September 26, 2022
Gregory (The Other Boleyn Girl) delivers an engrossing if scattered third installment to her Fairmile Series. In 1685, England’s Stuart James II is king. But for how long? His second wife, Mary Beatrice of Modena, is openly Roman Catholic. Some whisper that the young Duke of Monmouth, Charles II’s illegitimate son, is England’s rightful ruler. Will England see rebellion yet again? Through these fraught times Gregory follows tough-as-nails midwife Alinor Reekie, as well as her family and friends: Alinor’s son Rob wishes to avoid the brewing war but is soon entangled in it, and Alinor’s brother Ned Ferryman returns from America with his mysterious, newfound Pokanoket companion, Rowan, to fight with the rebels. Gregory intertwines these fictional lives with some of 17th-century England’s most famous and infamous figures. Some, like Lord Chief Justice, Judge Jeffreys, remind readers how barbarous the era could be, as he sentences a 70-year-old woman to burn alive. The narrative unfolds in familiar settings such as St. James’s Palace, Whitehall, and Windsor Castle, as well as London’s back allies and coffeehouses, and jumps to Bristol, Bath, Somerset (where the soon-to-be-executed Monmouth declares himself king), and colonial settings across the Atlantic. With so many places and characters in the mix, the story can be difficult to follow, but Gregory is as adept as ever at creating convincing atmosphere. The author’s fans will not be disappointed.
October 15, 2022
Themes of liberty, religious conflict, and longing for one's homeland percolate through this lively third novel in Gregory's bestselling Fairmile series, following Dark Tides (2020). The action begins with the Protestant duke of Monmouth's rebellion against his Catholic uncle, James II, in 1685, and reaches to the Glorious Revolution three years later as Alinor Reekie's family becomes enmeshed in political intrigue. Having risen from poor servant to respectable London matriarch, the now elderly Alinor is a wise, knowing presence. Her brother Ned, who despises monarchical rule, returns from Boston with a courageous young Pokanoket woman he rescued from enslavement. Unsurprisingly, he takes Monmouth's side. Livia Avery, a truly irritating character, continues her inveterate scheming as lady-in-waiting to James II's queen. From a moonlit march through the Somerset countryside to a Barbados sugar plantation's brutal conditions, the sense of place is particularly strong. As in all good multigenerational sagas, the story--lengthy but never dull--offers the pleasures of seeing a family expand and flourish; Alinor's great-granddaughters from Venice are becoming significant characters. This novel's ending signals further Fairmile tales to come.
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November 1, 2022
The third installment of Gregory's "Fairmile" series (following Dark Tides and Tidelands) begins just a short time before the Glorious Revolution. Alinor's brother Ned is returning home to England with an unusual companion--Rowan, a young Pokanonet man whom Ned purchased to keep him from being slavery. Most of England is in turmoil with the Catholic James II ruling the land. His wife, Mary, finally delivers a son--a Catholic heir to the throne, the final straw for those who fought against the monarchy just a few years previously. Amidst the chaos, Livia, the woman who abandoned her baby to Alinor's family, returns to ultimately wreak havoc. With several story lines advancing at once, it can be challenging to keep the characters straight. However, with Gregory's usual careful attention to detail, several plot points are resolved by the end of this epic. A surprising new plot line is introduced at the very end of the novel, clearly indicating this series will continue. VERDICT Another good historical novel from prolific Gregory, more compelling for those who have read the other books in the series; as a stand-alone, it's harder to follow the characters and their motivations.--Pam O'Sullivan
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