Accidents of Providence

by Stacia M. Brown

“A seventeenth-century heroine for our times” could face death for her dangerous affair with an English revolutionary (O, The Oprah Magazine).
 
London, 1649. King Charles has been beheaded for treason; Cromwell is in power; paranoia and self-righteousness rule; and glove maker Rachel Lockyer has been engaged in a secret affair with William Walwyn, a Leveler who advocates for independence and tolerance. But when Rachel’s “bastard” infant is found hidden in the woods, Rachel is arrested. No one disputes that the young mother buried her beloved daughter. The question that has brought Rachel to trial for murder why?
 
Now drawn into Rachel’s circle is the married lover she is loathe to reveal; a fiercely compassionate mother who lost her own children to smallpox; a prosecutor hell-bent on making an example of Rachel; and the criminal investigator, increasingly reluctant to build his case against the condemned young woman—all of them brought to reckon for this one life.
 
At once a remarkable love story and a breathtaking thriller based on true events, Accidents of Providence is “heart-poundingly vivid [and] intellectually provocative . . . historical fiction at its best” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
 
“[A] delightfully seditious heroine . . . Proof that a historical novel can be educational and entertaining.” —O, The Oprah Magazine
 
“Wonderfully detailed and keenly researched, it is a moving portrait of a courageous woman caught between a disastrous affair with a charismatic revolutionary and the draconian laws of the land that would put her to death because of it.” —Kathleen Kent, author of The Traitor’s Wife

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, 17th Century, Mystery, Book Club, Adult Fiction

277 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Accidents of Providence was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

1.5 stars
Accidents of Providence is a historical fiction novel which tells the story of Rachel Lockyer’s arrest after she is accused of killing a newborn child that was found buried in the woods. The novel started off a little dry and the storyline wasn’t in the least bit interesting, but I suppose that should be expected with historical fiction. There was a bit of a mystery going on so that helped make it intriguing.

The investigator in charge of the case goes through deposing the witnesses involved for the first few chapters and then it delves into the ‘romance’ of Rachel and William Walwyn. This was my major problem with the book: this supposed ‘remarkable love story’ between these two was extremely lacking. William was a married man with FOURTEEN children and Rachel was an unmarried woman but other than William caring for Rachel out of simple obligation and his continued desire to sleep with her, I couldn’t see the love.

The overall writing style of the novel was very hard to read in large quantities. I found myself continuously having to take breaks from it because my brain was having trouble comprehending. The writing style is very 16th Century England and isn’t modernized like many historical fiction novels. Some of the lines were just plain strange: "Fixing her attention on the horizon of his face, she distracted herself by trying to name all the sounds creatures make when they are in trouble. She ran the noises around in her head. She wished she too could roar and whistle and screech and bleat and rattle and all those other noises a woman could not make unless she wanted the world to declare her an animal, a creature of unreason, a dreamer of false dreams.” I’m sorry… what?

By the end? That subtle ‘mystery’ that kept me reading? Well suffice it to say, it didn’t exist. The revelation of what happened to the child was exactly what was expected, and it was sad, but… I was definitely expecting more. Then the author decides to throw a curve ball that was just strange and… by the end it felt like everything had come full circle and there was absolutely no point to anything. Very disappointed.

[H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly written puffed up drivel. Barely a plot. What a dry way to look at politics in the 1640s, not sure if it's a boring period of history or the author just couldn't deliver. Felt no excitement, no sadness, attachment or sympathy towards Rachel. Only character with a bit of spirit was Elizabeth and even she was lacking. Would not recommend.

[Jan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was kindly supplied with this book by Netgalley to review, I've had some great reads through there and discovered some super new authors. What attracted me to read this one was the description which likened it to Fingersmith and The Dress Lodger both books I really loved. The cover looks enticing and the basic principal of the storyline sounds interesting.

I wanted to love this too, I really did - but sadly it missed the mark completely. Its a historical account of an investigation into a dead baby found buried in the 17th century when concealing the death of an illegitimate child was classed as murder.

