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The Death of Lyndon Wilder and the Consequences Thereof
When governess Anna Arbuthnot arrives at Ridley Hall, she finds a house in deep mourning. Lyndon Wilder, oldest and most beloved son of Lord and Lady Charles has been killed in the Napoleonic Wars, leaving behind him a now orphaned daughter, Lottie and other undiscovered troubles. Anna finds it easy to establish a bond with her young charge, but other relationships in the house begin to strain under the weight of Lyndon's absence. When Thomas Wilder, the younger son and new heir, returns from war, he finds his family in chaos and Lyndon's legacy threatening Ridley Hall's future. As executor of his brother's will and guardian of his daughter, Thomas is forced to leave the military life he loves, and is confined to the faltering estate of his childhood. It is only with Anna's help that Thomas can save Ridley, and most crucially, protect his parents from the truth about Lyndon Wilder...
448 pages, Hardcover
First published June 21, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 17, 2019
(4.5 stars) This lovely book was published in 2013 and I had no idea of its existence until Lady Wesley here on Goodreads reviewed it recently and brought it to my attention. Now, I'm not going to recommend this across the board to all readers of historical romance. This isn't sexy and splashy and the romance itself is very, very low-key. The story is slow and quiet and actually very little happens here. It's even a bit too long and drawn out in a few places. But it's quite charming and thoughtful and subtly witty and the characters (with the exception of two who are perhaps too broadly portrayed) are nuanced and well developed.
Lyndon Wilder, as the title implies, is dead. He was the beloved eldest son of Lord and Lady Charles Wilder of Ridley Hall and he could do no wrong in their eyes. Well, most particularly in his mother's eyes. But he was killed in the Napoleonic Wars, leaving his young daughter Lottie an orphan in the care of her grandparents.
Anna Arbuthnot has just moved to Ridley Hall as Lottie's governess. Anna is young to be a governess but finances at home aren't optimal and, in addition, a personal issue has Anna wishing to put space between herself and her home. Anna finds herself now in the rather dysfunctional, grief-stricken Wilder household, where they are mourning their too-soon-deceased, perfect, heroic son Lyndon. Anna soon realizes that Lottie's welfare is in her hands. Lottie is willful, a bit wild, and misunderstood, especially by her grandmother, who is too immersed in her own grief to know how to deal with Lottie.
Add in Lottie's weak-willed but kind grandfather, a neighboring widow, who had had aspirations of being Lyndon's second wife before he dashed those by dying, that widow's adorable son Horatio, her unappealing soldier brother staying with her to heal from war injuries, and various other secondaries.
Into this mix we now add the younger Wilder son, Major Thomas Wilder, a serious, still-waters kind of guy, and now the heir to Ridley. Circumstances have forced him home and he finds himself with the task of cleaning up the mess of an estate badly-managed by his inept father and the task of trying to get along with a mother who behaves as if she wishes he had been the son to die in the war instead of her favorite, Lyndon.
This is a very well-written, character-driven story written in an old-fashioned style. It may not be for everyone. It's not very exciting. It's subtle. It may even be too long. But there's wit and humor here and some great relationship development. There's even a bit of a mystery about what really happend to Lyndon in the war which will be slowly revealed as the story progresses. And, of course, the low-key romance. And, although I'm usually a reader who doesn't like for children to have too much of a presence in historical romances, in this one my favorite characters may very well have been Lottie and her friend Horatio.
One more thing to mention about the writing style. This has been written in the third person, but it is third-person omniscient point of view. It worked really well here, enabling the reader to get into the minds of all the characters, even the least appealing ones.
Lyndon Wilder, as the title implies, is dead. He was the beloved eldest son of Lord and Lady Charles Wilder of Ridley Hall and he could do no wrong in their eyes. Well, most particularly in his mother's eyes. But he was killed in the Napoleonic Wars, leaving his young daughter Lottie an orphan in the care of her grandparents.
Anna Arbuthnot has just moved to Ridley Hall as Lottie's governess. Anna is young to be a governess but finances at home aren't optimal and, in addition, a personal issue has Anna wishing to put space between herself and her home. Anna finds herself now in the rather dysfunctional, grief-stricken Wilder household, where they are mourning their too-soon-deceased, perfect, heroic son Lyndon. Anna soon realizes that Lottie's welfare is in her hands. Lottie is willful, a bit wild, and misunderstood, especially by her grandmother, who is too immersed in her own grief to know how to deal with Lottie.
Add in Lottie's weak-willed but kind grandfather, a neighboring widow, who had had aspirations of being Lyndon's second wife before he dashed those by dying, that widow's adorable son Horatio, her unappealing soldier brother staying with her to heal from war injuries, and various other secondaries.
Into this mix we now add the younger Wilder son, Major Thomas Wilder, a serious, still-waters kind of guy, and now the heir to Ridley. Circumstances have forced him home and he finds himself with the task of cleaning up the mess of an estate badly-managed by his inept father and the task of trying to get along with a mother who behaves as if she wishes he had been the son to die in the war instead of her favorite, Lyndon.
This is a very well-written, character-driven story written in an old-fashioned style. It may not be for everyone. It's not very exciting. It's subtle. It may even be too long. But there's wit and humor here and some great relationship development. There's even a bit of a mystery about what really happend to Lyndon in the war which will be slowly revealed as the story progresses. And, of course, the low-key romance. And, although I'm usually a reader who doesn't like for children to have too much of a presence in historical romances, in this one my favorite characters may very well have been Lottie and her friend Horatio.
One more thing to mention about the writing style. This has been written in the third person, but it is third-person omniscient point of view. It worked really well here, enabling the reader to get into the minds of all the characters, even the least appealing ones.
March 26, 2013
Oh what a wonderful book!
It’s a lovely period piece, full of lovely characters, pieces of history, references to beloved books, clever plotting, well-chosen details … and it’s utterly, utterly readable.
And it begins with one governess. Anna Arbuthnot was a little to tall, a little too thin, a little too red-headed, and a little too poor to be successful in the marriage stakes. But as the eldest daughter of a widowed clergyman who had helped to bring up her younger bothers and sisters she was a wonderful prospect as a governess.
Her charge was Lottie, a nine year-old orphan who had seen off more than one governess in the past. her mother was long dead and her father, Lyndon Wilder had died more recently, in the Napoleonic Wars.
I loved Anna from the first, and she was well able to win over Lottie. Their relationship was beautifully drawn. In time Lottie revealed herself as a bright, imaginative child who much prefered actively exploring the world to sitting ar her desk and learning.
But Anna had to walk a fine line, because she was in a house in deepest mourning.
Lottie’s grandmother, Lady Charles, was totally wrapped up in her grief for her eldest son. Nothing mattered, save Lyndon and his memory. Lord Charles was a little more clear-sighted, but he would do nothing that would upset his wife.
