The Crimson Ribbon

by Katherine Clements

Based on the real figure of the fascinating Elizabeth Poole, The Crimson Ribbon is the mesmerising story of two women's obsession, superstition and hope.May Day 1646: Ruth Flowers finds herself suddenly, brutally, alone. Forced to flee the household of Oliver Cromwell, the only home she has ever known, Ruth takes the road to London, and there is given refuge by Lizzie Poole. Beautiful and charismatic, Lizzie enthrals the vulnerable Ruth, who binds herself inextricably to her world. But Ruth is still haunted by fears of her past catching up with her. And as Lizzie's radical ideas escalate, Ruth finds herself carried to the heart of the country's conflict, to the trial of a king.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, LGBT, Fiction, British Literature, 17th Century, Queer

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 27, 2014

About the author

The official bio...

Katherine's debut novel, The Crimson Ribbon, was published in 2014 and her second, The Silvered Heart, in 2015. Her third novel, The Coffin Path, became an Amazon bestseller and was nominated for the HWA Gold Crown Award and The Guardian's Not the Booker Prize in 2018. Her writing has won and been shortlisted for many prizes, including the Winchester Writers' Conference First Three Pages Award and the Weald & Downland Museum/Jerwood Prize for Historical Fiction.


Katherine spent over two decades working in training and education and led the development and launch of the UK’s first A Level in Creative Writing. She spent three years as editor of Historia, the online magazine of the Historical Writers’ Association, and is a member of the HWA Committee. She’s a Royal Literary Fund Fellow, having held fellowships at both Sheffield and Manchester Universities, where she worked with students on academic writing. She was the first Royal Literary Fund Fellow in the History department at Manchester University.

In 2018 Katherine was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award and spent a year living and working in New Orleans, while researching her next novel. She is based in West Yorkshire where, alongside her own writing projects, she works as a writing coach and mentor, and as editor of the Royal Literary Fund magazine Collected. She’s a qualified coach, has led workshops for hundreds of writers, both in person and online, and was lead tutor at the Historical Novel Society Academy where she launched the first online historical fiction masterclass programme.

Reviews

[Kate Forsyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was utterly enthralled from the very first line of this novel: ‘Sometimes death comes like an arrow, sudden and swift, an unforseen shot from an unheeded bow.’

THE CRIMSON RIBBON is set in England in 1646, in the midst of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell leads the army of the people against a tyrannical king, witches are hunted down, the skies are full of evil portents. A young woman named Ruth Flowers is on the run, trying to find a safe place for herself. She is helped by an enigmatic young soldier named Joseph, but – bruised by the encounter - takes refuge in the house of an extraordinary young woman named Elizabeth Poole. Her beauty and kindness ensnare Ruth, and she uses an old charm to tie herself to her new mistress. But Elizabeth is as troubled as she is charismatic, and – as the King of England finds himself imprisoned and on trial for his life - Ruth finds herself drawn into danger, intrigue, witchcraft, and treason.

I found myself utterly unable to put this book down, constantly surprised, and constantly rewarded. This is an astonishingly assured debut title from Katherine Clements, and I’m really hoping she has more stories like this one up her sleeve!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is set during the turbulent times of the English Civil War and begins on May Day, 1646, when the mother of Ruth Flowers is hung as a witch. Like many other women of that time, Ruth’s mother was a healer. She worked in the house of Oliver Cromwell, but the master was away and there was no protection to be found when a mob forms after a birth goes wrong. Ruth is forced from the only household she has ever known and has to flee for her life, armed only with a letter of introduction to the Poole family in London.

On the way to London, the young, unprotected girl, meets up with a soldier who has deserted from the army and is also on his way to London to carry on the fight with words. Joseph Oakes offers her an uneasy alliance, but she accepts his company through necessity. In London, Ruth joins the household of Master Poole and his daughter, Lizzie, as a servant; while Joseph goes to work for a printer.

