Regency era setting with the Cotswolds as a background proved ideal and scenic for this historical fiction story.
Although the Industrial Revolution has set in like everything and everyone else change does not come easily. Acceptance of change is even more difficult and there are always people who are not willing to accept that a new philosophy or a new method is better or more efficient than the previous, traditional one.
In this particular town divided by religion we have the Anglican pastor promoting one form of thought and the Baptists who are going on another road. Lots of cross talk and high temperatures abound in this very different novel, particularly for this era.
A family story with long hidden secrets which all come tumbling out in a rush. It is almost too much for Elle to handle. Having being brought up to believe that her mother and she and her long estranged father were the only survivors in her family, it comes as a bolt from the blue to know that there is a grandfather who is alive though barely so and a grand aunt as well.
That there is a long complicated history fraught with memories, mental illness, murder and accidents are also part of this convoluted story. That her mother obviously was ill and though allowance should be made for this, that disclosure was not made when Elle was adult was also questionable. The need to protect Elle's mother seemed far too important, at the risk and to the detriment of everyone else.
That secrets eventually have a habit of coming out despite all efforts to the contrary is also clearly seen.
Elle was eventually able to get closure before her grandfather died and for this I was grateful!
Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of
Both sound like very worthwhile reads.
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