I understood that grief, it was tangible, but I also saw how selfish it was.
Anna and Lottie made friends with the neighbours. Mrs Kingston was a widow, and the only visitor Lady Charles would receive, as she had once hoped to marry Lyndon Wilder. And her son, eleven year-old Horatio, who was destined to join the navy, just like his father. Horatio and Lottie would become great friends, and Horatio had a very important tole to play as the story unfolded.
Lord and Lady Charles had another son. Thomas, was a major in the army, a career soldier who had never expected any other life. He didn’t want to leave his men, but he knew that he had to go home. When he got there he found a mismanaged estate, depleted finances, and an unwelcoming household.
Thomas knew that he had to do something, that his brother was not the golden boy his parents believed him to be, but he knew that would never be acknowledged.
I saw that he was the man his circumstances had made him. A less favoured child who had had to make his own way in life, and who had developed a hard shell along the way. But I could also see he was a fundamentally good and decent man, and not entirely unlike his father. But his patience was finite …
Lyndon’s past actions and Thomas’s present actions would have consequences.
There would be intrigue, drama, and just a touch of romance as the story played out. The writing was simple, but the wonderfully vivid drawing of the characters and the relationships made the story sing.
I spotted a few fortunate coincidences – mainly people being appearing at exactly the right place at the right – but not too many. What I would have liked rather more of was Anna’s correspondence with her father. Her letters were wonderful!
You can read The Death of Lyndon Wilder and the Consequences Thereof simply as a wonderful entertainment, but there is more there too, if you care to look for it. The story is rich in historical detail. And so much that is considered in that story - bereavement, family politics, how children should be raised, social inequalities – that is both important and timeless.
All of that is done so well, and it gives the story such richness.
It was wonderful company on a long train journey, and I’m inclined to say this is a book that could be appreciated both by those who already know and love the period, and by those who don’t and are looking for a way in.
It’s a lovely period piece, full of lovely characters, pieces of history, references to beloved books, clever plotting, well-chosen details … and it’s utterly, utterly readable.
And it begins with one governess. Anna Arbuthnot was a little to tall, a little too thin, a little too red-headed, and a little too poor to be successful in the marriage stakes. But as the eldest daughter of a widowed clergyman who had helped to bring up her younger bothers and sisters she was a wonderful prospect as a governess.
Her charge was Lottie, a nine year-old orphan who had seen off more than one governess in the past. her mother was long dead and her father, Lyndon Wilder had died more recently, in the Napoleonic Wars.
I loved Anna from the first, and she was well able to win over Lottie. Their relationship was beautifully drawn. In time Lottie revealed herself as a bright, imaginative child who much prefered actively exploring the world to sitting ar her desk and learning.
But Anna had to walk a fine line, because she was in a house in deepest mourning.
Lottie’s grandmother, Lady Charles, was totally wrapped up in her grief for her eldest son. Nothing mattered, save Lyndon and his memory. Lord Charles was a little more clear-sighted, but he would do nothing that would upset his wife.
I understood that grief, it was tangible, but I also saw how selfish it was.
Anna and Lottie made friends with the neighbours. Mrs Kingston was a widow, and the only visitor Lady Charles would receive, as she had once hoped to marry Lyndon Wilder. And her son, eleven year-old Horatio, who was destined to join the navy, just like his father. Horatio and Lottie would become great friends, and Horatio had a very important tole to play as the story unfolded.
Lord and Lady Charles had another son. Thomas, was a major in the army, a career soldier who had never expected any other life. He didn’t want to leave his men, but he knew that he had to go home. When he got there he found a mismanaged estate, depleted finances, and an unwelcoming household.
Thomas knew that he had to do something, that his brother was not the golden boy his parents believed him to be, but he knew that would never be acknowledged.
I saw that he was the man his circumstances had made him. A less favoured child who had had to make his own way in life, and who had developed a hard shell along the way. But I could also see he was a fundamentally good and decent man, and not entirely unlike his father. But his patience was finite …
Lyndon’s past actions and Thomas’s present actions would have consequences.
There would be intrigue, drama, and just a touch of romance as the story played out. The writing was simple, but the wonderfully vivid drawing of the characters and the relationships made the story sing.
I spotted a few fortunate coincidences – mainly people being appearing at exactly the right place at the right – but not too many. What I would have liked rather more of was Anna’s correspondence with her father. Her letters were wonderful!
You can read The Death of Lyndon Wilder and the Consequences Thereof simply as a wonderful entertainment, but there is more there too, if you care to look for it. The story is rich in historical detail. And so much that is considered in that story - bereavement, family politics, how children should be raised, social inequalities – that is both important and timeless.
All of that is done so well, and it gives the story such richness.
It was wonderful company on a long train journey, and I’m inclined to say this is a book that could be appreciated both by those who already know and love the period, and by those who don’t and are looking for a way in.
April 12, 2019
First-rate writing and characterization. Although it was too long for the amount of plot, I never got bored. It reminded me some of Georgette Heyer, but without the humor, in that there was very little that could be called romantic. The narrator was new to me and she was quite good, especially with the two children (one boy, one girl) who are major characters.
If you’re looking for a sweet (but not too sweet), gentle story about an aristocratic and interesting country family during the Napoleonic wars, this book is owould be an excellent choice.
If you’re looking for a sweet (but not too sweet), gentle story about an aristocratic and interesting country family during the Napoleonic wars, this book is owould be an excellent choice.
January 23, 2020
First-rate writing and characterization. Although it was too long for the amount of plot, I never got bored. It reminded me some of Georgette Heyer, but without the humor, in that there was very little that could be called romantic. The narrator was new to me and she was quite good, especially with the two children (one boy, one girl) who are major characters.
If you’re looking for a sweet (but not too sweet), gentle story about an aristocratic and interesting country family during the Napoleonic wars, this book is owould be an excellent choice.
If you’re looking for a sweet (but not too sweet), gentle story about an aristocratic and interesting country family during the Napoleonic wars, this book is owould be an excellent choice.
April 6, 2013
Upon opening the package containing E. A. Dineley's debut novel, I felt like clapping my hands in delight. Such a cute little book! It's a hardcover in miniature, just slightly larger than a mass market paperback. The cover leaves a period-appropriate impression; the designers have made it resemble an olde-timey manuscript printed on foxed paper. Eye-catching but not ostentatious. I liked it a lot.
The contents reflect the packaging. Nothing flashy or melodramatic, just solid, engrossing storytelling that kept me cheerfully entertained for not merely one but several afternoons. It's set confidently in the Regency era and in many ways reads like a novel written at that time.
