Book Review: Like Chaff in the Wind by Anna Belfrage

Synopsis:

Matthew Graham committed the mistake of his life when he cut off his brother’s nose.  In revenge, Luke Graham has Matthew abducted and transported to the Colony of Virginia, there to be sold as indentured labour – a death sentence more or less.

Matthew arrives in Virginia in May of 1661, and any hope he had of finding someone willing to listen to his tale of unlawful abduction is quickly extinguished. If anything Matthew’s insistence that he is an innocent man leads to him being singled out for the heaviest tasks.

Insufficient food, grueling days and the humid heat combine to wear Matthew down. With a sinking feeling he realises no one has ever survived the seven years of service – not on the plantation Suffolk Rose, not under the tender care of the overseer Dominic Jones.

Fortunately for Matthew, he has a remarkable wife, a God’s gift who has no intention of letting her husband suffer and die, and so Alex Graham sets off on a perilous journey to bring her husband home.

Alex is plagued by nightmares in which her Matthew is reduced to a wheezing wreck by his tormentors. She sits in the prow of the ship and prays for a miracle to carry her swiftly to his side, to let her hold him and heal him before it’s too late. God, however, has other things to do and what should have been a two month crossing becomes a yearlong adventure from one side of the Atlantic to the other.

Will she find him in time? And if she does, will she be capable of paying the price required to buy him free?

Troubador Publishing | December 12, 2012 | 392 pages

My Review

3.5 Stars

In Like Chaff in the Wind, the second installment in Anna Belfrage's Graham Saga, opens in 17th century Scotland, with time-traveling Alex Graham settling comfortably into family life with her husband Matthew and infant son at Hillview, their beloved home.   But Alex's contentment is soon shattered when Matthew is forcibly abducted and sent to Jamestown, Virginia as an indentured servant.   Knowing the law can do little to secure her husband's release, Alex sets out for the colony determined to free him.   Forced to toil in unbearable conditions, the only thing keeping Matthew from losing all hope is his belief that Alex will come for him.   The high-seas, however, prove to be more than Alex bargained for and her arrival in Jamestown is delayed by many months.   Will Alex arrive before it is too late? 

Well-written, easy to read and fast-paced with lots of action, Like Chaff in the Wind should appeal to fans of historical adventures, historical romances and time travel stories.   One of the greatest strengths of this novel is its characters.  Alex and Matthew are well-developed, sympathetic figures and Belfrage does a good job of showing how much they love and care for one another.   Although she now lives in the 17th century, Alex's outlook on life has been shaped by the 21st century world from which she comes.   As a result, I enjoyed seeing how she reacted to and dealt with 17th century social conventions.  Matthew on the other hand is a product of the 17th century, and I appreciated that Belfrage gives him a world view consistent with the time in which he lived.  While Alex and Matthew are the focus of this novel, the supporting characters are also memorable, particularly Magnus, Alex's father who remains in the 21st century mourning the unexplained disappearance of his daughter, and Mrs. Gordon, the Graham's housekeeper who accompanies Alex on her voyage to Jamestown. 

While this novel can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend readers interested in this saga start with the first book, A Rip in the Veil.  The first novel explains to readers how Alex came to be in the 17th century in the first place, and provides the context behind the secondary story line concerning Alex's father and son that runs through this book.  As such, I think readers will get more enjoyment out of Life Chaff in the Wind if they have the background provided by the first novel. 

Note: I received a copy of this novel as part of the author's Virtual Book Tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Like Chaff in the Wind is on tour!  Check out the tour schedule here.  
You can also follow the tour on Twitter at #ChaffintheWindVirtualTour

About the Author

I was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result I’m multilingual and most of my reading is historical -  both non-fiction and fiction.

I was always going to be a writer - or a historian, preferably both. Instead I ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for my most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career I raised my four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive … Nowadays I spend most of my spare time at my writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and I slip away into my imaginary world, with my imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in my life pops his head in to ensure I’m still there. I like that – just as I like how he makes me laugh so often I’ll probably live to well over a hundred.

I was always going to be a writer. Now I am - I have achieved my dream.

