Mailbox Monday 27th March 2011

Mailbox Monday is a meme which was originally hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page. It is now on tour and this month's host is I'm booking it. Please go and have a look and link up with this meme and tell fellow bloggers what came into your house this week.

Here is my mailbox. Again it is all historical fiction - all from a second hand book sale. Though I have not got the whole series, I am finding that the books are a sort of stand alone as well though it is part of a series so that it is not difficult if you do not have the entire lot to read. Each book has one main figure which is a stand out to the others who are in the periphery as it were. All descriptions of each book are from the author's web site.

Begins: 1874

Period: High Victorian; women's right

Venetia is on the brink of marrying Lord Hazelmere when she discovers he does not mean to allow her to continue training as a doctor. She calls the wedding off, and from being the talk of the Season becomes the scandal of the year. Estranged from family and friends, she needs all her determination to continue the fight. At Morland place George and Alfreda continue to spend on grandiose building schemes despite the threat of bankruptcy; while Henrietta's cold marriage to the ascetic Rector of Bishopthorpe brings her close to questioning her religion.

Begins: 1874

Period: High Victorian; women's rights

Venetia is on the brink of marrying Lord Hazelmere when she discovers he does not mean to allow her to continue training as a doctor. She calls the wedding off, and from being the talk of the Season becomes the scandal of the year. Estranged from family and friends, she needs all her determination to continue the fight. At Morland place George and Alfreda continue to spend on grandiose building schemes despite the threat of bankruptcy; while Henrietta's cold marriage to the ascetic Rector of Bishopthorpe brings her close to questioning her religion.

Begins: 1630

Period: Charles I, the Civil W

When civil war destroys the long years of peace in England, the clash between King and Parliament is echoed at Morland Place. Richard, the heir, brings home a Puritan bride, while his dashing brother Kit joins the Royalist cavalry under Prince Rupert, leaving their father, Edmund, desperately trying to steer a middle course. As the war grinds on, bitterness replaces early fervour and divisions grow deeper, and through it all Edmund struggles grimly to protect his inheritance and keep Morland Place intact.

Begins: 1720

Period: George I, George II, the Young Pretender (Bonnie Prince Charlie, 1745 Rebellion)

Political intrigue is rife as the Stuart-Hanoverian struggle continues. Jemmy, heir to Morland Place, contracts a dutiful marriage to the chilly Lady Mary in order to secure Hanoverian protection and safeguard his inheritance. Morland lives are riven by the '45 rebellion and the bloody massacre at Culloden, and at their lowest point, their fortunes rest in the small hands of Jemmy's daughter Jemima. Intelligent and single-minded, Jemima proves a capable caretaker of the Morland heritage, and although Morland Place and its lands suffer from the excesses of her dissolute husband, her quiet courage earns her an abiding love and loyalty.

I am reading Kate Atkinson's Started Early Took my Dog but despite my enthusiasm for it before I got the book, I am finding it tough going. Am very disappointed but will read it through and come back with a review.

On a non book note, for those of you who do not know about cricket very much - the World Cup is on right now and some of the matches have been played and one more will be played in Sri Lanka. Cricket is almost a religion in the sub continent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) and of course you get England, Australia, West Indies, New Zealand South Africa, Kenya and now Canada and Netherlands participating as well. The semi finals are about to begin (Tuesday) with Sri Lanka playing New Zealand in Sri Lanka and the huge match of India vs Pakistan in India. I cannot even imagine the security measures that would have to be taken for that match. Then its on to the finals!! Its been a very exciting time in Sri Lanka. We have come so far - our last match was against England and it was wonderful when Sri Lanka won.