When Evangeline is sent to live in a small mill town in Northern England as a schoolteacher in 1871, she finds herself struggling to fit in with an unfamiliar culture. Raised with the high-class Victorian values and ideals of a sophisticated upbringing, she is unprepared for the poverty she finds in the gritty factory town of Smeatley, where the locals speak with a hard-to-understand Yorkshire … Yorkshire accent and struggle to thrive with few resources or opportunities.
Though she has no training as a teacher, she must prove herself successful before her grandfather will release her substantial inheritance to her and allow her to be reunited with her younger sister, the last remaining member of her family after a fever claimed the lives of her parents and brothers.
Evangeline’s sudden change in circumstances is complicated when her aunt–a woman who values class distinctions more than her family relationships–forbids her from acknowledging any connection to her or to her grandfather, Mr. Farr–the man who owns nearly the entire town. For the first time in her life, Evangeline is truly alone.
Heartbroken, she turns to the one person in town who has shown her kindness–an Irish brick mason, Dermot, and his son, Ronan. Despite the difference in their classes and backgrounds, Evangeline and Dermot become friends, due in part to her ability to connect with Ronan, whose behavior requires special attention. The boy is uncomfortable around strangers and rarely even speaks to the other children in town. He often fixates on details other people ignore, and he adheres to specific, self-made rules that give his life order and structure; for example, Dermot’s coat must be hung on a specific peg next to the door.
Evangeline attempts to prove herself a worthy teacher and earn the respect of her hard-to-understand students. Determined to find a way to introduce them to “proper English” while still honoring their unique language and culture, she enlists the help of a local family to write down familiar stories in the Yorkshire vernacular. Because of her efforts, the students and their families warm to Evangeline and she continues to look for ways to give the children a chance to become more than factory workers in the local cotton mill.
When the town learns of her upper-class status, Evangeline must work twice as hard to win back their trust–especially Dermot’s. In the end, Evangeline and Dermot discover that, even though they come from different social spheres, together they can overcome social prejudices, make a positive difference in the lives of even the humblest people, and enjoy the strength that comes when two hearts find each other.
Ashes on the Moor is the inspiring love story of one Victorian woman’s courage to fight against all odds, and the man whose quiet strength gives her the confidence to keep trying.
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So, I read this once before, and I didn’t connect with the story, but I was looking for something to listen to on a long drive and happened to have a copy of this on audiobook and decided I needed to give it another shot.
Honestly, I’m not sure why I didn’t enjoy it more the first time around, but I really enjoyed it the second time. It feels like a blend between her Regency books and her Hope Springs books, bringing a touch of grittiness to her England-based stories. While not anywhere near as tear-jerking as the Hope Springs books, it spends a lot more time looking into the life of the working man at that time (which wasn’t great).
Overall, I really enjoyed it.
One of my favorite books by Sarah Adams!
This story had me hooked from the start. I loved the main characters and absolutely hated the mean ones.
I think I loved this book because it seemed more realistic than most of the Victorian books that I have read. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, but it was SO good!
I loved watching Evangeline grow and learn while she helped her students to grow and learn. This is a book I tell all of my friends to read. I bought a few copies so I can loan one out and not worry about it never coming back to me.
I also listened to the audio book and it was so well done. The narrator was amazing and I got a lot done while listening to it.
A little spin on Elizabeth Gaskill’s North & South. It was ok, but it’s hard to beat a classic like that one.
I’m not sure how to express how much I adored this book! From a history lover’s perspective, it was so well researched and the little details really suck you in to the time period. The author did such a phenomenal job with character development and you can’t really help but cheer as the heroine finds her strength and independence. The hero is such a kind and caring gentleman that you can’t help but fall in love with him either. Plus its all set against a brilliantly written back drop of class struggle, small town drama, and each character’s failures and triumphs along the way. This book is everything a historical romance should be!
Sarah M. Eden is a brilliant storyteller. The environments she creates are so subtly yet artistically rendered that you don’t realize the detailed painting she’s created in your imagination until you’re abruptly removed from your deep immersion and startled to find that you were merely reading a book, not living as a silent observer in the world you were visiting. You can nearly hear and taste and feel the surroundings. The characters are authentic with gritty emotion. To be sure, this is not a light and easy read, yet I read half the book in one sitting…a rare occurrence for me. It’s thought-provoking and informative of a time and place and people and circumstances not often considered. I certainly saw the parallel to Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, although I dare say the depth of these characters is far more captivating. I was left with unanswered questions, which was a disappointing revelation at the end, but does not detract from the masterful storytelling throughout the rest of the book.