You can visit the author's webpage at: www.annabelfrage.com

Giveaway Winners!

I'm pleased to announce the winners, selected using random.org, for my two most recent giveaways are as follows:

The winner of Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent is :

Miss Fifi

The winner of Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison is:

nfmgirl









Congratulations! An email has been sent to each of the winners.   Thanks to everyone who entered. 

Book Talk: Historical Accuracy in Historical Fiction

It's time for Book Talk, a Confessions of an Avid Reader weekly feature that offers a forum in which to discuss book-related issues and topics.  This week's topic: Historical Accuracy in Historical Fiction.

There is some debate as to whether or not historical novelists should, to the greatest extent possible, be historically accurate in their works.  Some readers and authors feel it is of the utmost importance, while others don't.  My intent with this discussion is not to revisit this debate, especially since I think there is a wide enough selection of historical novels available today to satisfy all readers no matter what their preference, but rather to get a sense for what my fellow bloggers prefer.  

Because many of the historical novels I read feature real historical figures and events as central components of the plots, I prefer to read those that are as historically accurate as possible.   Nevertheless, I recognize that sometimes liberties need to be taken for the sake of a story, and generally don't have an issue with this so long as they are minor and explained in an Author's Note.      

This is not to say I don't read or enjoy historical novels in which significant liberties are taken, because let's face it, a great story is a great story regardless of whether it is historically accurate or not.   I do, however, tend to gravitate towards books written by historical novelists who take great care in ensuring accuracy, and most of my favourite historical novels are recognized for this.

So my fellow historical fiction lovers, is historical accuracy important to you as a reader or is it not a big deal?   

Book Review: The Bruges Tapestry by P.A. Staes

Synopsis:

Following a 500-year-old mystery concerning a Flemish tapestry is routine work for Detective Claire DeMaer, since she's employed by the Newport Beach Art Theft Detail. But, unlike past cases, this one involves arresting Paolo Campezzi, lover to her best friend Nora. Mr. Campezzi is a distant descendant of a Florentine Duke, who commissioned the tapestry in 1520 in Bruges, Belgium.

Claire finds that she must explore the true provenance of the tapestry, free Mr. Campezzi in order to re-establish her friendship with Nora and depend on the expertise of a textile expert she doesn't know. All this must occur in 72 hours, before the Vatican takes the tapestry back.

But Claire isn't the only one with the Vatican looking over her shoulder.  Claire's story intertwines with a 1520 diary by Beatrice van Hecke, the tapestry-weaver's daughter. Only Claire can discover the secret that is woven in time.

Createspace | August 29, 2012 | 254 pages

My Review

3 Stars

The Bruges Tapestry is a time slip novel that alternates between modern-day California and 16th century Belgium.   At the centre of this novel is a 500-year old tapestry that has recently been stolen from the Vatican, a tapestry that happens to be hanging in the home of Detective Claire DeMaer's best friend Nora's new boyfriend, Paolo.   The case against Paolo isn't as straightforward as it first appears, however, as he claims he was simply taking back what was rightfully the property of his family.   Although Paolo has no evidence to back up his claims, Claire, in an effort to preserve her friendship with Nora, sets out to prove Paolo's assertions are true.   Interwoven with Claire's investigation into the true ownership of the tapestry is the story of Beatrice, the daughter of a 16th century Bruges tapestry maker.  Through Beatrice the reader comes to learn of the tapestry's origins, as well as the reasons behind some of the tapestry's unusual design elements. 

The Bruges Tapestry is a well-written and quick-paced mystery.   Usually when I read time slip novels I develop a distinct preference for either the modern or historic narrative.  In the case of this novel, however, I found both narratives to be equally compelling.  Although it did take me awhile to warm up to Claire, by the end of the book I had come to like her as a character.  In fact, I quite liked all of principal characters from the modern-day storyline.   Conversely, with the exception of Beatrice, I didn't find the historic characters to be particularly well drawn, especially the villains, who come across as one-dimensional.   The only major problem I had with this book was the ending of the modern-day tale which, although ultimately satisfying, felt much too rushed.  I would have preferred the ending to have been drawn out and, given the short length of this novel, I think the author could have done so without negatively impacting the conclusion.  Despite my issue with the ending I did enjoy the novel overall and look forward to seeing where P.A. Staes takes Detective DeMaer next. 

