This New York Times bestseller from “one of the great storytellers of our time” (San Francisco Book Review) turns from the glamour of the royal courts to tell the story of an ordinary woman, Alinor, living in a dangerous time for a woman to be different.A country at war A king beheaded A woman with a dangerous secret On Midsummer’s Eve, Alinor waits in the church graveyard, hoping to encounter … Eve, Alinor waits in the church graveyard, hoping to encounter the ghost of her missing husband and thus confirm his death. Until she can, she is neither maiden nor wife nor widow, living in a perilous limbo. Instead she meets James, a young man on the run. She shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marshy landscape of the Tidelands, not knowing she is leading a spy and an enemy into her life.
England is in the grip of a bloody civil war that reaches into the most remote parts of the kingdom. Alinor’s suspicious neighbors are watching each other for any sign that someone might be disloyal to the new parliament, and Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her as a woman who doesn’t follow the rules. They have always whispered about the sinister power of Alinor’s beauty, but the secrets they don’t know about her and James are far more damning. This is the time of witch-mania, and if the villagers discover the truth, they could take matters into their own hands.
“This is Gregory par excellence” (Kirkus Reviews). “Fans of Gregory’s works and of historicals in general will delight in this page-turning tale” (Library Journal, starred review) that is “superb… A searing portrait of a woman that resonates across the ages” (People).
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I absolutely loved this book! Gregory did massive amounts of research which made the story authenic. I always learn something by reading her books and to a reader that is a gem of a book when it can also educate you.
It’s a entrancing historical novel set in England in the 1600s during Oliver Cromwell’s rule. The plot intertwines love, history, religion, and politics. What was once considered normal in England is now banned and some of the citizens are having difficulty with this change and want someone else as the ruler!! The love story part of the plot comes when Alinor, the main character, meets James, a priest who needs help crossing the marshlands. Eventually Alinor becomes pregnant with James’ baby, but instead of feeling joy, there is heartbreak. You will fall in love with Alinor and root for her throughout the book.
The story flowed well and the character building was top-notch as only Gregory can do!! I would recommend this book and look forward to book two in the series.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
#NetGalley #Tidelands #PhilippaGregory #AtriaBooks
TIDELANDS is the first in a series of historical novels (The Fairmile Series) from the prolific Philippa Gregory, perhaps best known for her historical fiction about royal figures (i.e. THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL and THE WHITE QUEEN among many others). This series will trace one family’s story across 250 years of history, primarily focused on the role of women, who so often get short shrift in historical works. (Volume two, DARK TIDES, is scheduled for publication in November 2020.). This completely absorbing book is a very promising start!tidelands
Set in the mid-1600s in a small seaside village in England, it’s the story of Alinor, a woman raising two children alone after her husband abandons them. Alinor is a struggling herbalist and midwife who serves her neighbors faithfully though barely managing to feed her family. Locally, everyone is gossiping about the dispute between Parliament, King Charles I, and the army of Roundheads — wondering whether the King will actually face charges for threatening the people of his own realm. This is, of course, the beginning of the English Civil War. But that story serves only as a backdrop to the real story of life in a small village.
A chance encounter with a priest at the start of the story changes Alinor’s life, providing new possibilities for both her and her children. Her gifted son Rob may be able to advance his studies with the priest while her ambitious daughter Alys determines to marry the heir to a prosperous local farm.
Even if my description sounds a bit mundane, I found the story mostly riveting, with a couple of dramatic twists near the end that were unexpected, and a cliffhanger ending. Plus, I learned more about the daily lives of women during this period, the small-minded suspicions imposed on a single mother (especially one with beauty), and the ways that fortune and chance can impact lives for both good and ill. I simply can’t wait for the next installment.
My book club chose this one. We had mixed reviews. Personally I didn’t like the supernatural aspects of the story. There are many stories that explore the Holocaust experiences, I think there are better ones. Some members of our group thought it was wonderful but it was not my personal favorite.
A unique and in depth look at the life of a woman in 17th century England and the horrors that may befall them if they are not vigilant in keeping gossip and heresay at a minimum. Alinor comes across a young man in the graveyard and it forever changes both their lives. One poor, with a missing husband, two children and no fishing boat to earn their keep. As a midwife and herb woman she has earned herself a reputation that is not always seen as good. James is a man if God that serves as a spy to the exciled Queen and her son to help Charles escape and reclaim his throne. Everything changes for the handsome young man as he discovers desire for the first time in the arms of a very poor woman who he dreams of having a life with. Their lives and destinies may pull them apart, but their love holds them prisoner in a cage of society they can’t escape.