This book, set in the Victorian era, is a beautiful story about a woman who has to make her own way against family obstacles and insurmountable odds and finds help in an unlikely source, the town misfit, an Irishman and his son who we see as being on the autism spectrum. She educates the town, both about being there for each other as well as how to read. The whole town faces difficulties with the mill, bad leadership, hardships with livestock, and just surviving.
Clean romantic leanings, clean language, and truly an amazing story of rising to meet the challenges of life and coming out on top.
I’ve said it before, and it’s still true: I have yet to be disappointed by a Sarah M. Eden book. This one is definitely different for her, both in time and location, with fascinating cultural and language details, but most of all, characters with depth you can’t help but love.
I so enjoy Eden’s writing style. You get very complex situations. It’s almost always like a fairytale where the characters are in deep sadness and bad situations and they find the strength to pull themselves out of it. She has two kinds of books, the light hearted and the tug your heartstrings out kind of books. This was a sadder beginning that turns out happy. The attention to detail and history in this book was very well done. You really feel like you are there and can almost smell it. The characters relationships with themselves and others grow slowly and take time. I also love that there is realism in the fairy-tale, not everything is tied up nicely with a bow at the end. These could have been real people. This is a PG book with no violence or content.
Another brilliant book by Sarah Eden. She took hold of me from the first page and didn’t let go until the end. I loved the characters. Beautiful story.
I am a huge fan of Sarah Eden‘s books! She has dozens of bestselling and award-winning titles and I’ve almost read all of them. This new book is another addition to the Ashes on the Moor Proper Romance line and I couldn’t wait to read it! The cover is absolutely stunning and Eden’s words pulled me completely into northern England and the city of Yorkshire. This book quickly became a favorite because I was reminded of my own visit to northern England and the incredible town of Yorkshire twenty years ago. Isn’t it wonderful that we can take a visit through the pages of a book?
Ashes on the Moor is set in Victorian England when factories were starting to change the landscape and socioeconomic paths of the English. The character of Evangeline is stoic, maddeningly ladylike, courageous, and romantic. I loved seeing the change that took place in Evangeline when she was forced to live on her own and do things she’d never attempted before–like cooking!
The romance that developed between Evangeline and Dermot was layered beautifully and grew slowly, yet at a satisfying pace. If you enjoy great writing, historical romance, clean romance, then you should definitely consider adding this book to your To-Read list!
You’ll love this book if you love the TV show “When Calls the Heart”.
Evangeline whole family (except her youngest sister) all die from a fever and her higher class life as she has known it is ripped away.
She is left alone and struggling in a small unfriendly town trying to be a school teacher (when she herself as never even been to a school). She learns a lot; not only how to cook and clean, but how to love, survive, and stand up for herself and others.
This was a clean, non-religious Romance with a strong female character whom I enjoyed.
This book is evidence of just why I love this author’s writing! Even though the tone in the beginning is despondent as Evangeline mourns her family and struggles with her new circumstances, it shows how much she grows and how time slowly heals. She does not seem particularly strong or skilled, but her compassion and newfound grit serve her well as she continues to make the best out of what she’s been given. Dermot surliness brings out her sassy side and I loved seeing their relationship develop from neighbors to unlikely friends to sweethearts. Each person in the wide cast of characters from the community are vibrant and easy to picture, and I especially enjoyed the Yorkshire way of speaking and their interesting phrases and names for things. The setting was very much a big part of the book and it felt a bit like one of my favorite movies, North and South. I liked that it was set in a smaller town though, which gave it a more cozy feel and less industrial. I have a soft spot for stories with teachers that care so much for their students, and Evangeline’s determination to do the best for her students, despite her lack of training, is admirable and endearing. I was completely immersed from the get go and was happy that the initial mood of desperation slowly gave way to hope as Evangeline lifts herself with the help of Dermot and discovers her own fierce nature and strength.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
A wonderful story with wonderful characters