Parson Harding's Daughter

by Caroline Harvey

The Reverend Henry Harding was a handsome and prepossessing man. Unfortunately fate had seen fit to bless him with a family of extremely plain and unprepossessing children. Caroline was the least plain, according to Lady Lennox, but the entire Lennox family also admitted that Caroline was the least significant person in Dorset.

Caroline, already twenty-six and bullied by her sister, was nervous in company and had no prospects at all. She had one golden memory, of an admirer when she was eighteen, but John Gates, nephew to the Lennox family, had gone to India and forgotten her. Or so she thought.

When Caroline was summoned by Lady Lennox to be told that Johnny Gates had sent a proposal of marriage, Caroline first declined. But within a few weeks tragedy had overtaken her. The little security and contentment she had known vanished from her life and left her no option but to accept Lady Lennox's offer.


In the October of 1776, Caroline Harding set sail for India, to a new life and a man she had not seen for eight years.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Romance, Historical, Audiobook, British Literature, Romance

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Trollope Potter Curteis Tollope (aka Joanna Trollope)

Joanna Trollope was born on 9 December 1943 in her grandfather's rectory in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England, daughter of Rosemary Hodson and Arthur George Cecil Trollope. She is the eldest of three siblings. She is a fifth-generation niece of the Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope and is a cousin of the writer and broadcaster James Trollope. She was educated at Reigate County School for Girls followed by St Hugh's College, Oxford. On 14 May 1966, she married the banker David Roger William Potter, they had two daughters, Antonia and Louise, and on 1983 they divorced. In 1985, she remarried to the television dramatist Ian Curteis, and became the stepmother of two stepsons; they divorced in 2001. Today, she is a grandmother and lives on her own in London.

From 1965 to 1967, she worked at the Foreign Office. From 1967 to 1979, she was employed in a number of teaching posts before she became a writer full-time in 1980. Her novel Parson Harding's Daughter written under the pseudonym Caroline Harvey won in 1980 the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.

Reviews

[Phylisha Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was a pleasure to read in that it truly depicted the life and limitations of young women, particularly the plight of you women without status, money, looks, no rights etc. during the 17th and 18th centuries. So happy women have so many options today, even with all the stuff that is going on.

[Nicola Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I loved this book! I loved it, I loved it, I loved it!



This was beautifully written and although Caroline Harding absolutely drove me to distraction with her pride (because I'm sorry, lovely as she was, it was pride that made her travel that difficult path, not just her unfortunate looks or bad luck) - she had my empathy and affections.

She really did allow herself to be a doormat, but doormats due to the nature of the job have to be tough and we soon discover that our seemingly weak heroine has quite the backbone beneath her bovine subservience.

This leads me to her love interest #1 - Jonny Gates. I too fell for Jonny's charm in England, but the rediscovery of him in Calcutta was as shocking for me as it must have been for poor Caroline. I really felt she was fool for marrying him, when she had other options. I could understand her reasons but felt annoyed (as did her friends!) at her decision.

I adored her friends, even the slightly disgraceful Mrs Rathbone, but it was her love interest #2 Sir Edward Ashton who made me cheer - it was so nice to have someone see through the plain dullness that was Caroline Gates, and I was devastated with her when their affair fell apart.

I don't really need to state that I became deeply engrossed in this story and emotionally moved by it. It is a rare thing a book these days.

There is no overt sex or erotism - and even Jonny's disgraces are beautifully and modestly penned. Quite frankly to keep me entertained with such little overt romance or sex is quite an achievement.

If you read this book, I encourage you to take time with it and enjoy it. The setting is IMPECCABLE, utterly beautifully done. Her descriptions of the scenery, people and society of historical Calcutta are amazing.

Truly, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[LOUISE FIELDER · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very pleasant novel set in the eighteenth century.
A love story which feels very real and matures through many hardships.

The characters are heart-warming and interesting.
Brought up in a parsonage the family survives as it struggles between the rich Lord of the Manor and the poor villagers who work the lands.

When tragedy strikes, the family is torn apart and for one of the unmarried daughter's it means leaving her home in Dorset, England and setting sail for India. A country she knows nothing about and to a man who she has not met for eight years to become his wife.

Her dream of security and happiness are replced by poverty and embarrassment as she strives to endure a life she is completely alien too.

Friendship and gratitude become hard for her to accept and when love creeps in her pride so nearly ruins everything she has ever wanted.

Very endearing.

[Antoinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best historical romances of all time. Such a pleasure to read after so many poorly written formulaic nothings! This author knows her history - the tricky history of the English in 18th century India. She knows her language - proper writing for novels, as well as the vocabulary of her times, not to mention the word choices and dialog rhythms each character would have chosen. She knows the inner psychology of a complex but steadfast heroine in the tradition of Jane Eyre, Anne Elliot, and Fanny Price. And she knows real, true chemistry that needs nothing more scandalous than a single chaste kiss. Like the best of Jane Austen's heroes, this hero is not as well-defined as her heroines, but rather back a step and slightly out of focus. This does *not* make him a two-dimensional cutout, so common today. He is, on the contrary, the highly worthy prize that the heroine achieves for her high moral character and for struggling through life against all odds. He is the happy-ever-after personified, and no heroine deserves such an ending more than the surprising heroine of this novel.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
Caroline Harding's only suitor disappeared to India without her and forgot that he'd ever planned to marry her.

