Emerald

by Elizabeth Laurd

A 'what if' novel" about the daughter abandoned by the Duke of Windsor.

A story of intrigue, conflict, glamour and romance, featuring Emerald Alexandra Mary Fitzwallace, unacknowledged and abandoned daughter of Edward and Mrs Simpson. It moves from a Scottish island to the intense humidity of Mexico, the high society of New York and the fashion houses of Paris.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

720 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever tried harder to like a book more than this one. But at the 72% mark when the long anticipated meeting of the sibling/lovers finally happened, I just gave up. Oh it is quite the yarn, I’ll give it that. I finished it, so that says something. Published in 1995, It is very reminiscent of the old jet-setting Judith Krantz/Jackie Collins/Jilly Cooper potboilers of 1980s and 90s. Except the sex is sweet and idealized and mostly closed door. The concept intrigued me to no end. The possibilities! I went to extraordinary lengths to get this book, finally getting a trade paperback from an inter-library loan. Prior to this, I actually emailed the author to alert her to a prominent reviewer’s praise for her long out of print book and my displeasure that the book was not readily available in the U.S. It was a major wrench for me to have to forgo my Kindle and read an unwieldy paperback. I really missed the search and highlighting function. There were a lot of minor characters in this book to keep straight and I love the Kindle for the ability to quickly get back up to speed after a short break in reading. Not to mention the ability to read in the dark without a lamp. Poor me. But I digress.

Here is the plot. Hang on tight. Born in secret and out of wedlock to Wallis Simpson and HRH the Duke of Windsor, Emerald is farmed out to one of his loyal former lovers, now happily married with a young son, to be temporarily taken care of. After the (now married) Duke and Duchess are banished to the Bahamas and after the heroic war time deaths of her foster parents, the powers that be, a.k.a. Anthony Anstruther, a main character and royal fixer extraordinaire, decides it is time for them to take responsibility for their daughter, whom they want nothing to do with. Luckily, the ship she and her adoring foster brother Callum are on wrecks off the coast of Callum’s grandfather, The Laird’s, remote Scottish island, so 3-year-old Emerald doesn’t have to deal with the hateful couple. They are raised together (sort of) until they are wrenched apart 5 years later by Emerald being bundled off to Mexico to live with Anstruther's mother to be raised like a lady and to keep her under the radar. Meanwhile, her letters to her 12-year-old foster brother, whose heart has been “broken clean in two” by their parting, are intercepted for her own good. She grows up prowling the jungles of Mexico with her bosom buddy “Nacho", who, like all males of all ages, are smitten with her. At 15-years-old, Emerald’s beauty, despite being so thin and gangly, promises success in the marriage arena, despite her predilection for cock fights and knifing alligators to death. It turns out that her figure is perfect for runway modeling which is discovered by her next door neighbor who happens to be a former toast of the Paris fashion scene. She has the connections necessary to pave Emerald’s way in New York and Paris and save her from a marriage of convenience while still a teenager. Emerald runs away from Lady Molly’s benign but stiflingly conventional care. Good thing she kept that alligator hide, which she uses to bribe her way out of Mexico. Emerald soon becomes, at age 16, the toast of the New York, London, and Paris fashion scene and even runs in the same New York and Paris circles as the Windsors. Uh Oh. The resemblance is soon noticed and Wallis and David, uncomfortable with that, try to get Anthony Anstruther to get rid of her but Anthony finally puts his foot down. Anthony is an interesting character. He is written as a good guy, but really does some terrible things to protect the Royal house of Windsor.

Callum, now around 23 and an aspiring photographer, finally tracks the now 19-year-old Emerald down and the transition from protective adoring foster brother to besotted lover is head-swiveling if inevitable. Especially since the same night they meet Emerald is raped by another childhood admirer from the remote Scottish Island. Jack is now an aspiring gossip columnist and her nemesis going forward. So when she falls pregnant there is a brief doubt as to whom the father is. (It’s Callum, of course.) She is forced to find a husband since an abortion is out of the question. Callum has disappeared to be a war photojournalist because he thinks Emerald is dead due to his house exploding. Through some behind the scenes manipulations from our friend Anthony, she meets charming, handsome, noble, and impoverished Tom Sherwood. Luckily he is gay and the marriage is never consummated. Unluckily, he is an inveterate gambler and only married her for her dowry, wrested from the wealthy Duke and Duchess. Emerald’s letters to Callum about their son are intercepted by guess who. You’d think she would have learned the first time. The world just continues to conspire against the star-crossed lovers. So far.