I failed to engage with the heroine Rachel Lockyear, in fact all the characters were 2 dimensional, the story line is disjointed and dull and the writing style is turgid and difficult to get into. There are a few bald Americanisms thrown into this story supposedly set in 1600s London, and I got absolutely no sense of place or time both of which could have been painted so descriptively.
It was pretty darned awful in every way and the nauseatingly sentimental and lengthy scenes of alleged romance and love failed to stir my passion, leaving me yawning and longing for a mug of cocoa.

I fail to see how anyone could even loosely mention it in the same breath as the 2 aforementioned books to which its compared as there truly is NO comparison.

By the way if you did enjoy Fingersmith and the Dress lodger - and want a good recommendation of something similar let me urge you to try
Slammerkin

I'm so disappointed not to be able to give this a great review and feel sure it will appeal to some readers - just not readers who will be expecting something on the lines of Fingersmith as I was.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 2012 release, the second one in the Read-A-Thon and from Netgalley. When it comes to reading, I'm one of those few people that can say I read alot but when it comes to the historical fiction genre, it's not something that tends to grab me unless the storyline is interesting and that is what happened with Accidents of Providence. It's the year 1649 in England , King Charles has been beheaded for Treason and laws are being brought in left,right and centre. In the first chapter we meet Mary DuGard , a widow and owner of a glove making shop , she seems to be the type of woman who prefers to be in the background, not make a fuss and keep to herself - a real introverted soul. Though, one decision as Mary is about to learn can change not only your life forever but the others around you and that sometimes one tiny decision can cause a domino effect that you never could imagine. For Mary, that decision was to follow Rachel - her assistant one evening as her suspicions grew that Rachel was up to no good. It is discovered as Mary follows Rachel , that she has given birth and then killed her baby so that she is no longer responsible. However, Mary can't let this go and Rachel's deed is reported to the courts, now in 1649 - a new law has been written and finalised that any person found killing their infant is seen as a Murderer and what will follow next is a court case with over 60+ witnesses into whether Rachel is guilty or not. So comes an investigation, public trial, and unforgettable characters: gouty investigator Thomas Bartwain, fiery Elizabeth Lilburne and her revolution-chasing husband, Huguenot glover Mary Du Gard, and others. Spinning within are Rachel and William, their remarkable love story, and the miracles that come to even the commonest lives.I found this book enjoyable as in parts it reminded me of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - the setting and After by Amy Efaw - where the baby is killed and now the main character must go through the consequences of her actions.
Accidents of Providence is an ideal read for anyone who loves reading about gruesome I know - but the effects of Infanticide and the true historical aspect of what 1649 was like.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seventeenth century London. Apprentice Rachel Lockyer has been arrested for the murder of her newborn child, reported by her own mistress, the glovemaker Mary du Gard, who saw her burying the baby in the woods. Thomas Bartwain, criminal investigator for the city, reviews the evidence in the case, which he calls "open and shut", but he can't shake the strong sense of unease that dogs him when he submits it for indictment. Rachel will not speak in her own defense, refusing to admit she was pregnant, to identify the father, and to state whether the infant was live or still born. Charles I has recently been executed, and the state of the law has becoming as unstable as the new government that replaced the king's.

Stacia M. Brown has, remarkably, produced a first novel every bit as compelling as The Scarlet Letter. At heart, Accidents of Providence is a love story, one of illicit, irresistible, unshakable love. But equally central are the questions of morality, sexual equality, fidelity, friendship, and ethical courage that plague Rachel and her lover, Mary du Gard, Bartwain, and all the other people involved in each of their lives. To read Rachel's story is to live, vicariously, in interregnum London, the story's vividly evoked background. It is to ponder the moral questions that dog each of the characters. It is to feel the horror of a public execution. Rachel is a strong woman who has the strength to die for what she believes, while those around her equivocate. Accidents of Providence is a highly literate, unforgettable piece of outstanding historical fiction.