A novel of manners both good and ill, The Death of Lyndon Wilder and the Consequences Thereof opens by plunging us into an atmosphere of mourning. The year is 1813, and the title character, the heir to Ridley in Wiltshire, has been killed by musket fire during the Napoleonic Wars. He leaves an orphaned nine-year-old daughter, distraught parents, and a younger brother who must, reluctantly, assume his place in the family.
Lyndon's mother, Lady Charles Wilder, a self-centered woman concerned about appearances, is particularly distressed because her husband had bought Lyndon a commission in a regiment inappropriate to his status, and this may have put him in harm's way. To raise the funds, her husband had had to cut down a large grove of oak trees on their property, and now their 5000-acre estate is starting to look shabby.
Lord Charles, a kind elderly man who can't stand up to his wife, looks to his younger son, Thomas, a major in the Royal Horse Artillery, to solve their problems... if he can convince him to leave the military. Lady Charles, however, has never been close to Thomas. He serves as a sad reminder of the older son she adored and lost, and she's consoled only by the thought of Lyndon's heroic death.
The first 80 pages pass fairly calmly as we get to know the characters’ personalities and habits through their interactions. The plot takes a sharp step forward when Major Wilder arrives home at Ridley with unwelcome news, at least for his mother. Thomas had been named the primary beneficiary in his brother's will, and he also receives guardianship of his niece, Lottie. His mother is starved for information about Lyndon's last moments, but he can't give her what she needs.
What's more, Lyndon wasn’t a paragon of virtue... not by a long shot. Whatever his feelings toward his brother, Major Wilder is a decent, responsible man. He knows he must prevent any dangerous revelations about Lyndon from coming out.
The plot revolves around the relationships between members of the immediate family, other Wilder siblings living elsewhere, Lottie's youthful governess Anna Arbuthnot, and their neighbors the Kingstons – and how they adjust to life (if they do) in Lyndon's absence.
Miss Arbuthnot, a clergyman’s daughter considered unattractive with her red hair and freckles, grows to love her young charge. During their mourning-related seclusion, she is drawn closely into the family drama, and Thomas appreciates the difficult position she’s in. The governess is “such a betwixt and between thing,” as Miss Arbuthnot writes to her father. It’s through her outsider’s viewpoint that we observe much of the goings-on.
This is a lively and comfortable read in which everyone acts according to character, except, well, when they don't – and that’s what keeps things interesting. Not everything is prim and proper, and Dineley adds periodic dashes of wit to the telling. When necessary, the tone is wise and gently biting (“Lady Charles was not pleased, but then she was not often pleased”) and sometimes hilariously funny. I admire how the author can size people up with one pointed description. "Mrs Kingston was certainly pretty, like a dove, all soft plumage and pouting bosom," she writes of the widow who had hoped to marry Lyndon and now sets her cap at Thomas. It's clear Mrs Kingston doesn't have a chance.
Intelligent, curious Lottie's actions provide much humor; she has a way of getting what she wants and often forgets that personal remarks about people are considered rude. She and her good friend Horatio Kingston can get away with saying aloud what many adults around them can't.
Although the story rambles somewhat, it does so in a diverting way. The length (nearly 600 pages!) immersed me in the detail-rich environment and the daily lives of these memorable people. At the same time, the author illustrates the social inequities at the time, young people’s education, estate management in the Regency-era English countryside, the complexities of inheritance, and the destructive nature of excessive grief.
The jacket blurb calls the book “hauntingly written,” which may not be the best description. The mystery aspect – the secret about Lyndon Wilder – fades in and out of the plot until it comes back into focus at the very last, but readers may be so absorbed in the story that they don’t notice. The world feels so real and convincing that I have no doubt that the characters continued to exist after their story ended. If there’s a sequel, which I hope there is, I look forward to joining them again.
The contents reflect the packaging. Nothing flashy or melodramatic, just solid, engrossing storytelling that kept me cheerfully entertained for not merely one but several afternoons. It's set confidently in the Regency era and in many ways reads like a novel written at that time.
A novel of manners both good and ill, The Death of Lyndon Wilder and the Consequences Thereof opens by plunging us into an atmosphere of mourning. The year is 1813, and the title character, the heir to Ridley in Wiltshire, has been killed by musket fire during the Napoleonic Wars. He leaves an orphaned nine-year-old daughter, distraught parents, and a younger brother who must, reluctantly, assume his place in the family.
Lyndon's mother, Lady Charles Wilder, a self-centered woman concerned about appearances, is particularly distressed because her husband had bought Lyndon a commission in a regiment inappropriate to his status, and this may have put him in harm's way. To raise the funds, her husband had had to cut down a large grove of oak trees on their property, and now their 5000-acre estate is starting to look shabby.
Lord Charles, a kind elderly man who can't stand up to his wife, looks to his younger son, Thomas, a major in the Royal Horse Artillery, to solve their problems... if he can convince him to leave the military. Lady Charles, however, has never been close to Thomas. He serves as a sad reminder of the older son she adored and lost, and she's consoled only by the thought of Lyndon's heroic death.
The first 80 pages pass fairly calmly as we get to know the characters’ personalities and habits through their interactions. The plot takes a sharp step forward when Major Wilder arrives home at Ridley with unwelcome news, at least for his mother. Thomas had been named the primary beneficiary in his brother's will, and he also receives guardianship of his niece, Lottie. His mother is starved for information about Lyndon's last moments, but he can't give her what she needs.
What's more, Lyndon wasn’t a paragon of virtue... not by a long shot. Whatever his feelings toward his brother, Major Wilder is a decent, responsible man. He knows he must prevent any dangerous revelations about Lyndon from coming out.
The plot revolves around the relationships between members of the immediate family, other Wilder siblings living elsewhere, Lottie's youthful governess Anna Arbuthnot, and their neighbors the Kingstons – and how they adjust to life (if they do) in Lyndon's absence.
Miss Arbuthnot, a clergyman’s daughter considered unattractive with her red hair and freckles, grows to love her young charge. During their mourning-related seclusion, she is drawn closely into the family drama, and Thomas appreciates the difficult position she’s in. The governess is “such a betwixt and between thing,” as Miss Arbuthnot writes to her father. It’s through her outsider’s viewpoint that we observe much of the goings-on.
This is a lively and comfortable read in which everyone acts according to character, except, well, when they don't – and that’s what keeps things interesting. Not everything is prim and proper, and Dineley adds periodic dashes of wit to the telling. When necessary, the tone is wise and gently biting (“Lady Charles was not pleased, but then she was not often pleased”) and sometimes hilariously funny. I admire how the author can size people up with one pointed description. "Mrs Kingston was certainly pretty, like a dove, all soft plumage and pouting bosom," she writes of the widow who had hoped to marry Lyndon and now sets her cap at Thomas. It's clear Mrs Kingston doesn't have a chance.