My disaffection for this book was not caused by the writing or the plot, but the characters. We follow the heroine’s life from toddlerhood to young womanhood. I have never before accused a female character of being a “Mary Sue” because before this book, this kind of character never bothered me. But OMG. This girl. This Emerald. She was so over the top, it was grating and laughable. Every male in the book is absolutely captivated by her practically at first sight. Callum the love interest, from when she was 6 weeks old. A villainous character when he was 10 and she was 5. Nacho, her Mexican “best friend” and protector to whom she gifts her virginity, the same. Equally at home with both the peasants in Mexico and the glitterati of Europe, she leads a charmed life. She wears haute couture on the runway but prefers bulky sweaters and jeans in private. She saves her profligate husband’s estate from ruin on the strength of her homemade soap, candles and potpourri from her old Scottish Nan’s recipes. Before she is 26 she has turned her little business into a thriving boutique cosmetic and gardening enterprise and building success upon success. Which she sacrifices to save her irresponsible and frequently absent husband from his criminal gambling creditors. But don’t worry, she builds it up from from scratch again after finally re-uniting with strong, handsome and devoted Callum. Those are the broad brush strokes, but we are met with something meant to be appealing, admirable, or sympathetic about Emerald on virtually every page. It was exhausting. I can’t really call it a love story at all, because Emerald and Callum spend very little time together on the page. He really only serves to give our heroine a happy ending. We spend only enough time with him to show how worthy he is. Poor Nacho is left in Mexico never to be heard of again. I really thought he would show up again in Europe, somehow coming in handy for Emerald, possibly as a powerful international drug dealer. Some things came full circle, but there were also quite a few loose ends. The main thing was that although the book was very readable and kept my interest for the most part, I just could not empathize or become invested in the main characters. Except Bertha, Tom's mother. She was great. I hate to give such a monumental effort less than 3 stars, but there you go. **2 1/2 stars**
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute favorite books of all time!!!

February 2022
I reread this book this month and it did not disappoint. I love this alternate history where the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson have a child out of wedlock whom is secreted away and never claimed as theirs. The story follows that child, Emerald, throughout the first thiry years of her life. From Scotland to Mexico to the US to England, we follow Emerald's adventures and those close to her. I absolutely adore this story and think it is the epitome of what a historical fiction novel should be. It continues to be one of my favorite books.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emerald is a 'suck you in' page turning historical fiction. This book has intrigue, sex, adventure - and more twists and turns that keep you reading until the tale is told.

My Mom, a voracious reader, was 78 when she passed it along to me! She tore through a book a day - and enjoyed selecting books (including Emerald) from the now defunct, "A Common Reader" catalog, which arrived in her mailbox each month.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wallis Simpson and Edward the Eighth have a secret love-child in this alternative history. While the relationship between the two, carried on at country houses, is devoted, they can't openly raise a child who could be a contender for the throne which Edward has to leave. So the girl Emerald is brought up in a home in South America, friendly with locals and away from airs and graces.

The life story and romance of this young woman makes for an entertaining look at the times and while she can never claim her birthright, we see her at the auction of Wallis Simpson's jewellery at the end, and decide that she is better off to have been her own woman. I recommend this read, which is not too challenging, for those who like history and who wonder what if?

