenant Keane finds himself raised to the rank of Captain and commanded to put together a band of men with the necessary skills for intelligence gathering. Keane recruits his men from amongst the regiments and from military gaols, and endeavours to form this disparate group into an elite company.

Keane is a liar, womanizer and card cheat, but a good soldier, and lucky. Under his leadership his company is able to infiltrate Spanish and Portuguese guerrilla groups, play an important role in the battle for Oporto and recover French silver with ease.

Not only does Keane have to defend himself against the enemy, but also the enmity of Captain John Blackwood, the best friend of the officer he killed and  brother of Kitty Blackwood, the woman he has set his heart on.

Good descriptions of the battle scenes and enough action to keep the reader’s interest even if Keane’s ability to win the day is too good to be true. Captain Keane’s adventures continue in KEANE’S CHALLENGE.