Intelligent, curious Lottie's actions provide much humor; she has a way of getting what she wants and often forgets that personal remarks about people are considered rude. She and her good friend Horatio Kingston can get away with saying aloud what many adults around them can't.
Although the story rambles somewhat, it does so in a diverting way. The length (nearly 600 pages!) immersed me in the detail-rich environment and the daily lives of these memorable people. At the same time, the author illustrates the social inequities at the time, young people’s education, estate management in the Regency-era English countryside, the complexities of inheritance, and the destructive nature of excessive grief.
The jacket blurb calls the book “hauntingly written,” which may not be the best description. The mystery aspect – the secret about Lyndon Wilder – fades in and out of the plot until it comes back into focus at the very last, but readers may be so absorbed in the story that they don’t notice. The world feels so real and convincing that I have no doubt that the characters continued to exist after their story ended. If there’s a sequel, which I hope there is, I look forward to joining them again.
March 16, 2013
This fairly chunky first novel, kindly sent to me by the publishers has been a true surprise. I possibly hadn’t expected that much of it – but had been intrigued by the title and the historical setting. With a lot going on in my life just at the moment this slow reading week has been enhanced for me by having to keep company with a host of memorable almost Austenesque characters.
“Oh, Papa, this is a sad house, the saddest house I ever was in. My own misfortunes, so dire to me, are truly cast into insignificance. I dare say you will consider that as good a remedy as any.”
Set during the Napoleonic wars, this enormously readable novel is not the murder mystery that the title first suggested to me. Anna Arbuthnot, red haired, too tall, too thin and too young, a poor clergyman’s daughter, arrives at Ridley as governess to the granddaughter of Lord and Lady Charles. Anna’s charge is Lottie – a nine year old struggling to read, whose father Lyndon Wilder the golden boy and heir has been recently killed in France. The house has been plunged into a great and terrible grief, Lady Charles’s distress in her son’s death is dreadful, and so is her behaviour. Lady Charles’s blinkered view of her precious boy leads her to harsh and inflexible treatment of others. Lady Charles is not an easy employer and Anna has a difficult job to establish herself in the household still reeling from the death of its heir.
Lyndon’s younger brother, Thomas, a Major in the army, committed to the military life returns unwillingly to Ridley as the new heir. A man of strong principles and obvious military bearing, Major Wilder has been away from home for many years. Not all is as it should be he finds, the estate not running as well as it was, his father ageing daily, his mother obsessed with the son she has lost.
Living nearby is Mrs Kingston an attractive widow, who once had high hopes of marrying Lyndon Wilder. Her son Horatio a lively and engaging eleven year old is destined for the navy when he reaches twelve, a horrific seeming fate which seems excepted by everyone. Anna and Lottie are soon befriended by Horatio, a wonderfully tender friendship springing up between the two children who share a love of riding and the learning of French. When Major Thomas Wilder starts to settle into his new life at Ridley, he begins to appreciate the young woman who is caring for his brother’s daughter, recognising the difficult position she is in he seeks to help ease her load. However trouble looms when Mrs Kingston’s ailing brother drops poison into the ear of his sister who is setting her cap at the Major. The Major himself is already troubled by the truth of his brother’s service abroad and the circumstances of his death, and whether he should resign his commission and remain at Ridley or return to the military life he loves.
This is a really impressive debut novel; there is a real richness and depth to the story of these people. E.A Dineley has woven together a mass of historical detail into the story of a family coming to terms with the death of their adored eldest son. Military life, child labour, the abolition of slavery, social inequalities, war, death grief and childhood are all explored to some extent in this excellent novel. The Death of Lyndon Wilder – with accents of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte will delight both fans of such classics and lovers of well written historical fiction
July 17, 2019
This is such an old-fashioned style of book. That’s not a complaint, merely an observation. Not only is it slow as molasses, with a great deal of descriptive writing, but it uses the omniscient point of view (where the author jumps from head to head to give the inner perspective of all the principal characters). Done badly, this can be appallingly dizzying to read, but here it’s merely disconcerting, since it’s so unusual in a modern Regency.
The early chapters are, quite frankly, dull, with none of the characters being terribly likable. Lord and Lady Charles are sunk in grief for their dead elder son and heir, the estate going to rack and ruin around them. Grand-daughter Lottie is neglected, left to amuse herself by baiting governesses. New governess Miss Arbuthnot is tediously clever at finding amusing ways to teach Lottie, while hiding some unspecified secret of her own. There’s also a local widow, her wounded soldier brother and her rather oddball son, none of them very interesting.
But into this dismal setting arrives the younger son and new heir, Thomas, forced to leave his chosen military career to minister to his parents’ declining years, the neglected estate and his niece, now his ward. Major Wilder is the unpromising and little-regarded son who’s now grown into a self-confident man with a soldier’s air of authority. He immediately makes his presence felt by bringing his dogs into the house despite his mother’s antipathy, by insisting that Lottie and Miss Arbuthnot eat dinner with the family and by simply being there, doing as he sees fit, without regard to the hyper-sensitivity of his mother or the apathy of his father. I liked him at once.
For a while the book chugs along swimmingly, and these odd characters wormed their way into my brain and I couldn’t quite forget about them. Even when I’d set the book down to do something more urgent, like eating, I’d be thinking about them, and I began to understand all the five star reviews. But… There’s always a but, isn’t there? The ‘but’ in this case involves two characters from the Arbuthnot family who are, quite frankly, caricatures of the most cartoonish kind.
But then most of the characters are one-trick ponies. The mother sunk in grief for her dead perfect son. The apathetic father. The stolid and inarticulate soldier. The sensible governess. The widow on the lookout for a new husband. And so on. They never progress beyond these simple characteristics, and they certainly never rise above them or become more rounded, more mature people. And they are all of them utterly, utterly selfish, or at least careless of the feelings of others. I was waiting for Thomas and his mother to reach an accord of some sort, but they never did. I would have liked to see a little more compassion.
As for the romance, we’re never given much reason for why they fell in love, except that perhaps they’re the only two halfway sensible characters in the whole book. No, I tell a lie, Thomas’s friend who helps him over a little difficulty at the end is definitely sensible, and possibly more interesting than all the rest put together. His story is told in the next book in the series.
While there are definite weaknesses in the plotting and characterisation, the book is so firmly rooted in the Regency era that it’s almost possible to imagine it was written then. This is so rare these days that I forgive the author for all that head-hopping and selfishness and something wanting in the characterisations. There are some detailed and highly convincing flashbacks to Thomas’s time as a soldier, as he finds out about his brother’s death, and while some of the plot contrivances stretch credulity a little, the characters respond to them in perfect keeping with the mores of the era. Quite an achievement. And the book is funny, and not in a forced, whimsical way, but with moments of laugh out loud humour that I loved. Most of the funny lines came from grand-daughter Lottie, it has to be said, and she had the finest moment in the book, with her comment on stoutness. Priceless.