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I found this in the sale corner at the library a couple of months ago. I am surprised there is so little discribing it here, and the only thing about the book on the back cover is pretty much the same info you see up there. When I searched the Author, the title didn't appear in her listing. So far, it is a very well written book. It began with the scene of the auction of the jewelry collection from Duke of Windsor to Mrs. Simpson, supposes a mysterious bidder on a particular item, then describes the origins and life of a hidden child of the man who refused a kingdom for the love of a commoner. Just started it, so I will update you soon.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, based on the premise that Wallis Simpson and Edward V111 had a daughter before they were married. They didn't want her and shunted her off to a friendly family willing to keep their secret. They certainly came across as a self obsessed selfish couple. Iona raised her as her own along side of her son Callum. The children were devoted to each other. Callum her hero who would always care for her. When they were shunted off to a remote Scottish Island, for safety, during the war and survived a shipwreck their lives changed forever. Emerald had a wonderful childhood there until shunted of to Mexico with her 'Nan'. Her true parents didn't want her and would have been most happy if she had died when the ship went down. Callum's parents had died in the war and the powers that be decided it was time to separate them completely. Emerald was heart broken and set her mind to find her way herself. She grew up a little wild and once her Nan died and a marriage was being arranged she ran away. Hard work, much heartache and misunderstandings, a great love, tough life changing decisions but ultimately success and peace.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another book that absolutely got me into reading. I read it quite young after having found it on a bookshelf in my home.

For me as a young (at the time) woman, this book really helped shape the way I viewed feminity. I probably think so fondly of it out of nostalgia over the actual quality of the work, but I still hold it as one of my favourite books. Potential spoilers ahead :)

I loved being able to grow up with Emerald and explore all of the locations she lived with her, it felt true to childhood, and more to girlhood. There's perhaps an undercurrent of the 'not like other girls' mentality, but I was able to look past that. I loved reading about her discovering her love of modelling and those classic girlhood moments of dressing up, though maybe not the parading around for others lol.

I especially loved the chapters where she was pregnant, the way she seemed to settle into herself fully and to be able to do so in the home of her wayward husband and under the watchful eye of her mother-in-law. I will always, always treasure that part of the book, and Emerald's overall countenance will echo in me forever I fear. I even went on the dye my hair red haha!

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed reading about the British Royal Family. I had never heard of this novel until Jen of Jen's Reading Life recommended it on her you tube channel. A purely fictional tale imagining that David and Wallis Windsor had a secret love child. Of course being the self absorbed characters that they were, they had no interest in being parents. So Emerald Mary Fitzwallace was given to one of the former king's good friend, Iona Ferguson. Iona had been a lover of the king and she still have deep feelings for him. Emerald's life is full of adventure and intrigue that makes this book a page turner. The most puzzling aspect of this novel is that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor produced such a child as Emerald....she was everything her parents were not.

[Masuma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good drama to read and it had such a vintage feel to it.
The immersion into the story throughout the read was great to experience through her colourful writing and the best part was when Callum & Emerald come together. Beautifully told, though the plot is predictable and cliche.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of sex scenes that I could have done without, but besides that I felt like this was well written. Good story. You can feel the love, the loneliness, the heartache.

[Judi K · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found it boring. After several tries, gave up.

[Jyv · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been trying to read this for 6 weeks and am not even halfway. I'm just so bored with it. I can't be bothered picking it up and when I do I can only get through one chapter before putting it down again out of boredom. I don't understand the rave reviews. What am I missing? Do I bother persevering? If I had something else to read I'd probably give up.
Edit: Couldn't bear it any longer. I found I just wasn't reading at all because I didn't want to pick it up. Skimmed a bit then chucked it. I didn't care about any of the characters least of all Emerald.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pure story. The concept of the book is that Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson had a baby before he gave up the throne. They didn't, maybe couldn't or wouldn't, raise the child so Emerald was brought up by others. It is an entertaining book but Emerald is a bit tooo perfect.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat of a "guilty pleasure" this was a fun read.

[Sheila rood · Rating 4 out of 5]

read in 1995
re-read 2011

still a "Thumping good read"

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Page turner for me. Lots of twists and what if history. But basically a great love story!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A "read" read. Page turning story. Not my usual kind of book but one of my favorites.

[Giuliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved her insightful study of women's nature. At times I felt as if I could smell and feel the scents and textures of her descriptions...I definitely want to read more of her work.