The Wideacre estate is bankrupt. The villagers are living in poverty and Wideacre Hall is a smoke-blackened ruin. But, in the Dower House, two children are being raised in protected innocence.
I re-read this book because I was looking for a good historical novel with a strong female character. Strong does not begin to describe. Hoo-boy, what Beatrice wants, Beatrice will stop at nothing to have. This is not an historical romance. It is an historical page-turner. Highly recommend. But beware for some funky twists and turns
Author
edentuoroso
3 years ago
A book that kept me turning the pages with its seductive and forbidden family secrets.
Author
rosalienelson22
3 years ago
I sent this book back without finishing it–things just got too ‘dark and morbid”
Author
emilyrossbrown
3 years ago
I loved the depth and details – really could not put this book or the rest of the trilogy down, I was very disappointed when I finished them all.
Author
natashasuzannejupp
3 years ago
I bought this book on returning to England in 1988 and found the heroine absolutely enthralling.
Beatrice (the heroine) loves her home and land but according to the law in Georgian times no woman can inherit, instead the land will go to her brother.
As Beatrice is an intelligent girl and not lacking imagination she finds a way around her obstacles (apart from her brothers’ wife).
Beatrice is a cross between Scarlet O’Hara and Caligula she’ll scrape any barrel to keep her land.
I’m ashamed to admit she’s one of my all-time favourite heroines.
Author
catherineyaffe
3 years ago
This was the first book of Phillippa Gregory’s that I read and it’s still my go-to book 20 years later. A torrid affair of a landowner’s daughter, the game keeper and the glorious Sussex downs. Set in the late 18th century it’s steamy, full of twists including matricide and murder.
Author
denisebirt
3 years ago
I don’t quite know where to begin. A story so deep, and downright disturbing that I needed to break away from it several times. One of the darkest women characters I’ve ever read in a fiction based novel thus far.
Her name is Beatrice. She will (figuratively) enter your bloodstream and make you feel such unease with her delusional ways….. Written very well! This can be read as a stand-alone and the details can be painful due to its subject matter. I will not write a spoiler review here due to the fact that I just now finished the book and need to recuperate and I also feel other reviews already written cover the intensity of this experience for you. If you can handle a story with dark, vicious and appalling situations, then this book is for you…..Personally, as of right now, book #2 and 3 will be on my “to be read list” but not until I can release the grasp of this main character that Phillipa has created and created so well.
Thank you Ms. Gregory for this powerhouse of a story!
Novels & Latte Book Blog
Novels & Latte Book Club
Author
deborahmaynard46
3 years ago
This is one of my all time favorite books. I’ve read the series over and over again!! I wish I could find more stories similar to this one, but so far I haven’t found many!!!!
Author
mccomas
3 years ago
Read the trilogy!
Author
fisherv
3 years ago
Great read.
Author
bsconant
3 years ago
Really twisted characters. It took me three tries before I actually got past the first third of this book. It is well written, which is why the descriptions of the revenge actions of the characters are so effective in creating an emotional response to the reader.
Author
donnaremini
3 years ago
These characters are not people you will like. Very dark.story based on incestuous siblings
I re-read this book because I was looking for a good historical novel with a strong female character. Strong does not begin to describe. Hoo-boy, what Beatrice wants, Beatrice will stop at nothing to have. This is not an historical romance. It is an historical page-turner. Highly recommend. But beware for some funky twists and turns
A book that kept me turning the pages with its seductive and forbidden family secrets.
I sent this book back without finishing it–things just got too ‘dark and morbid”
I loved the depth and details – really could not put this book or the rest of the trilogy down, I was very disappointed when I finished them all.
I bought this book on returning to England in 1988 and found the heroine absolutely enthralling.
Beatrice (the heroine) loves her home and land but according to the law in Georgian times no woman can inherit, instead the land will go to her brother.
As Beatrice is an intelligent girl and not lacking imagination she finds a way around her obstacles (apart from her brothers’ wife).
Beatrice is a cross between Scarlet O’Hara and Caligula she’ll scrape any barrel to keep her land.
I’m ashamed to admit she’s one of my all-time favourite heroines.
This was the first book of Phillippa Gregory’s that I read and it’s still my go-to book 20 years later. A torrid affair of a landowner’s daughter, the game keeper and the glorious Sussex downs. Set in the late 18th century it’s steamy, full of twists including matricide and murder.
I don’t quite know where to begin. A story so deep, and downright disturbing that I needed to break away from it several times. One of the darkest women characters I’ve ever read in a fiction based novel thus far.
Her name is Beatrice. She will (figuratively) enter your bloodstream and make you feel such unease with her delusional ways….. Written very well! This can be read as a stand-alone and the details can be painful due to its subject matter. I will not write a spoiler review here due to the fact that I just now finished the book and need to recuperate and I also feel other reviews already written cover the intensity of this experience for you. If you can handle a story with dark, vicious and appalling situations, then this book is for you…..Personally, as of right now, book #2 and 3 will be on my “to be read list” but not until I can release the grasp of this main character that Phillipa has created and created so well.
Thank you Ms. Gregory for this powerhouse of a story!
Novels & Latte Book Blog
Novels & Latte Book Club
This is one of my all time favorite books. I’ve read the series over and over again!! I wish I could find more stories similar to this one, but so far I haven’t found many!!!!
Read the trilogy!
Great read.
Really twisted characters. It took me three tries before I actually got past the first third of this book. It is well written, which is why the descriptions of the revenge actions of the characters are so effective in creating an emotional response to the reader.
These characters are not people you will like. Very dark.story based on incestuous siblings