Recommended to fans of art-related mysteries and thrillers, as well as to readers who enjoy time slip novels. 

Note: I received a copy of this novel as part of P.A. Staes Virtual Book Tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Bruges Tapestry is now on tour.  Click here to check out the tour schedule.   You can also follow the tour on Twitter: #BrugesTapestryVirtualTour

About the Author

P.A. Staes is the author of The Bruges Tapestry; the first of the Clare DeMaere series of historical mysteries. To lend veracity to The Bruges Tapestry Ms. Staes traveled to Stirling Castle in Scotland, The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, The Cluny Museum and Gobelin Factory in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cloisters to bring alive the rich and romantic world of tapestry.   Ms. Staes lives in Southern California with her husband and two dogs.

For more information, please visit P.A. Staes's WEBSITE and BLOG.

Book Review: The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn

Synopsis:

I was almost seventeen when the spell of my childhood was broken...It was the beginning of summer and, unbeknown to any of us then, the end of a belle epoque...

In July of 1914, innocent, lovely Clarissa Granville lives with her parents and three brothers in the idyllic isolation of Deyning Park, a grand English country house, where she whiles away her days enjoying house parties, country walks and tennis matches. Clarissa is drawn to Tom Cuthbert, the housekeeper's handsome son. Though her parents disapprove of their upstairs-downstairs friendship, the two are determined to see each other, and they meet in secret to share what becomes a deep and tender romance. But soon the winds of war come to Deyning, as they come to all of Europe. As Tom prepares to join the front lines, neither he nor Clarissa can envision what lies ahead of them in the dark days and years to come. Nor can they imagine how their love will be tested, or how they will treasure the memory of this last, perfect summer.

NAL Trade | December 31, 2012 | 464 pages

My Review

4.5 Stars

Judith Kinghorn's debut novel, The Last Summer, is the type of book you'll want to curl up with and not put down.  The novel opens in England in July of 1914, at Deyning Park, the stately country home of the wealthy Granville family.  For Clarissa Granville, the youngest child and only daughter, the summer is a time to relax and spend time with family and friends.   Rather than spend time with those in her own circle, however, Clarissa befriends Tom Cuthbert, the son of Deyning Park's housekeeper.  Although her parents do not approve of her burgeoning friendship with Tom, Clarissa refuses to end it.  As the weeks pass, Clarissa and Tom's relationship deepens and becomes much more than one of simple friendship.  When the events that have been threatening peace in Europe erupt into a full-scale war, the lives of those at Deyning Park, like those of all inhabitants of Great Britain, are forever changed.  What follows is a story of love and loss, of lives torn apart by war, and of a society undergoing immense social change.

Judith Kinghorn's eloquent prose evokes a strong sense of both time and place.  As a result, The Last Summer effectively conveys how the Great War brought forth the end of an era, and with it a loss of innocence.  The novel also successfully captures the horrors of war, the efforts of those back at home to carry-on, and the post-war struggles of those who survived, who must now pick up the pieces of their lives and come to terms with a significantly altered society.  The Last Summer features many memorable characters, all of whom are well-developed and engaging.  Clarissa, whose voice is used to tell this story, is particularly well-drawn, and her maturation and growth are clearly evident as the novel progresses.  Clarissa's complex relationship with Tom, which underpins the entire narrative and in many respects comes to define both of their lives, is also well done and completely draws the reader into the story.  One of my favourite aspects of this novel is the role of Deyning Park in the narrative.  Featured throughout the book, Deyning Park becomes a principal character.  In many ways the changes that occurred to this great house mirror those that take place within English society as a whole.

An excellent novel, The Last Summer is highly recommended to readers of historical fiction interested in WWI and post-WWI England.  

Note: This novel comes from my own personal collection.

Suddenly Sunday

It's time for Suddenly Sunday, a weekly meme hosted by Svea at Muse in the Fog that gives bloggers the opportunity to share their blogging events from the past week.   