[Lilirose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Questo libro è stato una delusione.
Non che mi aspettassi un capolavoro, ma dalla trama sembrava un mix di mistery e storico e mi aveva incuriosito; invece di misteri neanche l'ombra, è un romanzo inconcludente che gira a vuoto per la maggiorparte del tempo allungando il brodo in una vicenda di per se piuttosto lineare.
I personaggi sono appena abbozzati, compresa la protagonista sulla quale si ha l'impressione che l'autrice stessa non abbia le idee chiare: a volte semplice vittima delle circostanze, altre volte donna emancipata in anticipo sui tempi. Lo stile è scorrevole ma piatto, non c'è mai un momento in cui ci sentiremo parte della storia.
Nonostante tutto avrei potuto considerare relativamente piacevole questo libro in virtù dell'originalità dell'ambientazione, dato che non capita spesso di leggere un romanzo ambientato durante la guerra civile inglese: ma quest'unico lato positivo viene spazzato via dal finale, insensato e grottesco. Un salvataggio miracoloso per avere un lieto fine mina la già scarsa credibilità di quest'opera
Insomma se siete appassionati di quel periodo storico potreste provare a dargli una possibilità, ma il mio consiglio è di evitare di perderci tempo e spenderlo per trovare qualche romanzo migliore.

[Phyllis Runyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for this interesting and excellent work of historical fiction from 1649 London. It's about a woman accused of killing her newborn baby. It follows the the events,the laws of that period of history, the trial and what can go wrong (and right).

[Barb · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel seemed to start out well enough, the writing initially appeared well polished, the introduction of characters was logical, the interjection of law and history of the period set the stage for the drama of the story to unfold.

Unfortunately by page eighty-five I felt the author had given up on revealing the characters and events and instead resorted to telling the reader what happened. I like books where the details of events are shared so that I can imagine what it might have been like for the characters to experience them and to help me understand the choices they make. There was far too much telling and far too little showing for my tastes.

This is a relatively short novel which didn't take long to read. Unfortunately I never connected with the characters and just a few days after finishing this book the story has already begun to fade from my memory. How anyone who is a fan of Sarah Waters’ 'Fingersmith' and Sheri Holman's 'The Dress Lodger' could compare this work with those I can't say. For me there is no comparison. There are scenes in each of those novels that I will remember forever (or at least until the dementia sets in).

I did find the author's note interesting, I liked the way she based her characters on real people and the fact that the fictional protagonist Rachel Lockyer and what happens to her was inspired by actual events.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is the middle of the 1600's, and in Cromwell's Puritan England a law has been passed to prevent the Destroying and murdering of the children of unmarried woman. I have long been fascinated with the Puritans, their strange relationship with God, where everything pleasurable is a considered a sin, and woman on the fringes are looked on with suspicion. The character of Rachel, is one that will stay with me for a long time, she is so multifaceted and yet so human. It is not until the very end that we find out what happened to her child, among many twists and turns, an investigation and a trial. This book is very well researched, the writing very emotional and the politics of the day, the movement of the Levelers, adding much to the story line. Rachel's plight will touch the other characters in the book, changing many, in good and bad ways. As the investigator Bartwain comments while observing Rachel's trial, "We have decapitated our king and disbanded our House of Lords, and now there is no one left to restore reason and line and order." Life was extremely hard for all, but woman were so harshly judged and often had no recourse.

[Gerhard Venter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel made me smell 17th century London and feel the coarse fabrics worn by the poor people rubbing over my skin in the muddy marketplace. It made me hear the vendors shouting and the dogs barking. The story made me choke with anxiety for the fate of the protagonist. No, cancel that — the fate of the heroine. Because the way she stands up to society is nothing less than heroic — the more so because she's alone in the world.
Brown's books never leave you alone. Once you've read them, you can't unread them ever again. And that's a good thing. What's exceptional to me is the way she places you in the environment — not only the smells and sounds and sights of the time, but also the way people speak, act, and think.
And below the entire course of the story, like an underground river, runs the presence (absence) of her dead child.
Heart-wrenching.

[OLT · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's 1649 in England. Charles I has been beheaded, his family fleeing to the continent, and Oliver Cromwell's conservative Protestants have taken over the country. There's religious turmoil with suppression of Catholicism and some residual political turmoil in the country, with Cromwell supporters' suppression of the Levellers and Diggers, radical political groups advocating more equality, tolerance and religious freedom.

This novel does not focus on politics especially, just using it as backdrop for the story of fictitious character Rachel Lockyer, unmarried glove maker who, in the story, becomes lover to married William Walwyn (a real historical figure and one of the leaders of the Levellers). Rachel learns she is pregnant just after the imprisonment of Walwyn in the Tower. She is alone in the world and now her life has become unbearably complicated by the pregnancy and lack of her lover's support.