Philippa’s writing style in this story is hypnotic. The story was slower in the beginning but the depth of the characters drew me in and then I was hooked and staying up late to finish the book. I was absolutely immersed in the world of these characters and haunted by them for a couple of days after I finished the book. But it does leave you on cliffhanger and now I am extremely impatient for the next book in the series.
Rounded Up from 3.5 stars
This book takes place between June 1648 and February 1649 during the English civil war. King Charles I is in captivity and Oliver Cromwell and his army are taking over England. The class system is in upheaval as the country tries to figure out what this means to how things have always been. Catholics are considered heretics and everyone is attempting to follow the government religion at least on the surface to avoid suspicion. People are quick to judge anything or anyone that appears different and the worst thing is to be accused of witchcraft.
Alinor is a poor woman who lives in the Tidelands of southern England. Her station has been determined from birth. Though she has knowledge of herbs and medicinal recipes passed down from her mother, training as a midwife, and sometimes functions as a nurse, she is naive and uneducated about worldly matters beyond her small island. She is a beautiful woman and an intuitive and observant person and this sometimes leads rumors as to whether her healing abilities are more than just herbs. Her waste of a fisherman husband did not help her in this matter with drunken and wild rumors he spread prior to his disappearance.
James is a loyalist, a Catholic, and a spy. He has been born and raised as a noble and destined to be married to the church from a young age. He is tied to vows and duty. He is hampered by class restrictions that have always been and is naive about the day to day lives of the poor people. When Alinor helps him, she saves him and changes the course of her own life in ways she cannot imagine.
I found Alinor to be very likable. James had moments in the book that he said and did things that made him almost detestable. However, I felt like the author did a good job of helping me understand where he was coming from and certainly his words and decisions were a reflection of his nobility and the uncertain times. Though there is a love story, this book is not a romance and there is no happily ever after. Alinor’s children are a big part of this story. Rob is intelligent and likable. Alys is petulant and selfish though she works hard to help achieve her own goals. I did not really care for her through much of the book.
The first half of the book is filled with an overwhelming amount of detail describing how difficult and repetitive Alinor’s life is as she struggles to survive with her two children. The book dragged until I got about 2/3 through. The last 150 pages, the pace picks up as events unfold, the king is executed, and secrets are revealed. I am hopeful that book 2, releasing in November 2020, will have more of the pacing of the end of this book as it continues the story of Alinor, her family, and James. This is not my favorite book by this author. I believe it has to do with the pacing and that the main characters are completely fictional every-men. In previous books, the main characters were real people and the historical setting had direct effects on the decisions made as well as the course of the story. In this book, the historical events are very much in the background. Despite being important to James in his role as a spy, they have a more tenuous effect on Alinor and her family by creating an atmosphere of distrust and uncertainty without any direct effect on their daily lives.
I am voluntarily leaving this review after receiving a free copy from a Atria Books/Goodreads giveaway.
Alinor, a midwife and healer, waits on the porch of the church near the graveyard in Tidelands in Sussex for the ghost of her missing husband. If his ghost appears to her, it is proof that he is dead. It is the mid-summer’s eve of the year 1648. Instead, Alinor meets a handsome stranger who is on a secret mission during the turbulent and dangerous times of civil war. This stranger will change her life forever.
I could not put this book down! I loved the rich and realistic characters, and the plot kept me waiting and hoping that they would be all right. The setting in the ever-changing stark mire of the Tidelands, a place that was not even stable enough to map, was intriguing, captivating, magical. However, I found the ending to be far from satisfactory. It seemed to end abruptly and without resolving any problems.
A total bore. Never finished it. And I like many of her other books.
Slow out of the gate, but well worth staying with.
It took me a while to get into this story. I found it a little bit slow and boring at first but after finishing it, I would say that this book was alright and actually look forward to the next installment of the story; since the author plans to continue for several generations.
True to her history of writing about strong, independent, and therefore powerful women, the author does not disappoint with her portrayal of Alinor. The story begins in the churchyard in the tidelands on Sealsea Island, England in 1648 on Midsummer Eve with Alinor hoping to encounter the ghost of her abusive husband to determine if his abandonment of her and their two children led to his death or if he just left them high and dry by choice.