I've been busy this past week posting reviews, giveaways and a guest post, and just generally trying to get caught up in my reading after returning from holiday.   In case you missed any of my reviews and/or giveaways, be sure to check them out by clicking on the book titles below:

• Review and International Giveaway for Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent;
• Review and CAN/US Giveaway for Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison; and
• Review of The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau.

 
In addition, be sure to check out author Nancy Bilyeau's fabulous guest post, The Life of A Real Tudor Nun (click here to read post).

This coming week I'll be posting my review of each of the following books: 

• The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn;
• The Bruges Tapestry by P.A. Staes; and
• A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz.  

In addition to posting reviews, I'll also return to posting my weekly Book Talk meme, although I have yet to determine a topic.    Now that I've settled back in after holidays and am getting caught up on my review books, I'm also going to make more of an effort to respond to blog comments and to visit other blogs.    
 
Reading-wise, I've just started to read Bristol House by Beverly Swerling, a time slip novel that alternates between modern-day and Tudor London.  I'm hooked!  

What are you currently reading?  

 
 

The Life of a Real Tudor Nun: A Guest Post by Nancy Bilyeau

I'm very pleased to welcome author Nancy Bilyeau to the blog today as part of her virtual tour for her recently released Tudor-era historical novel, The Chalice (you can check out my review here).  

******
The protagonist of both my novels, The Crown and The Chalice, is a fictional young woman named Joanna Stafford who has taken novice vows at a Dominican priory in Dartford, Kent. The books are set in the late 1530s, in the throes of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, and what drives both plots is Joanna’s struggle with losing her home and her way of life.

I’ve been asked if Joanna is based on anyone from history and the answer is no. There wasn’t very much known of any of the 1,800 nuns in England at the time of the Dissolution. In my five years of research while writing The Crown, the only contemporary documents I could find were a few letters and wills. The nonfiction books about Henry VIII’s break from Rome focused on the king, his wives and his ministers Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell.  The nuns, monks and friars who were forced from their homes were nameless shadows in the corners of rooms dominated by these huge personalities.

I created Joanna in my imagination, based on the known facts about what life in a priory was like and what kinds of families sent their daughters there. But after I’d finished The Crown, I unearthed some facts about Elizabeth Exmewe, one of the young nuns who really did live in Dartford in the 1530s at the time of Dissolution. While writing The Chalice, I did not change Joanna to be more like her. But I kept thinking about Elizabeth and her many hard years of struggle and wandering.

Dartford Priory, founded by Edward III, drew women from the gentry and aristocracy, even one from royalty. Princess Bridget Plantagenet, youngest sister of Elizabeth of York, was promised to Dartford as a baby. She lived there from childhood until her death in 1517. Elizabeth Exmewe was typical of most of the other nuns—she was the daughter of a gentleman, Sir Thomas Exmewe. He was a goldsmith and “merchant adventurer,” serving as Lord Mayor of London.

It was common for brothers and sisters to enter monastic life together, though at separate places. Elizabeth’s brother, William Exmewe, was a Carthusian monk and respected scholar of Greek and Latin at the London Charterhouse. He was also one of the monks who in 1535 refused to sign the Oath of Supremacy to Henry VIII, despite intense pressure. The king had broken from the Pope because he could not get a divorce from Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. Once the king became head of the Church of England, it was imperative that all monks shift their loyalty to him. But Exmewe would not compromise his beliefs, and he was punished with a horrifying death: He was hanged, disemboweled while still alive and quartered.

No nun in England was executed besides Sister Elizabeth Barton, a Benedictine who prophesied against the king’s marriage to Anne Boleyn. Barton was arrested, tortured, tried, and hanged for it. Elizabeth Exmewe did not publicly criticize the king nor seek martyrdom. Four years after the death of her brother, she was turned out from Dartford Priory.

