‘a classy, compelling adventure story and a true journey of discovery.’ — Lancashire Evening Post A family divided by fortune, a country divided by faithLondon 1609Elspet Leviston has always managed her father’s lace business and expects to continue in his footsteps. So when her hot-headed cousin Zachary Deane appears from nowhere, his arrival in her life is like an earthquake. Zachary is not … when her hot-headed cousin Zachary Deane appears from nowhere, his arrival in her life is like an earthquake.
Zachary is not who he seems, and has no love at all for Leviston’s Lace. When her father dies unexpectedly, Elspet is horrified to find her inheritance is tied to her cousin’s. But by now, her father has sent Zachary on a Grand Tour,and he is in Spain. Determined to regain her rightful inheritance, she goes to Seville in search of him.
Zachary is in training at the sword school of the charismatic Senor Alvarez, and here, in the searing heat and dust of Spain, Elspet’s real journey begins. A journey that throws her into one of the most turbulent moments of Spain’s history, and leads her to question everything she has ever known about her country, her faith and herself.
Epic historical fiction set in 17th Century London and Golden Age Spain.
‘I was thoroughly gripped until the end of this exhilarating book. And I would highly recommend this swashbuckling tale of lace, swordsmen, Spanish dancing, spice and romance if you enjoy a historical novel with adifference’ – Sixtyplussurfers magazine
Reading group questions and historical notes in the back of the book.
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Did not like
Good book!
I couldn’t get into this. I skipped quite a bit. I don’t care for any of the characters. It might have a fantastic ending, but I’ll probably never know.
We’ll plotted characters and multi faceted historical setting.
I just couldn’t get into this one…
Just seemed to get less and less interesting. DNF
What a wonderful world I entered and such wonderful characters I was introduced to! I loved every moment and every journey the heroine took.
What more can I say that it was an easy enjoable read.
Seemed to drag
This was a well written historic novel. I learned about how, in the 17th century, the Spanish King persecuted the Moors. It was brutal – these poor people were murdered, deported, and their children given to the Spaniards, for use as slaves. The writing was a bit stiff, but this is a great read for history heads.
I couldn’t put it down.
I couldn’t get into it.
Too slow to get going.
The characters did not draw me into their story.
Enjoyed the story. Good character building and twists/turns.
This book was a disappointment. The storyline was disjointed with the beginning, middle, and end having nothing to do with each other. Themes established at the beginning of loss of inheritance, the lace merchant business, female subrogation in a male dominated society, and religious prejudice in 17th century England are abandoned. The story then moves suddenly to a fencing school in Spain where the daily tedium and suffering of the main characters mixed with descriptions of fencing lessons and philosophy go on forever. The move to Spain seems like a contrived mechanism to introduce the reader to the cultural prejudice and unjust persecution of Muslim Moors at the hands of the Spanish ruling parties. The end of the story deals almost exclusively with the injustice of the forced and violent mass expulsions of the Moors from Spain. History buffs may find the factual content interesting, but I did not find the intertwining story coherent or engaging.
Could not finish this book. It went on too long and was very predictable.
The plot turned many times, it was fun to watch the characters evolve and grow.
a very engaging read….very hard to put down.
This book often dragged, too many words.