She was left with few hopes, for what was there for a parson's daughter of limited means and no looks to expect in 1775?

Written by Joanna Trollope under her nom de plume, Caroline Harvey.

Dramatised in three parts by Eric Pringle.

Caroline Harding .... Rebecca Egan
Johnnie Gates .... Charles Simpson
Henry .... Ross Livingstone
Parson Harding .... Geoffrey Whitehead
Eleanor .... Jane Whittenshaw
Robert .... Roger May
Lady Lennox …. Jennifer Hilary
Lord Lennox …. David Collings
Georgiana .... Jilly Bond
Frank Lovell ....Paul Jenkins
Sir Edward Ashton .... Nicholas Le Prevost
Ralph Buxby .... Andrew Wincott
Sircar ... Dhirendra
George Carew .... Stephen Critchlow
Anne Hedges .... Patience Tomlinson
Mary Wells .... Tessa Worsley
Mr Pears .... David Timson

Dramatised by Eric Pringle.

Director: Jane Morgan.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1995.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...

[JoAnn Plante · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story about the parson’s daughter and her life in England and India. The story builds to include character information that will follow throughout the story. Believable characters and settings enhance the storyline and move the story forward. Descriptive passages give the reader a chance to catch up with the events in the story and process the information.
Well-written and informative, this is a good story to read to acquire knowledge of the East India Company and the way in of life for Englishmen during that time. The author inserts Hindu words to make the story more real and personal for the characters. A great way to learn about the culture at the time in India.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. It is a bit long but worth it.

[Daisy Jenel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable period tale with a feisty, unconventional heroine who is 'plain' but intelligent - it's a feminist tale set in a time (1776) before feminism existed and the action takes place in a typical English village before sweeping off to India and depicting the way of life for the colonials out there. In keeping with the morals of its time, Caroline (the heroine) is virtuous - but there are plenty of minor characters who gleefully embrace naughtiness. Nevertheless, Caroline is duly rewarded for her efforts - just as she would have been had the novel been written in the 1770s instead of two centuries later.
Having only read Joanna Trollope's modern fiction, it was a pleasure to discover her historical fiction under the pseudonym of Caroline Harvey. This would be an ideal read for fans of Philippa Gregory's historical novels or for anyone else who enjoys the genre as a whole.

[Angela Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline is hardly a beauty and doesn't expect a romantic future. When John Gates becomes infatuated with her during a short visit she believes this to be her lot. Some years later when her father passes she is dominated by her sister and very unhappy. A passage to India to marry her beau arrives when she is 26 and seeing only a sad alternative she agrees to go. In 1776 she sets sail for an unknown and most unexpected life. 8 years after meeting John they are reunited but he is not the person he once was. Good imagery of India under British rule and the way in which locals were treated.

[Kidlitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the delightful cast performance on the Beeb and it was splendid! Just the sort of thing one can do the laundry and write emails to without missing important bits. The miserable prospects of a Victorian lady of no means, and her determination to find happiness in a society that regards her as superfluous.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of the book is something I thought that might be good enough to put below Pride and Prejudice on my bookshelf, with just a bit more zing. Unfortunately, the second half proved to be a classical Harlequin romance with a stupidly annoying heroine.

[Katharine Holden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out well, but 2nd half was confused and repetitive. The supposedly "good guy" displays temper extremes towards the heroine when he doesn't get what he wants, so I couldn't root for him. Then the ending seemed a weak version of Jane Eyre.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Embarrassed to admit to reading this but needs must on a long train journey.

[Alex Ankarr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it I don't caaaaaaaaaare...

[Helen Pomfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed this.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first by Trollope, which I bought not realizing that it was a historical romance. No matter, however; I do enjoy a romance now and then. :-)

I found this book very well written, with engaging characters and compelling situations. I saw immediately that the heroine was meant to end up with Mr. Right, and wondered how it would come about, especially after she married Mr. Completely Wrong and What Were You Thinking. It took some doing, and both the heroine and the reader learn a few things about late-1770's India in the process.

[Pianogirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I've read by Trollope (Harvey) and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It was easy to read and although it had a rather predictable ending I was quite content with it. Trollope managed to portray very vivid and some funny characters (I particularly liked Mrs. Rathbone). I thought it was a bit short (around 320 pages) but I guess it was just long enough to finish the story it was telling.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can understand why this book won the Historical Romantic Novel award. I suspect the historical aspects were, as usual for Joanna Trollope, really well researched and one can imagine Calcutta being as described at the time. While fairly obvious early in the read how it would end, it was still a well crafted ending.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caroline, unconventional daughter of a local parson, goes to India to help her cousin settle down. A realistic portrayal of life in colonial India, with a courageous girl making the most of appalling circumstances.

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good with a bit of a slow-down toward the end. Not as good a sense of India as I'd hoped, but OK. Slightly fluffy story but it kept my interest Trollope wrote this under the name Caroline Harvey)

[Michelle Dodd (Creaney) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relisten. BBC Sounds. 3.6.