Highly recommended for those who like to immerse themselves in excellent writing, and a slowly-building story which is not just in the common way. Four stars.
The early chapters are, quite frankly, dull, with none of the characters being terribly likable. Lord and Lady Charles are sunk in grief for their dead elder son and heir, the estate going to rack and ruin around them. Grand-daughter Lottie is neglected, left to amuse herself by baiting governesses. New governess Miss Arbuthnot is tediously clever at finding amusing ways to teach Lottie, while hiding some unspecified secret of her own. There’s also a local widow, her wounded soldier brother and her rather oddball son, none of them very interesting.
But into this dismal setting arrives the younger son and new heir, Thomas, forced to leave his chosen military career to minister to his parents’ declining years, the neglected estate and his niece, now his ward. Major Wilder is the unpromising and little-regarded son who’s now grown into a self-confident man with a soldier’s air of authority. He immediately makes his presence felt by bringing his dogs into the house despite his mother’s antipathy, by insisting that Lottie and Miss Arbuthnot eat dinner with the family and by simply being there, doing as he sees fit, without regard to the hyper-sensitivity of his mother or the apathy of his father. I liked him at once.
For a while the book chugs along swimmingly, and these odd characters wormed their way into my brain and I couldn’t quite forget about them. Even when I’d set the book down to do something more urgent, like eating, I’d be thinking about them, and I began to understand all the five star reviews. But… There’s always a but, isn’t there? The ‘but’ in this case involves two characters from the Arbuthnot family who are, quite frankly, caricatures of the most cartoonish kind.
But then most of the characters are one-trick ponies. The mother sunk in grief for her dead perfect son. The apathetic father. The stolid and inarticulate soldier. The sensible governess. The widow on the lookout for a new husband. And so on. They never progress beyond these simple characteristics, and they certainly never rise above them or become more rounded, more mature people. And they are all of them utterly, utterly selfish, or at least careless of the feelings of others. I was waiting for Thomas and his mother to reach an accord of some sort, but they never did. I would have liked to see a little more compassion.
As for the romance, we’re never given much reason for why they fell in love, except that perhaps they’re the only two halfway sensible characters in the whole book. No, I tell a lie, Thomas’s friend who helps him over a little difficulty at the end is definitely sensible, and possibly more interesting than all the rest put together. His story is told in the next book in the series.
While there are definite weaknesses in the plotting and characterisation, the book is so firmly rooted in the Regency era that it’s almost possible to imagine it was written then. This is so rare these days that I forgive the author for all that head-hopping and selfishness and something wanting in the characterisations. There are some detailed and highly convincing flashbacks to Thomas’s time as a soldier, as he finds out about his brother’s death, and while some of the plot contrivances stretch credulity a little, the characters respond to them in perfect keeping with the mores of the era. Quite an achievement. And the book is funny, and not in a forced, whimsical way, but with moments of laugh out loud humour that I loved. Most of the funny lines came from grand-daughter Lottie, it has to be said, and she had the finest moment in the book, with her comment on stoutness. Priceless.
Highly recommended for those who like to immerse themselves in excellent writing, and a slowly-building story which is not just in the common way. Four stars.
September 3, 2013
I have a soft spot of Georgian governesses and so couldn't resist picking up The Death of Lyndon Wilder.
The novel is a detailed and delicate exploration of Ridley, the home of the Wilder family, in the aftermath of the passing of the eldest son and heir. The theme of grief is, naturally, important but is also coupled with the complexities of family relationships, from parents to children and sibling to sibling. The deeper the reader moves into the book, the more they begin to question the image of the heroic Lyndon, favoured son, beloved father, brave soldier and gentleman...
Lyndon Wilder dies in the Napoleonic War and Thomas, his younger brother, returns from his own military service to take up his duties as the sole surviving son. The impact of the war on English families is a recurring issue throughout the novel and explored through multiple characters and their reactions to the return from warfare. The experiences and implications for the families and also those men (military and navy) who defend their nation rarely appears in Georgian novels, be they contemporary or modern, but E. A. Dineley has written with real skill on the matters.
Thomas, youngest son, largely unknown to his family apart for the infrequent letters received from the theatre of war, returns to a mother who resents him for outliving her beloved Lyndon, an aging father struggling to manage an estate in financial difficulties and the daughter of Lyndon, a wild young girl who last saw her father years ago. Added to the mix is Miss Arbuthnot, the governess. She is rather unfortunate: a young woman barely out of her teens with red hair and freckles. Despite what others call her "deformitites", Miss Arbuthnot is determined to teach her young charge everything she needs to know, from reading and French to growing carrots and riding ponies.
Written in third person, the novel moves seamlessly from the thoughts of one character to the next. It is immensely enjoyable and gives a fascinating glimpse into the household and family politics of a well-to-do Georgian family.
It is rare to find a Georgian historical novel now that isn't riddled with modern sensibilities and anachronisms. The Death of Lyndon Wilder is a masterful work, with no appearance of inappropriate modern ideas. The novel is dense, complex and consistant. I am very impressed by this debut author and look forward to reading any further works of E. A. Dineley.
The novel is a detailed and delicate exploration of Ridley, the home of the Wilder family, in the aftermath of the passing of the eldest son and heir. The theme of grief is, naturally, important but is also coupled with the complexities of family relationships, from parents to children and sibling to sibling. The deeper the reader moves into the book, the more they begin to question the image of the heroic Lyndon, favoured son, beloved father, brave soldier and gentleman...
Lyndon Wilder dies in the Napoleonic War and Thomas, his younger brother, returns from his own military service to take up his duties as the sole surviving son. The impact of the war on English families is a recurring issue throughout the novel and explored through multiple characters and their reactions to the return from warfare. The experiences and implications for the families and also those men (military and navy) who defend their nation rarely appears in Georgian novels, be they contemporary or modern, but E. A. Dineley has written with real skill on the matters.
Thomas, youngest son, largely unknown to his family apart for the infrequent letters received from the theatre of war, returns to a mother who resents him for outliving her beloved Lyndon, an aging father struggling to manage an estate in financial difficulties and the daughter of Lyndon, a wild young girl who last saw her father years ago. Added to the mix is Miss Arbuthnot, the governess. She is rather unfortunate: a young woman barely out of her teens with red hair and freckles. Despite what others call her "deformitites", Miss Arbuthnot is determined to teach her young charge everything she needs to know, from reading and French to growing carrots and riding ponies.
Written in third person, the novel moves seamlessly from the thoughts of one character to the next. It is immensely enjoyable and gives a fascinating glimpse into the household and family politics of a well-to-do Georgian family.