She must hide her pregnancy from everyone but after the baby's birth its dead body is discovered by Rachel's Huguenot employer, Mary du Gard. Rachel is arrested, tried and convicted of murder. That's basically the story, but the telling of it is well done, rich in atmosphere and well-drawn characters, and informative of the times Rachel is living in.

It was also informative for me of the times I'm living in. We haven't really come all that far in the 3 and a half centuries since. There's still so much religious intolerance and still so much discrimination against women that it boggles the mind. Women are still considered lesser persons in many religions, still receive more blame than men for sexual indiscretions, even to the point that victims of rape may be considered partly to blame for dressing or behaving somewhat provocatively. Women are often still not allowed full control of their own sexuality and their own bodies.

Brown's book is educative and thought provoking. "Enjoyable" is not a word I would use to describe it, however. For a short book, it took me a very long time to read. I found myself putting it down more often than is usual for me when I read, yet I felt myself compelled to pick it up once again each time.

[Holly Weiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Blogcritics.com

An open and shut case. That’s what the prosecutor said. She murdered the infant and she will hang. Infant murder trials, quite prevalent in seventeenth century England were akin to the witch-hunts in colonial America.

The remarkable story of Rachel Lockyer, unmarried glove maker and her lover, William Walwyn, is set against the English civil war of 1649. After King Charles is beheaded, Oliver Cromwell’s army and the Puritans run the country. The Levelers, a small faction of agitators, trumpet the rights of the people.

Rachel is on trial for murder after a child is found dead in the woods. Her predicament follows the 1624 “Act to Prevent the Destroying and Murdering of Bastard Children.” If Rachel can prove that the child was born dead, she is innocent. Her life, now ruptured, spirals downhill, while she chooses to remain silent. Telling all might have helped her. The courtroom scenes in this book are tense and potent.

The romance of Rachel and William comes across as pure physical attraction. He is married and the father of fourteen children. Thrown into the Tower of London for his Leveler activities, William had no knowledge of Rachel’s pregnancy. Although he shows concern for her current predicament, his hands are tied because he is married. Rachel’s friend, Elizabeth, puts forth a much greater effort to help her.

Author, Stacia Brown, holds graduate degrees in religion and historical theology from Emory University. Ms. Brown lives in Decatur, Georgia. She states that Accidents of Providence is more a story of relationships between women than a love story. After an argument with a friend over whether or not seventeenth century women were chattel—too involved in mundane tasks of life to have an inner life—Brown took the challenge to prove they did. The product? Absorbing historical fiction.

Did seventeenth century women analyze and interpret the ramifications of their lives? Yes, says Accidents of Providence with resounding examples from Rachel’s inner life:

• While pregnant, she weighs the dangers of revealing her child’s father after it is born.

• After she gives birth, she contemplates her place and the place of her child before God.

• While restrained on a rancid floor in Newgate prison, she reflects on the forks in life open for her to take.

The writer wisely chooses to flesh out the story via narrative, back-story and flashbacks. This keeps us on our toes. We must put the puzzle together one piece at a time to solve the mystery. The night of Rachel’s delivery is told from several viewpoints, keeping us wondering which one is the truth. The political, social and sexual struggles of seventeenth century women are major themes. The period history, although well presented, interferes with the plot tension. The title, Accidents of Providence, hints that perhaps God makes mistakes, especially in Rachel’s case. We don’t know why until the twist at the end of the novel. After that, so much time is spent tying up loose ends that its effect is dampened.

Characterizations are well crafted. The author uses a combination of real historical figures and fictional ones (Rachel). Standouts are prosecutor Thomas Bartwain and his wife, Mathilda.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through Netgalley graciously supplied the review copy for my unbiased opinion.

Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this story on the heels of the recent Casey Anthony murder trial... and though the coincidence added to the intrigue, this didn't come out a winner for me.

It's Cromwell's England and I learned about this time from this novel; how women were flogged for having bastard babies, how the fathers were ridiculed, how the babies were treated by society.. The Levelers.. never heard of them till now so that was all new and interesting to me, to a point.

The book got bogged down in politics sometimes. I mean, seriously, there could be a reason why very few people have written about the Levelers. Could it be that they are simply not that interesting?

