Inspired by the history of the British “brideships,” this captivating historical debut tells the story of one woman’s coming of age and search for independence–for readers of Pam Jenoff’s The Orphan’s Tale and Armando Lucas Correa’s The German Girl. Tomorrow we would dock in Victoria on the northwest coast of North America, about as far away from my home as I could imagine. Like pebbles tossed … could imagine. Like pebbles tossed upon the beach, we would scatter, trying to make our way as best as we could. Most of us would marry; some would not.
England, 1862. Charlotte is somewhat of a wallflower. Shy and bookish, she knows her duty is to marry, but with no dowry, she has little choice in the matter. She can’t continue to live off the generosity of her sister Harriet and her wealthy brother-in-law, Charles, whose political aspirations dictate that she make an advantageous match.
When Harriet hosts a grand party, Charlotte is charged with winning the affections of one of Charles’s colleagues, but before the night is over, her reputation–her one thing of value–is at risk. In the days that follow, rumours begin to swirl. Soon Charles’s standing in society is threatened and all that Charlotte has held dear is jeopardized, even Harriet, and Charlotte is forced to leave everything she has ever known in England and embark on a treacherous voyage to the New World.
From the rigid social circles of Victorian England to the lawless lands bursting with gold in British Columbia’s Cariboo, The Brideship Wife takes readers on a mesmerizing journey through a time of great change. Based on a forgotten chapter in history, this is a sparkling debut about the pricelessness of freedom and the courage it takes to follow your heart.
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The Brideship Wife by Leslie Howard is one woman’s fictional story about voluntarily setting sale for British Columbia, leaving England forever, ideally to become a bride to a man there, but at least have the opportunity to make a new life. Charlotte has left England to escape her sister Harriet, and he marriage of convenience to a man who has grown tired of supporting her. It’s a complicated story, much of it revolving around men’s intrinsic power over women, especially in 1862. The hardships they faced are all realistic, although they happened one on top of another instead of over a period of year. Her sister ends up traveling with her, ostensibly as a chaperone but she ends up becoming a part of the story. This is a terrific story, similar in many was to orphan train type stories. Strong women make a go of it in Victoria or anywhere else. Weaker women are at the mercy of men and of society. This was a very interesting story of some of the strong women who succeeded, husbands or not. I fully recommend it to lovers of historical fiction or to people who want to learn about different lives in different times. It was terrific.
I received a free ARC of The Brideship Wife from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thebrideshipwife
The Brideship Wife is one of the best historical Romance books I have read in a long time. It is exciting, tragic, romantic and inspiring. It has much rich history about an area I knew nothing about. I learned so much historically from this book about the British Columbia gold rush before it became Canada. The author wrote in such a way that you experiences the sights and sounds of this era, the small mining towns, the roughness and the beauty.
I could almost feel the spray from the falls and smell the smoke from the fire. The details of the clothing worn by both the English elite and their snobby ways was so descriptive as was that of the workhouse girls on the ship from England. The characters were colorful and realistic. I loved every one of them, even the ones I disliked.
The main character Charlotte is a strong woman and fights for her own life in an era where women are married for life and position and they do what men tell them to do. She fights to be independent and live her own life on her terms.
This book kept me reading until the end, I enjoyed reading it and I would recommend it.
Thanks to Leslie Howard, Simon and Schuster Canada, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and advanced copy for an honest review.
This was a very interesting read. The romance was good but the historical aspect was fantastic. I had never heard of bride ships before and cannot imagine being in that predicament. I love historical fiction and this did not disappoint. Highlights lots of issues of the time and also shows that some things haven’t changed as much as we would hope. The rough voyage on the ship and the wild landscape of the Canadian west are great settings for all of the drama. Ms. Howard really gives you insight into the social mores of that time and place and brings it all to a vivacious life. Excellent book!
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.
I received a free electronic copy of this ARC historical novel from Netgalley, Leslie Howard, and Simon & Schuster Canada. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read The Brideship Wife of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am looking very much forward to the future works of Leslie Howard. This debut novel is an excellent start to hopefully many years of works from Leslie Howard.
There are many books covering the importation of brides to the wild woods of Oregon and Washington state, but this is the first reference I have encountered to these unmarried English women traveling to Vancouver Island in hopes of finding a man or a job or a life. Leslie Howard does a fine job of presenting these most accurate historical facts in a format acceptable to us historical/romantic/fiction readers. The storyline is compelling, the protagonists sympathetic, and the ending is much too soon. More, Please, Ms. Howard
Author Leslie Howard has channeled her passion for Canadian province history into her debut novel, The Brideship Wife. I had not heard of the brideship women previously, and I was intrigued to learn more about it. Apparently, England seemed to enjoy shipping away their problems. The shipment of criminals to Australia is widely known, but how many of us had an idea they were also shipping off their inconvenient and troublesome women to northwest Canada?
While it is purported that women of various classes were “offered the opportunity” to marry or live independently in the new colony of British Columbia, Ms. Howard’s story leads me to believe that these women did not often find better opportunities in this faraway colony.
The Brideship Wife is set in 1860s England and Canada. The stiff dialogue greatly represents the stuffy, class-conscience attitudes of the time. The book is divided into three parts: the story set-up in England, the maritime journey from England to British Columbia, and life in the “new world”. The life in England is a fairly typical read, and modern readers will be justly aghast at the deplorable treatment of women. The life at sea was a bit too long for my taste. New characters were introduced and relationships established, and while that second act was critical for the heroine’s growth, I felt like I had been stuck on a ship for months with her.
Ms. Howard’s descriptive narrative of life in British Columbia made me feel like I was experiencing the place along with Charlotte. Newly wealthy men desperate for a wife proposing to women the minute they step off the boat. Rowdy, crass men looking to take advantage of desperate women. The lawlessness of the more remote towns. Trading shares in gold mines, land grabs and the same social and political hazards they thought the left at home. Through all this mayhem, Charlotte behaves like a much more modern woman than the naïve, bookish young lady that she is purported to be.
I was looking forward to more in-depth information on Canada and the details of the brideship program than I got; however, I did appreciate the history that was included, and it made me curious enough to explore more on my own. This sweeping, Victorian-era novel is sure to be loved by anyone looking for a story about strong, independent women.
A sweeping epic of one lady’s journey from the ballrooms of England to the wilds of Canada. Leslie Howard has done an amazing job of portraying the life of women in the Victorian period. Charlotte Harding is the younger sister to Harriet and is left penniless after the death of her father. She must rely upon the kindness of her sister and brother-in-law, Charles, to support her. When Charlotte hears of genteel ladies heading to Canada to become brides, circumstances prevail her to go along. Charles insists that Harriet accompany Charlotte on the journey. The story is quite vivid in the telling of the hardships that they encountered on their journey but the story is poignant and inspiring.