Reflections from the Past

by Audrey Howard

When Abby Murphy discovers she's heiress to one of St. Helens' largest glass works, her whole life is turned upside down. Torn from her poverty-stricken family and forbidden to see her childhood sweetheart, Roddy Baxter, she is forced by her tyrannical grandfather to become a lady. Then Roddy disappears and soon, it seems inevitable that Abby will have to marry her grandfather's chosen successor. Trapped in a marriage where she is little more than a possession, Abby is determined that no matter what else might change, nothing will stand in the way of her steadfast passion for Roddy. But is she prepared to give up everything she has now for a love from the past?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical Fiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2004

About the author

Audrey Howard was born on 1929 in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK, and grew up in St Annes on Sea, Lancashire, where she lives in her childhood home.

Before she began to write she had a variety of jobs, among them hairdresser, model, shop assistant, cleaner and civil servant. In 1981, while living in Australia, she wrote the first of her bestselling novels published since 1984. In 1988, her novel The Juniper Bush won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.

Reviews

[Susan Asch]

Wonderful tale of a young Irish lass caught in betwixt and between first love and marriage, her destiny entangled by her birthright with a cast of upstairs and downstairs characters, family and friends, who play supporting roles through love and joy, sickness and death, sorrow and happiness as the suffragettes and glass factory workers in 19th century Lancashire struggle to live their lives of poverty and wealth.

[Carolyn Docking]

Found this a little bit hard to get into at first but then it moved along really fast and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had many twists and turns to keep me interested and showed the strength of women in days when they were expected to be meek and mild. Loved it. Great book and well worth a read.

[Mrs S Tootell]

Wonderful read.

A wonderful story with so many unexpected twists and turns. Rarely has a book caused me to have such a lump in my throat at the end. So emotional an excellent heart rending read.

[Jenni]

Tried but couldnt get into this one.

[Lynda Watts]

Fast paced book. Great story. Kept you hooked until the end. Loved this book.

[Linda Wentzell]

Not my favourite book by this author.

[Eve Edwards]

It was hard to get in to the book to begin with but once I got going, I really enjoyed it.

[Kay]

Review taken from by Blog Post #141 in July 2011, after borrowing the book from the local library:

Abby Murphy and Roddy Baxter had always known they were in love, but this love was tested, ultimately to be torn apart over the coming years.

Returning from an illicit skating adventure an accident on that day, was to catalyst to the splintering of their young dreams.

The death of Richard Goodwin, forces his tyrannical father to recognise his son's illegitimate daughter, and Abby is forced from her poverty-stricken family and forbidden to see her childhood sweetheart, and trained to be a lady.

Bradley Goodwin is determined to see his bloodline continue, and having got rid of Roddy Baxter arranges for her to wed her Cousin, Noah Goodwin without her really understanding what is going on.

She finds herself trapped in a marriage, merely a possession, but she is determined that she bearing a steadfast passion for her first love.

Is there any escape? Will she ever be with her love, or come to realise that she has to make the best of her life as it has turned out, and make a happy and contented marriage?

Obviously.... you know what I will say .... you will need to read it to find out the answers for yourself - a 4 Star read though, and I am sure you will like it too. As usual from this author, well written with more than its fair share of human misery and torment - just how I like them.

[Deborah Ozmer Diaz]

Good Book…took me awhile to figure out the dialect but after that, the story line was interesting and page turning.
Abby was torn from her poor family to come live in the big house of her rich grandfather. He needed an heir, forced
to marry Noah and forget her childhood love Roddy. Abby becomes a lady and head of the household and a very beloved
mistress of the house. but her former life, mother and Roddy play a role in all she does.

[Loretta]

"I loved the story,but it was so sad and good at the end.It did bring tears to my eyes.But then I'm a big softie.."