When the occupants of religious houses opposed Henry VIII, retaliation was savage. When the houses “surrendered,” small pensions were arranged. Elizabeth Exmewe received a pension of “100 shillings per annum.” This was the amount that most Dartford nuns received. Some of the thousands of monks and friars who were turned out of their monasteries in the 1530s became priests or teachers or apothecaries. But nuns—roughly 1,800 of them at the time of the Dissolution--did not have such options. “Those who had relatives sought asylum in the bosom of their own family,” wrote a 19th century historian. Marriage was not an option. In 1539, the most conservative noble, the Duke of Norfolk, introduced to Parliament “the Act of Six Articles,” which forbade ex-nuns and monks from marrying. The act, which had the approval of Henry VIII, became law. The king did not want nuns in the priory but he did not want them to marry either. There was literally no place for them in England.

Sisters who could afford it immigrated to Catholic countries to search for priories that would take them in. Others lacking family support sank into poverty.  A few historians studying the Dissolution have noted a remarkable fact: in several cases, nuns attempted to live together in small groups after being forced from their priories. They were determined to continue their vocations, in whatever way they could.

Elizabeth Exmewe is known to have shared a home in Walsingham with another ex-nun of Dartford. “They were Catholic women of honest conversation,” said one contemporary account. A half-dozen other Dartford refugees tried to live under one roof closer to Dartford. Meanwhile, Henry VIII had their priory demolished. He built a luxurious manor house on the rubble of the Dominican Order, although he’s not believed to have ever slept there. It became the home of his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, after he divorced her in disgust in 1540.

Following the reign of Henry’s Protestant son, Edward VI, his Catholic daughter, Mary I, took the throne in 1553. Mary re-formed several religious communities as she struggled to turn back time in England and restore the “True Faith.” Elizabeth Exmewe and six other ex-nuns successfully petitioned Queen Mary to re-create their Dominican community at Dartford, which was vacant after the death of Anne of Cleves. They moved into the manor house, built on the home they left 14 years earlier, with two chaplains. The convent life they loved flourished again: the sisters spent their days praying, singing and chanting; gardening; embroidering; and studying.

But the restoration didn’t last long. When Mary died and her Protestant half-sister took the throne, one of Elizabeth’s goals was extinguishing the monastic flames. In 1559 Elizabeth’s first Reformation Parliament repressed all the re-founded convents and confiscated the land.

And so the Dartford nuns were ejected again, this time with no pensions. Mary’s widower, King Philip of Spain, heard of their plight, and paid for a ship to convey the nuns of Dartford and Syon Abbey to Antwerp, in the Low Countries. Paul Lee, in his book Nunneries, Learning and Spirituality in Late Medieval Society, has charted the sisters’ poignant journey after leaving their native land.

After a few months, a new home was secured for them. For the next ten years Elizabeth Exmewe lived “in the poor Dutch Dominican nunnery at Leliendal, near Zierikzee on the western shore of the bleak island of Schouwen in Zeeland.” Several of the English nuns were entering their eighties, with Elizabeth being the youngest. All suffered from illness and near poverty. The Duchess of Parma, hearing of their hardships, sent an envoy to the Dartford nuns. He wrote: “I certainly found them extremely badly lodged. This monastery is very poor and very badly built…. I find that these are the most elderly of the religious and the most infirm, and it seems that they are more than half dead. “ Despite his dire observances, the nuns themselves expressed pride in their convent. Their leader, Prioress Elizabeth Croessner, wrote a letter to the new pope, Pius IV, saying they strove to remain faithful to their vows.

In the 1560s the nuns died, one by one, leaving only Elizabeth Exmewe and her prioress, Elizabeth Croessner. Destitute, the pair moved to Bruges and found yet another convent. They lived through a bout of religious wars, with Calvinists marching through the streets.

The onetime prioress of Dartford, Elizabeth Croessner, died in 1577. Now Elizabeth Exmewe, the daughter of a Lord Mayor and the sister of a Carthusian martyr, was the only one left of her Order. In 1585, she, too, perished in Bruges and was buried by Dominican friars with all honors.
Elizabeth Exmewe is believed to have lived to 76 years of age.

About the Author

Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Crown, is a writer and magazine editor who has worked on the staffs of InStyle, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Good Housekeeping. Her latest position is features editor of Du Jour magazine. A native of the Midwest, she graduated from the University of Michigan. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

For more information, please visit Nancy Bilyeau's website.  You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.