Instead, she encounters a handsome, charming, elegant man who admits he is a Catholic priest posing as an Anglican minister so he may act as a spy and assist in returning the imprisoned King Charles to the throne of England, endangering his life and the lives of all those involved in aiding and abetting this papist a royalist. The magnetic attraction between Alinor and Mr. James Summer is unmistakeable. “I didn’t know there could be a woman like you, in a place like this.” A strong bond forms with Alinor becoming a confidante, privy to his plans, protecting him in every possible way, despite the fact that she is not sympathetic to James’ political affiliations. This blind loyalty brings dire consequences.
Alinor’s family benefits from this association by being paid outright and by the hiring of her son as a companion to the son of a wealthy man, also sympathetic to the king’s cause. Alinor strives to improve the plight of her family. She acts as a licensed midwife/herbalist, catches fish to salt and sell, traps lobsters, dries herbs and produces healing oils, works at the mill, helps transport passengers on her brother’s ferry, and nurses the sick. Although excluded from power, wealth and education, Alinor is ambitious for herself and her children and encourages excellence through the rewards of hard work. Failure is not an option.
Rob, the handsome, brilliant, responsible son, is a model of obedience and cooperation. Alys, the cunningly beautiful, fiery, bender of rules, lives by the code of her own morality, never anticipating the consequences of her actions. Many people mistakenly believe Alinor, with her ethereal beauty, accomplishments, high-achieving children and knowledge of herbs, to be a faerie temptress, a charmer or even a witch. Despite her great kindnesses and generous spirit, Alinor becomes the target of malicious gossip and violence.
Mr. James Summer? It’s hard not to spoil the story by my assessment of this immature, self-serving, fickle, poor example of a man. Dedicated to ideals rather than people, this slinking-in-dark-hiding-places character reveals his soul to be as dark as the places in which he hides. Ugh!
The title of this book, I believe, is symbolic. Just as the tide ebbs and flows, covering up truths with high tide, trapping travelers in muck and mire in low tide, so go the lives and actions of the residents of this strung tighter than a violin, fearful island.
With a stunning surprise ending, Alys devises an extraordinary plan to quickly bring the story to resolution. I assume the author will write a sequel to this saga, so the readers might rest easy, knowing their beloved Alinor is safe and happy at last. I can only hope.
Gets really dry at times and drags in places. Hated the way it finished up. Looking forward to the sequel.
I love all things historical and descriptive. And all of Phillipa Gregory ‘s books. This book had the right qualities with some disappointments. I didn’t love the priest character. Too shallow right from the start. He did not even try to overcome his lust for a pretty woman , “falling in love” like in a sappy romance novel . As others have remarked, this story left too many loose ends and should have been labeled as a series, book1
Great details of every day life and work of women during the civil war (England) gritty, atmospheric pleasurable read.
I absolutely loved the story and am eagerly awaiting for the next book.
My least favorite of her books. Reads like a paperback romance novel. Skipped many pages just to get through the book!
Historical novel set in a remote area of Sussex during the time of the English civil war. The two main characters are a country girl and a Catholic priest seeking to turn the country back to the old religion under Cromwell. I have started reading this book which only came out on 20th August, and I can’t put it down. It is Philippa Gregory’s latest masterpiece!
It’s a good book; not as enthralling as her Plantagenet series.
OUTSTANDING! Right up until the last pages. If that is the ending, then I am absolutely gutted. That could not have been the ending, could it? I was elated to be reading what I believed one of the best novels I have read all year, only to come to a dissatisfying end that left me wondering why I invested the time in reading such a tale. That’s probably why I am so disappointed. All I can hope, as this is a series, Philippa Gregory will continue this story for protagonist Alinore in the next before jumping to some other arc/POV for book2 and give a better resolution. In her other historical fiction series, the characters are based on true historic figures, and I expect some horrid endings because “that’s history”. With these invented characters, I was expecting at least one person to come out on top. Ugh. Not so here. Not. One. Person. Not the ending I was expecting, felt disingenuous: her lover became weak; daughter changed course; new life plan came out of nowhere. I HATE unexpected cliffhangers and this rushed ending reads like an unfinished manuscript. I kept swiping left on my kindle for more pages. Nothing! 5 stars for remarkable storytelling and beautiful prose that I have come to expect from one of my favorite historical fiction writers. 1 star for a totally pointless ending. (Advanced copy compliments of publisher via NetGalley)