It is rare to find a Georgian historical novel now that isn't riddled with modern sensibilities and anachronisms. The Death of Lyndon Wilder is a masterful work, with no appearance of inappropriate modern ideas. The novel is dense, complex and consistant. I am very impressed by this debut author and look forward to reading any further works of E. A. Dineley.
July 23, 2014
The Death of Lyndon Wilder and the Consequences Thereof by E.A. (Libby) Dineley is a delight to read and a page turner to boot, mostly due to the chemistry between the main characters - the governess and the soldier turned heir - and the antics of the supporting ones -the parents, the widow who wants to catch the heir etc - with a great mention to the two kids - Lottie and Horatio - who keep the novel fresh and bring a great perspective to the "grown-up" world and the personal issues of the adults filtered through their perspective...
Out of the modern Jane Austen sub-genre novels - and once in a while when in the mood I look at some, so over time it added to quite a lot I tried - this one stands out and offers a great reading experience if you want to read what it is advertised in the blurb, as this is precisely what you get, smartly done and with enough of an original touch to avoid pure repetition.
While not as tight as in the original Jane Austen - where trying to better your lot in life across class lines was the ultimate wickedness in the social life and the author had to portray such characters as inherently bad - the class lines are respected here too - no lord marrying the beggar girl - but with a tinge of the modern too - as here the governess is actually from a reasonably good, though not wealthy family, who wanted to do that to escape the memories of his former "almost fiancee" who married her younger sister...
Great stuff and highly recommended, while I am looking forward to more from the author
Out of the modern Jane Austen sub-genre novels - and once in a while when in the mood I look at some, so over time it added to quite a lot I tried - this one stands out and offers a great reading experience if you want to read what it is advertised in the blurb, as this is precisely what you get, smartly done and with enough of an original touch to avoid pure repetition.
While not as tight as in the original Jane Austen - where trying to better your lot in life across class lines was the ultimate wickedness in the social life and the author had to portray such characters as inherently bad - the class lines are respected here too - no lord marrying the beggar girl - but with a tinge of the modern too - as here the governess is actually from a reasonably good, though not wealthy family, who wanted to do that to escape the memories of his former "almost fiancee" who married her younger sister...
Great stuff and highly recommended, while I am looking forward to more from the author
May 23, 2019
E.A. Dineley is a talented storyteller. I was profoundly moved by this tale. Her story was an amazing study of parental grief, sibling issues, love lost and betrayal. Honestly, I was so personally filled with overwhelming sadness and was so heart sick that I completed a personal inventory to ensure that my ever wet eyes were not the result of my own life.
I am committed to reading more of the books in this series. The author created an intense job of world building and I felt fully immersed and frankly, overwhelmed. She was so successful, that I feel like I need to enter a caveat for my reader friends: the story thoroughly and profoundly explores grief. You will feel it to your bones.
I am committed to reading more of the books in this series. The author created an intense job of world building and I felt fully immersed and frankly, overwhelmed. She was so successful, that I feel like I need to enter a caveat for my reader friends: the story thoroughly and profoundly explores grief. You will feel it to your bones.
May 11, 2022
I am at a loss to explain why this is so good.
Obviously, the author has serious chops. And there's a lot more going on here than in your standard genre romance.
Dineley makes a lot of really weird authorial choices, jumping from head to head, and spending way too much time IMHO in the mind of a peevish and self-indulgent old lady who disapproves of everything that goes down. And it takes a long time to get going.
Somehow, nevertheless, this is a masterfully-told story I found almost impossible to put down.
So: Crappy review, Great book
Obviously, the author has serious chops. And there's a lot more going on here than in your standard genre romance.
Dineley makes a lot of really weird authorial choices, jumping from head to head, and spending way too much time IMHO in the mind of a peevish and self-indulgent old lady who disapproves of everything that goes down. And it takes a long time to get going.
Somehow, nevertheless, this is a masterfully-told story I found almost impossible to put down.
So: Crappy review, Great book
August 1, 2020
I guess you could say it's a romance, but that angle isn't at all in-your-face; moreover, the couple are likeable, rather than stereotypical. I'd call it more a work of historical fiction. Secondary characters are well done and varied. Biggest issue for me was the lengthy setup, focusing on details of soldiers fighting Napoleon in Spain. Once the story (in England) began I gained traction as a reader. Excellent audio narration!
April 10, 2013
First I have to say, I don’t know how this book got published. It’s written in true third person omniscient which seems to be completely out of fashion these days. It’s full of historic world-building details and references. The author doesn’t impose modern views on gender roles anachronistically on the early 19th century characters–something many authors do. The main characters have, as their primary motivations, duty and honor, two virtues that aren’t necessarily in vogue in our modern society…or even fully understood by the vast majority. Yes, I most definitely am confused as to how this book got published, but I’m very glad that it did. I found I couldn’t put it down.
Of course, Jane Austen has retained popularity through the centuries. And Downton Abbey has been a wild success. So perhaps this book has an audience after all. Not only is the setting historic, but the writing style feels very vintage as well. It’s a smooth read with subtle, but compelling drama.
Read the rest of my review here: http://luxuryreading.com/lyndonwilder/
Of course, Jane Austen has retained popularity through the centuries. And Downton Abbey has been a wild success. So perhaps this book has an audience after all. Not only is the setting historic, but the writing style feels very vintage as well. It’s a smooth read with subtle, but compelling drama.
Read the rest of my review here: http://luxuryreading.com/lyndonwilder/
April 8, 2012
Enjoyable - a little bit Jane Eyre, a little bit Jane Austen; the too-tall, too-thin, too-opinionated and too redhaired governess meets the somewhat forbidding new heir to Ridley and piques his interest... This is to simplify the story too much; it is really about the death of Lyndon Wilder, the adored, golden eldest son, and about how the death and the somewhat mysterious circumstances surrounding it, change the lives of his family and all connected with it. Good characters, a vivid eye for the telling detail and going somewhat into the social, political and military thinking of the day adds real depth to the novel. An engaging, absorbing read.
May 13, 2015
This is an amazingly good book. I have been waiting two years for it to be published in the U.S., and it was worth the wait. Reminiscent of the style of the late M.M. Bennetts and (dare I say it) the inimitable Hillary Mantel, the story unwinds lushly and slowly from 1813 to March of 1815. Using the background of the Regency period, it deals poignantly with the impact of grief and self-delusionment on a family. Set in the English countryside, there is a lowly governess, lots of rambunctious children, horses, dogs, star-crossed lovers, and a mysterious intelligence officer from the Peninsula War. Set aside a day and immerse yourself into this engrossing book.
September 6, 2015
This is a truly excellent book of it's genre. Extremely well written, catching the period perfectly.
It is a book one does not want to put down once you start reading it. The trouble is, you feel you must savour every line, as even though you think you know how it will end, you simply don't want it too, as you are enjoying it just so much.
A gem of a book, that I can't praise highly enough, and look forward eagerly to the author's next project.
