Rousing historical fiction and a real page-turner with an inspirational woman at its heart.
Following her two epic novels on the Black Death, Minette Walters returns with a rousing historical fiction novel and love story set against the backdrop of the English Civil War with an inspirational woman at its heart. Spanning 1942 to 1949 and predominantly set in Dorset the novel is centred around not yet twenty-seven-year-old Jayne Swift, a brilliantly drawn physician by training and a woman to be admired from a loyal Royalist family. A woman who has never conformed to expectations, Jayne is an intelligent, quick-witted and kind individual who makes no secret of her intention to remain neutral from the outset of the conflict and treat the wounded, whether they be Royalist or Parliamentarian.
As the conflict gathers pace with a siege at Lyme Regis where Jayne takes charge of a former hospital and wins plaudits aplenty, to returning to her own family home, itself divided by the conflict, wherever Jayne goes she seems to encounter William Harrier. In one instance a footman, in another a Knight or soldier comrade of her brother, William turns up everywhere and it is never quite clear on which side of the divide his loyalties lie. But who is he really?
The romance aspect of the story is muted and throughout plays second fiddle to the overriding story of the war dividing the nation and the opportunities it presents for Jayne to use her training as a physician. The story is vividly evoked throughout with a balance between details of the conflict, political machinations and Jayne’s medical work. Unequivocally well-researched and both dramatic and fast-paced enough to make it a real page-turner, it is both an accessible and thoroughly entertaining introduction to the period.
This gripping and fascinating book dealt with the period of the English Civil war. It centred around the fortunes of one Dorset family whose members took opposing sides in the conflict. Jayne Swift - a physician - and William Harrier - a spy - are drawn to each other. They are supported by a number of convincing secondary characters. I am not normally drawn to historical fiction but the context and characters were well drawn and I wanted to find out what happened to them. An absorbing read - one which I will be recommending.
I found this book ‘gripping and fascinating’. It dealt with the English civil war - a period I was unfamiliar with but that did not matter as the author brought the historical context to life. The book centred on the effect of the civil war on a Dorset family where different members held opposing views on the conflict and on the interactions between Jayne Swift - physician - and William Harrier - spy. I enjoyed reading about their developing friendship despite the odds and found the secondary characters equally convincing.
Historical fiction is not my typical read but I could not put this book down. It was convincing throughout and satisfying in its conclusion.
One I will be recommending.
This novel is a historical masterpiece, opening in 1642, predominantly focusing on the role of women, strong women in the context of the Civil War. It is both entertaining and educational.
Minette Walters enables us to step into the Tardis and travel seamlessly to the 17th Century – her descriptive and evocative writing conjuring up the odours, sounds, and sights of a crucial period during the Civil War when battles between the Royalists and Parliament rage causing untold horror and devastation.
Deeply embedded within this is the story of Jayne Swift, a renowned physician from a Dorset family following the Royalist cause. But Jayne’s commitment to her profession by far outweighs any political allegiance and she throws herself into the cause of healing – attending the wounded and the dying on the battlefields.
While Jayne tends the sick across the region, she keeps meeting the same man – a man known as ‘William Harrier,’ a man taking on various personas and a key player in different scenarios and loyalties. Their stories are interwoven and intriguing and surrounded by harsh family divisions and fortunes. Minette Walters keeps the reader guessing his real identity.
This novel is a historical masterpiece, opening in 1642, predominantly focusing on the role of women, strong women in the context of the Civil War. It is both entertaining and educational.