My other complaints: The trial was interesting. People's reactions, witness accounts.. all fascinating stuff, but it takes so darn long to get there!!! The very beginning of the book sucked me in but by the time I reached a quarter point, I was bored to tears by the Leveler's, the investigators health and mouse problems... the past lovemaking exploits.. OMG. By the time I reached 60% and the trial really started, I no longer cared.

Also tiring after a while is the lack of answers. Instead of adding to the mystery, I grew irritated. The book is never told from the woman's POV. What is she thinking? Show me, please. Instead, the book felt as though it was the investigator's POV. Not what I wanted.

And Mary, whose side is she on anyway?

Two stars.

[DeniseF · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was provided to me by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in exchange for a fair review. “Accidents of Providence” was a surprisingly good read. When I was an undergrad, I took a whole class on women and the legal system in early modern England so this book really appealed to me. It was completely different than any novel I have read and was more like a non-fictional account than a fictional one. This changed towards the end but for the most part I could completely envision this as being a historical account of an infanticide trial. All of the characters in the story were likable and I thought the characters of Rachel and Bartwain were the most developed. There was a love story intertwined with the plot but I found myself caring more about the trial and those participating than the romantic aspects. I feel like this story did a good job of portraying how few options women had if they were unmarried and became pregnant. What happened to Rachel was incredibly sad but what was even more heart-breaking was the fact that women in early modern England, and probably other countries, had to deal with a legal system that would not support them. I would highly recommend this book as it is a great addition the historical fiction genre.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't really a mystery, it's more of a thought-piece about a infant-killing in 1649 London. At that time, if an illegitimate child was stillborn the mother was safe, but if the child died (or was murdered) after being born, the mother was sentenced to death. Rachel is one such unwed mother who has - apparently - killed her newborn daughter and buried the body at night. That much is known, but the why is not known, nor is it ever established that the child was born alive.

Throughout the book we're introduced to the Levellers, the Particular Baptists, Friends, Huguenots and Cromwell's reign; that alone kept me interested. By blending historical figures like William Walwyn into the story we get a clear view of what life was like for the lower classes at that time. I'm not quite sure how Rachel and her brother Robert were martyrs, but as the author did her dissertation on this I'll take her word for it.

ARC provided by publisher.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a really hard time putting this one down. I found myself really drawn into the characters and the plot.

A few "bedroom scenes" I didn't feel were pertinent to the plot or in building emotional depth in the characters, but easily skimmed over.

Based the mid-seventeenth century, an unwed woman has an affair with a married man and finds herself pregnant. This was a time in history when women were merely property of their husbands where the law was concerned. And any "bastard" child was worth nothing; carrying a stigma with them through life that threw up walls to any social progress for them. Infanticide among unwed women was extremely common; therefore the law could accuse any unwed mother of murder if the infant died during birth or shortly thereafter. Their only protection was if there was a witness to attest to the infant's natural death; but because of the shame her situation would bring, many hid their pregnancies and had no witnesses to the birthing.

[Deanna Beaton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. So much, in fact, that I actually read the whole thing. (I routinely stop reading books I don't like; blasphemous to some, but there are just too many good books in the world to keep reading bad ones!)

I read it in just a couple of hours. I skimmed over the parts that weren't directly involved with the Rachel plot line. There weren't even any other sub plot lines; it was just a bunch of historical context with the civil war. That was a good idea, but we really don't need very much context to understand the mindset of people in 1649.

The characters weren't very interesting. The main character, Rachel, had actually no character whatsoever, which is never a good sign.

The book started to drive me crazy early on--like, page 20--when Rachel refused to make any comment to the lawyer about a certain event (for the purposes of not spoiling, I'll leave it at that).

I wish I would have ended my lazy Sunday snow day with a better book.