Evan G Andrew
It is a book one does not want to put down once you start reading it. The trouble is, you feel you must savour every line, as even though you think you know how it will end, you simply don't want it too, as you are enjoying it just so much.
A gem of a book, that I can't praise highly enough, and look forward eagerly to the author's next project.
Evan G Andrew
August 6, 2013
Impeccably crafted, lovingly detailed storytelling in the Regency mode. Austen and Brontë fans will be impressed with the period details and faithful voice. Dineley adds to the formula some really appealing young characters and a thoughtful depiction of the effect of the Napoleonic wars on the English gentry. A long, satisfying read.
March 26, 2025
There really isn't much romance in the story, but it's an entertaining historical set in the Regency period, with all the rules of society intact.
The story is definitely character-driven. I thought the MC was going to be the governess, Miss Arbuthnot, but Thomas Wilder is a much more interesting and active character who stole the limelight, in my opinion. Lady Charles was the definition of a wet blanket, and her constant focus on the loss of her first son went overboard quickly.
The third-person point of view worked very well here, but I do think the book is a bit too long.
Charlotte Strevens narrated the audiobook and did a great job, overall, although I didn't care for her governess voice.
The story is definitely character-driven. I thought the MC was going to be the governess, Miss Arbuthnot, but Thomas Wilder is a much more interesting and active character who stole the limelight, in my opinion. Lady Charles was the definition of a wet blanket, and her constant focus on the loss of her first son went overboard quickly.
The third-person point of view worked very well here, but I do think the book is a bit too long.
Charlotte Strevens narrated the audiobook and did a great job, overall, although I didn't care for her governess voice.
May 1, 2019
I found this a very dreary book. I bought it on the recommendation of a post in the Georgette Heyer website. It opens after the death of Lyndon Wilder and the whole family is in a deep depression. This went on for pages, delving deep into the particular pain and despair of each family member. I was read to shoot several characters to put them out of my misery.
There is much period detail, but there is none of the sparkle, the wit I love about Heyer's books.
I started skipping pages but never lost the thread of the story; that's how slowly it moved.
The ending was abrupt. I cannot recommend this book.
There is much period detail, but there is none of the sparkle, the wit I love about Heyer's books.
I started skipping pages but never lost the thread of the story; that's how slowly it moved.
The ending was abrupt. I cannot recommend this book.
April 12, 2019
It isn't often that I find a new author I like as much as this one. I loved this book!
It's a Regency, but a serious one, not one of those silly bits of fluff. It feels very historically-faithful (but what do I know?), much closer to Jane Austen than to Georgette Heyer. I highly recommend it if you like that kind of thing.
Quite a lot of it deals with the Peninsula War, which the author has obviously researched heavily and has many thoughts about. It greatly contributes to the "realness" and seriousness of this truly wonderful book.
It's a Regency, but a serious one, not one of those silly bits of fluff. It feels very historically-faithful (but what do I know?), much closer to Jane Austen than to Georgette Heyer. I highly recommend it if you like that kind of thing.
Quite a lot of it deals with the Peninsula War, which the author has obviously researched heavily and has many thoughts about. It greatly contributes to the "realness" and seriousness of this truly wonderful book.
May 22, 2020
Enjoyed but very little romance
This book was exhausting! I liked the story, but I hated that the truth about Lyndon was never told. His mother needed to know if no one else that he was not perfect. Also, there was very little romance in this novel. Very lacking in that department.
This book was exhausting! I liked the story, but I hated that the truth about Lyndon was never told. His mother needed to know if no one else that he was not perfect. Also, there was very little romance in this novel. Very lacking in that department.
Read
January 2, 2020I read this because it was so well-reviewed, and I generally enjoyed the experience! There was little to no plot and quite a lot of focus and time spent on family relationships/dynamics. At times, I felt like I was reading a Trollope or Heyer novel.
April 17, 2018
Unusual plot - As the title suggests this is not a normal Regency Romance but a romance within the uncovering of how the death of Lyndon Wilder affects his parents and how he died.
August 10, 2025
It took me a LONG time to get into this book - actually, I’m not sure I ever got into this book! But I did finish it, and it got better closer to the end.
June 23, 2013
If you’ve read a few of my reviews, you’ll know that not only do I like to read books, I also love to look at and smell books too. I love books where the publisher has clearly made an effort with the design, instead of slapping any old stock image on the cover and Bob’s-your-Uncle, and The Death of Lyndon Wilder… is exactly one of those books. When it arrived at my house, I was thrilled to see that the book was a small but chunky volume, in keeping with the style of the early 1800s – the period in which the book is set – and the cover had a foxed, aged look about it as though it really was an old book.
The story begins with Governess Anna Arbuthnot – she has been employed by the Wilder family to care for young Lottie whose father, the eponymous Lyndon Wilder, has been killed in the Napoleonic War. Anna finds the Wilder estate, Ridley Hall, to be a mysterious house, consumed by grief and still haunted by Lyndon’s charismatic spirit and Lottie to be a wild and unruly child, but as Lottie begins to warm to Anna she thinks that she might be able to make a real difference to this orphaned child.
Major Thomas Wilder, Lyndon’s brother and now heir to Ridley, is forced to leave the army life that he loves to return home and pick up where Lyndon left off, but when questions are raised over Lyndon’s death, he’s forced to put his own life on the line.
This book is exactly my cup of tea; I really enjoy historical fiction and, although it is a new novel, it has a real ‘Jane Austen’ feel about it. I think what I most liked is that it doesn’t take into account any of our modern day social norms – history hasn’t been rewritten to give the ladies any sort of feministic leanings – in fact Lady Ridley is told at one point ‘not to worry’ herself over the finances, it’s ‘not something ladies should be troubled with’. It would be all too easy, for example, to make Anna a forthright heroine who is outspoken and never keeps to her place, but instead, she is a meek character who still manages to make an impression through her subtle way of dealing with people, especially her charge.
The plot is suitably romantic, but also involves mystery as the circumstances of Lyndon Wilder’s life and death are revealed piece by piece, while not giving away the final shocking details until quite late on. It was a very easy read, and very easy to lose yourself in (Oh Major Wilder! and all that sort of stuff…), I’d highly recommend it.
The story begins with Governess Anna Arbuthnot – she has been employed by the Wilder family to care for young Lottie whose father, the eponymous Lyndon Wilder, has been killed in the Napoleonic War. Anna finds the Wilder estate, Ridley Hall, to be a mysterious house, consumed by grief and still haunted by Lyndon’s charismatic spirit and Lottie to be a wild and unruly child, but as Lottie begins to warm to Anna she thinks that she might be able to make a real difference to this orphaned child.
Major Thomas Wilder, Lyndon’s brother and now heir to Ridley, is forced to leave the army life that he loves to return home and pick up where Lyndon left off, but when questions are raised over Lyndon’s death, he’s forced to put his own life on the line.
This book is exactly my cup of tea; I really enjoy historical fiction and, although it is a new novel, it has a real ‘Jane Austen’ feel about it. I think what I most liked is that it doesn’t take into account any of our modern day social norms – history hasn’t been rewritten to give the ladies any sort of feministic leanings – in fact Lady Ridley is told at one point ‘not to worry’ herself over the finances, it’s ‘not something ladies should be troubled with’. It would be all too easy, for example, to make Anna a forthright heroine who is outspoken and never keeps to her place, but instead, she is a meek character who still manages to make an impression through her subtle way of dealing with people, especially her charge.
The plot is suitably romantic, but also involves mystery as the circumstances of Lyndon Wilder’s life and death are revealed piece by piece, while not giving away the final shocking details until quite late on. It was a very easy read, and very easy to lose yourself in (Oh Major Wilder! and all that sort of stuff…), I’d highly recommend it.
October 31, 2013
I don’t normally comment on format but I felt I had to with this novel. Its compact size (albeit with quite a sturdy thickness!) and eye-catching, period-appropriate cover are particularly appealing.
It is set in 1813, during the Napoleonic Wars. Lyndon Wilder was the beloved heir to the family estate of Ridley in Wiltshire and has been killed in battle. The novel follows the aftermath of the impact of his death on his family and on Anna Arbuthnot, the newly-appointed governess of Lyndon’s now-orphaned daughter.
The publisher’s blurb was a little misleading, with descriptions such as ‘Hauntingly written’ and ‘Nothing is as it seems.’ It led me to expect a historical murder mystery, rather than the absorbing family drama it actually is.
Dineley does a wonderful job with characterisation. Lady Charles, Lyndon’s grieving mother, should be sympathetic but Dineley doesn’t flinch from giving us instead a monster of self-centred behaviour. It is also a keenly observed portrayal of the Golden Boy phenomenon that exists within families. Other characters are similarly well-developed and believable.
The plot is undramatic, which is part of this book’s appeal. It is a slow burn of revelations of a family’s true relationships, rather than what they want the world to see.
Much of this view is provided by Anna, an outsider to the family. Yet Dineley also flies in the face of current writing fashion by writing the book in the omniscient point of view. This adds to the atmosphere rather than detracts from it. I hope we see more from this talented debut author.
I received a free review copy of this book via the Historical Novel Society. This review (or an edited version) has appeared in the Historical Novels Review
It is set in 1813, during the Napoleonic Wars. Lyndon Wilder was the beloved heir to the family estate of Ridley in Wiltshire and has been killed in battle. The novel follows the aftermath of the impact of his death on his family and on Anna Arbuthnot, the newly-appointed governess of Lyndon’s now-orphaned daughter.
The publisher’s blurb was a little misleading, with descriptions such as ‘Hauntingly written’ and ‘Nothing is as it seems.’ It led me to expect a historical murder mystery, rather than the absorbing family drama it actually is.
Dineley does a wonderful job with characterisation. Lady Charles, Lyndon’s grieving mother, should be sympathetic but Dineley doesn’t flinch from giving us instead a monster of self-centred behaviour. It is also a keenly observed portrayal of the Golden Boy phenomenon that exists within families. Other characters are similarly well-developed and believable.
The plot is undramatic, which is part of this book’s appeal. It is a slow burn of revelations of a family’s true relationships, rather than what they want the world to see.
Much of this view is provided by Anna, an outsider to the family. Yet Dineley also flies in the face of current writing fashion by writing the book in the omniscient point of view. This adds to the atmosphere rather than detracts from it. I hope we see more from this talented debut author.
I received a free review copy of this book via the Historical Novel Society. This review (or an edited version) has appeared in the Historical Novels Review
March 13, 2015
A beautifully written, gently humorous Austen-esque novel set in 1813 with all the mannerly mishaps one might expect of that era but with real heart and warmth, too. The characterisation is authentic and the brief sojourn into Major Wilder's memories of the Peninsular Wars is equally well done. The eponymous deceased, Lyndon Wilder, profligate, handsome, selfish and occasionally cruel, has left problems, debts and complications for his survivors to try and make sense of (mostly his younger brother, Thomas, reluctantly dragged back from his true calling in the military, who now stands to inherit the mismanaged family pile and a tangle of debts), along with varying levels of grief and regret. The fresh-faced, intelligent young governess and her outspoken charge, the dead Lyndon's feisty daughter, forge a genuine bond in the middle of all this, and a delicate love story also emerges. A delicious, nuanced and subtle read that I enjoyed every page of; I so hope there is more from this clever writer.
PS I also loved the physical feel of the book, small but chunky, it was a real pleasure to hold and read.
PS I also loved the physical feel of the book, small but chunky, it was a real pleasure to hold and read.
August 10, 2016
This is a lovely, elegant little story, set during 1813, after the death of the eldest son during the Napoleonic Wars. Compared to modern stories, you might want to say that nothing much happens - a man returns home from war after the death of his brother, and has to deal with the estate, which is failing due to the grief of his parents and also, the mistaken partiality shown to his elder brother in the past.
The story is well crafted, and the characters unfold like little flowers, each page turning to reveal a little more depth of the person and the situation. The author has written convincingly of the importance of station - Miss Arbuthnot, as the governess, is an employee who is betwixt and between the servants and the family - neither one nor the other - but the point isn't laboured, just simply dealt with on the return of Thomas Wilder.
Easily one of the best books I've read this year.
The story is well crafted, and the characters unfold like little flowers, each page turning to reveal a little more depth of the person and the situation. The author has written convincingly of the importance of station - Miss Arbuthnot, as the governess, is an employee who is betwixt and between the servants and the family - neither one nor the other - but the point isn't laboured, just simply dealt with on the return of Thomas Wilder.
Easily one of the best books I've read this year.
May 19, 2013
This book was a total mismash. The author had no control over point of view though trying for 3rd person omniscient. The narrative ran the gamut from suspense to romance to Hollywood historical; it couldn't settle on any of them. Basically, the author exerted no control over her story. Characterization was thin, and many wore on me--to the point I wanted to drown most of them. The best character--the bitchy mother who always refused her second son in preference for adoring her older one, now deceased under dishonorable circumstances.
November 3, 2013
Governess Anna Arbuthnot arrives at Ridley and finds that it is a house in deep mourning for the heir Lyndon Wilder. He left an orphaned daughter who is to be her charge. Anna finds it easy to establish a bond with Lotty, but the rest of the household is still struggling to move on after his death. Then the new hearing, Lyndon's younger brother Major Thomas Wilder leaves his beloved military life to take over the running of Ridley, and finds that he has a lot to do.....
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