[Donna Ludovico · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read about a difficult subject. Rachel is a single woman of advancing age, with no family support, trying to provide for herself in 1600's England who finds herself pregnant by a charismatic, idealistic married man who is currently jailed for his politics. In 2012 America I sometimes think we "accept" too much. At work I see babies born into heartbreaking situations and regulations bending over backwards to support their birth mothers. After reading this book I feel that if we must err, then yes, we should err on the side of acceptance and assistance. How quick the Puritans were to judge and render punishment. It never fails to amaze me how women (even today)are so willing to assist men in the oppression of women.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 stars. One thing I really loved about this book, and well-done historical fiction in general, is that I can learn about history in such an enjoyable way. Granted, the subject matter isn't all rainbows and daisies, but I really enjoyed learning about what life was like for the every day woman in this time period. Although I enjoyed all of the information in this book, it was actually very disturbing too. I was struck by how much the legal system has evolved, as well as the tremendous weight that women (as well as many other groups of people) have historically had to endure.

[Sharon Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent work of Historical Fiction. Finely crafted, writerly prose, deft use of poetic metaphor, and a very good glass into the 17th century. The main character is deeply engaging, the mystery builds with a page-turning intrigue that more than kept my attention. The research of the author shows in the exquisite historical details. I really was moved by this book and I felt like I spent some time in the strange and unsettling English Interregnum. A good book for students of History. A good book for students of the human condition.

[Elizabeth Meola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story. The ending caught me by surprise!!

[Kymm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accidents of Providence by Stacia M. Brown wasn't a book I'll put on my top 10 list most likely, but it was very good and held my attention throughout. The story takes places in the 17th century and centers around a young woman Rachel Lockyer, an unmarried glove maker who finds herself in love and having an affair with William Walwyn a hero of the Levellers, a small group of political agitators that came about after the death of King Charles in 1649. William ends up getting arrested and thrown in the Tower, while Rachel struggles with getting ready to give birth to William's baby. Rachel gives birth and the next day a baby is found dead and buried in the woods and Rachel is arrested. This begins the investigation and subsequent trial. The trial is less than fair and the prosecutor is intent on making an example of Rachel and sentencing her to death, the punishment, at the time, for killing a bastard child. The emotions run high in this book at the injustices of the times, the way women were perceived and treated and the obvious differences between the two classes of people, those belonging to the elite and those in the worker/servant class. The story moves along at a good pace and I often felt as though I were in the courtroom with Rachel. The love story between William, who's married and Rachel is touching and real. They really love each other, but will circumstances interfere and stop them from seeing one another? What about William's wife and 14 children? The author, who I've never read anything from previously did a really good job, I thought. Her dialogue between characters was real and to the point. The ending was a bit of a surprise, but very good and I enjoyed it so much I was able to read it in a day! This is a book worth reading, especially if you're into historical fiction, as I am. The story is fictional, but the author has used notes and documents from real life "bastard baby" trials that took place in the 17th century. Make sure to read the epilogue and notes at the end of the book, very interesting stuff! Happy Reading!

[Karen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book at the suggestion of Jennifer from LiterateHousewife.com, who set up a readalong so she’d have people to talk about it with. So glad I joined in. I agree, it warrants discussion. Without the readalong, I might never have gotten to it.

This is a debut novel from Stacia Brown, but you’d never know it. Her incorporation of historical detail, including real legal case histories, is blended seamlessly with the imaginings from her own fertile mind. I found the prose to be a bit intellectual and distant at first, but I think now that that has to do with her main characters and their states of mind at the beginning of the book. And while the world of 17th century England may seem far away from us 21st century Americans, the power plays between women and men on the stages of the law, politics and religion have changed far too little. In fact, I was able to see connections to some of the dystopian fiction I’ve read in the past year, especially WHEN SHE WOKE by Hilary Jordan, where the birth of a bastard child with an unacknowledged father leads to a young woman’s extreme punishment. We can’t seem to get away from laws that threaten to control the rights women have over their bodies, and the fears that men have of the mysterious power a woman has the creation of a child within her body.

This book starts out with the curmudgeonly character Thomas Bartwain, 17th century detective, as he sorts through the facts of Rebecca Lockyer’s case. She has been accused of murdering and secretly burying her bastard infant, a crime punishable by hanging. At first I was very impatient with both of these characters. Bartwain so rigid; Rachel so vague. But both go on a journey in the book. Even after his duty is done with Rachel’s case, Bartwain continues to be drawn to it, and finds himself questioning his belief that “the law is beautiful; the law is order” (94). Rachel suffers a great deal through her imprisonment and trial, but in the process finds clarity in her own beliefs and her own strength.

When we meet Rachel, she’s in the throes of a horrible post-partum depression as well as the shock of losing her child. But as she begins to claw herself back to the world, and relives the events that have led her to this trial, an uneducated but probing mind is laid bare. At moments I wondered if she was perhaps too intellectual to believe. But then, something has allowed her to survive in this world alone, a single woman. A train of Rachel’s thought that really made me ponder concluded with:

Conceiving is creation, but before it is creation it is mischief. And before it is mischief, it is faith. (79)

She argues politics with her lover (a character based on the real life Leveler William Walwyn) and I think demonstrates her practical wisdom:

Once she asked him why the Levelers advocated the abolition of distinctions between classes of men. “You would have us all stand together, all on the same rung of the ladder,” she marveled.
“That’s right,” he replied. “That’s the only way it is fair.”
“But there is not enough room,” she argued. (163)

I’m not even going to get into my reactions to Walwyn, as some of them are likely personal. The women in the story were the most fascinating to me, anyway. From Bartwain’s practical and calmly prodding wife Mathilda, to Rachel’s employer, to her friend Elizabeth Lilburne, to Walwyn’s wife Anne, mother of so many children that she calls them by number instead of name, each faces the challenges and constraints of womanhood in the mid 1600s in a completely different way. Elizabeth lays into Rachel when she acknowledges her pregnancy:

What is there to say? What could I possibly say to someone who has lost her mind? You have become the worst thing a woman can be. You have become…impractical! (123)

But Rachel also remembers tales her great-aunt had told her of “women driven to restore their monthlies before it was too late” (100). When Rachel asks if these women sinned,

Her great-aunt had waved this question off, her wooden spoon in her hand. She said women had neither the time nor the luxury to quibble oer what was and was not a sin. “We are not casuists,” she said. (100)

I find the title to be interestingly oxymoronic. According to Merriam-Webster, “providence” means a) divine guidance or care and b) God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny. The idea of providence is deeply woven into Cromwell’s England. Rachel in particular struggles between the conflicting faiths of her parents. But it seems to me that an omnipotent God would make no accidents, no?

Rachel’s imprisonment, trial and punishment are full of interesting (and horrifying) details, and this part of the book holds the greatest drama. But I think the real strength of the book lies in Brown’s ability to draw us in to this quite foreign world, to experience its logic and illogic, and at the same time to hold that mirror up to our own world. As they say, the more things change the more they stay the same.

Also posted at http://karenwhiteaudiobooks.com/2012/...

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous writing and a superbly wrought 17th century London setting, with characters and drama that are both relatable and unexpected. A real gem.

[Sally Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical fiction, and the history in this love story was truly well-done. Too many spoilers, so I won't say any more!

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

LUMINOUS. Stacia M. Brown's debut novel pulled me into mid-seventeenth century England and would not let me go until there were no more pages to read. I was absolutely captivated, from first sentence to last.

Under the 1624 Act to Prevent the Destroying and Murdering of Bastard Children, any woman who concealed the death of her illegitimate child was to be charged with the murder of that child, unless there was at least one witness that the child was born dead. Many women were tried under this law in early modern England, and in the Afterword to this book, Brown compares these trials to the witch hunts of colonial North America:
Each reflected a shared Puritan concern with the damaging consequences of sin and the concealment of sin - the attempt to hid a trespass. Each also suggested a distrust of persons, especially women, who stood on the margins of the local community, and each attempted to control and regulate these women in ways that reduced whatever imagined threat they posed to the identity, cohesion, and moral order of the community.

Within this historical context is set the story of Rachel Lockyer, unmarried glove maker, engaged in an affair with political agitator (and married man) William Walwyn. The story of their affair, and of Rachel's pregnancy, tragedy, and trial, is at once gripping and moving. Brown's grasp of this period of history is rock-solid, her plot is compelling, her prose is stunning, but it was her insight that I found most remarkable. I would read along, devouring the story, only to be halted by something that was just so true. Such as this:
They proceeded to quarrel. What counted as a mother was the subject.
Rachel spoke first. "Are you a mother if you pluck a snail from the gutters and set it high so the rains will not drown it?"
Mary scowled. "No, of course not. Don't mock me."
"Are you a mother if you raise a brother?"
"No, you are not."
"Are you a mother if you wish you were?"
"No, no! That is not enough either."
"Are you a mother if you are a daughter?"
"Now you are being ridiculous," Mary complained.
Rachel, more softly: "Are you a mother if you conceive a child?"
"Not even then," said Mary.
Rachel replied: "When, then, are you a mother?"
Mary: "You are a mother when you have lost something. When you have felt the change and cannot hold it."

YES, this. So true. Startlingly so.


I loved this book and cannot wait for more from this author.

[Sandi Dickenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If one of your virtues is patience you may very well enjoy this book. I certainly did. The opening chapters may seem tedious to some. The crime is described right off. Next the lives of the observers, witnesses and participant unfold. What is unusual is the facts fit the crime but the reader is left with serious doubt if a crime was actually committed. This is a thought provoking book and for some this will take too much effort to read. If I were to choose one word to describe this book's theme it would be "fate". We can see where the story is headed and the outcome, for some of us, is not a surprise, "what will be, will be". It's the journey that makes this a compelling read.

The story is about the legal battle of one unmarried women with child who lives under a law written by and upheld by righteous males. There are also secondary storylines about poverty, prisons, friends drawn together and of neighbors divided by choices they make. It covers a short time period between All Saints Day to just after Epiphany.

The author has a descriptive narrative that places the reader smack dab into the mid 1600s - sights, sounds, smells. I felt the fleas biting, itchy lice , mice crawling over food, rained upon skin, the awe of new experiences. I heard the sounds of work, the wind covering up agony, the hopelessness of prisoners, the comfort of friendship. I smelled the stench of the river, the stink of people, of their work, of their food.

The author has a way of using words that is a rare find in this day and age. She portrays the essence of guilt, the ordinary, confusion, politics, religion, passion, cruelty, loyalty, desperation, enlightenment...without USING those words the reader FEELS those on an emotional level. While it takes time, this is an immersive story. It guides the thoughtful reader through what has transpired and raises the question of justice.

What is notably absent is judgement. There is little attempt to color a character or a action as good or bad. Likewise there is no portrayal of guilt or innocence. That is the crux of this book. Each reader will search their conscience and reach their own conclusions.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mid-seventeenth century was not an easy time for women. Women had no legal status other than property of their husbands or fathers. To make matters worse, the government had passed a law that accused any unwed mother of murder if her child died during or shortly after childbirth and no witnesses were available at the birth. Rachel is in her mid-thirties and has suffered the hanging death of her younger brother. Her mother is a staunch Catholic and offers no respite to Rachel during her pregnancy. Rachel does her best to conceal her pregnancy, even going so far as to claim her swollen abdomen is a result of a digestive ailment. The father of her child is her lover, William Walwyn, a married man with fourteen children. Unfortunately for Rachel, she delivers her child in privacy and then conceals the infant's death. Her boss, Mary Du Gard, witnesses Rachel's burial of the child, digs the child up and becomes the cause of Rachel's arrest. The ensuing investigation is clearly one-sided in that the government doesn't allow Rachel to have legal counsel and does little to ascertain the circumstances of the death.

The tragedy of the infant's death is compounded by Rachel's imprisonment and subsequent trial, as well as her continued separation from William. Accidents of Providence provides a stirring portrayal of a prohibited romance. Ms. Brown has provided characters that are completely realistic in their thoughts and actions. Although women weren't given much status in the eyes of the government and society, most of the women are portrayed as strong and intelligent counterpoints to the men. Accidents of Providence may not provide a happy ending, but it definitely provides a heartwarming romance that transcends all societal limitations.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This looks interesting.

And interesting it was! I found this story about the 1600's trials on bastard baby's fascinating in London. (Just as the author says much like the witch hunt trials that took place in america) Rachel was a hard working but uneducated woman having an affair with a married man and hid her pregnancy, only to have someone unearth her dead newborn and the start of her trial begins. I was intrigued to know what happens next. Excellent period piece of mystery religion and love.

[Mary McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story

A great read. Very well written (and well edited), this is a highly entertaining and historically accurate story that while it deals with seventeenth century life, law and politics, remains relevant to these, and really any, times. It's a love story, a crime story, a meditation on freedom, religion, and the place of women in the world,...lots of suspense and an amazing conclusion. Excellent!