Elizabeth Poole is a real historical character – a woman who claimed to have visions and who argued for the life of Charles I to be spared. This book weaves the story of her role in the trial of the King, along with various other storylines – Joseph’s love for Ruth, Ruth’s love for Lizzie, women’s precarious roles in society and the threat of being labelled a witch, healing, religion and Oliver Cromwell’s family.

Although the themes in this novel are interesting ones, I really struggled in parts with this book. From the first there seemed too many coincidences. Ruth herself was naturally secretive, but both Joseph and Lizzie seemed too trusting and willing to impart dangerous information. There seemed no real reason for Joseph to trust Ruth, or to help her, or for Lizzie to be so intimate with Ruth so quickly. Once in London, characters seemed to run into each other too frequently and unrealistically. I felt it would have been better for the author to have concentrated on the historical aspect of the storyline, without getting bogged down with so many unconvincing personal relationships. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but I never cared enough about the characters to be particularly moved. Also, I felt it was a mistake to dramatically change the stories of any real historical characters which, without intending to give any spoilers to the plot, the author does.

Lastly, I received a copy of this book, from NetGalley, for review.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The opening of ‘The Crimson Ribbon’ is stunning.

In an English village, as the Civil War is drawing to a close, a child is born. The child is dead and deformed, and the mother tries to spare his mother the pain of seeing him, but her pain and her grief make her insistent. Her reaction turns the community against the midwife; they claim that the blame lies with her, that she must be a witch, and that must be the reason for the present tragedy and for other troubles.

The fear is palpable. The fear of the community, and the fear of the widwife and her young daughter.

When the night is over the midwife is dead, and her terrified, grief-stricken daughter is hiding, at the property where she and her mother were in service.

The home of Oliver Cromwell.

The portrayal of those event was compelling, visceral and horribly, horribly believable.

It whetted my appetite for the story to come.

Ruth – the midwife’s daughter – knew that she couldn’t stay. The master of the house was away but the nistress was quite clear: she had to go, and she had to go immediately before the mob threatened her household. And so Ruth was sent on her way with a little money and an address in London where she would find work.

A young soldier named Joseph – on the way to London for very different reasons – helps Ruth when she runs into trouble on the road. She saw that he was concerned for her but she was still fearful; unwilling to let her guard down because she was fearful that the allegations of witchcraft would follow her.

The address that Ruth had been given took her to the home of a merchant. A haberdasher. She became a maid there, and she was soon in thrall to the daughter of the house, Elizabeth – Lizzie – Poole, a beautiful, charismatic, free- thinking young woman. Ruth used one of the charms from her mother’s precious book to bind Lizzie to her, and it seemed to work.

The story then follows Ruth, who struggles to escape her past; Lizzie, who is determined to have her voice heard; and Joseph, who has become a pamphleteer, trying to win the war of words.

It’s a story of danger, intrigue, passion, witchcraft, treason ….

There were some interesting and unexpected twists, and I was so caught up in the story and the atmosphere that it took we a long time to notice that the boo was written in the present tense.

The final days of the Civil War; the streets of London, the turbulent, unpredictable times; the state of the national that would allow an anointed King to be executed; that was all so wonderfully, vividly alive.

And so, at first, was the relationship between Ruth and Lizzie. But there was a point at which the story tumbled into unbelievability. The story lost its hold, and then I began to question other things: the likelihood of that relationship in the first place, one or two events that were less than credible.

‘The Crimson Ribbon’ was a wonderful entertainment from start to finish. And it was a wonderful finish, set against the background of the terrible execution. But I had hoped for a little more. Or maybe a should say something a little different. There was a little too much passion and romance, a little too much of the story of the characters, and not quite enough of the story of the times.

I would have loved to know a little more of the story of the pamapleteers. I loved the story of Ruth and Lizzie, but I would have loved it more if it had been a little more restrained. And I was concerned with the liberties that the author took with the story of Lizzie Poole, who was a real woman who had lived and breathed. The author acknowledged them, but they were too significant.

But I think that maybe confirmed the type of story that she wanted to write: a romance, a drama, an entertainment with solid historical underpinnings. As that ‘The Crimson Ribbon’ worked very, very well, it’s just that I can’t quite shake the feeling that it could have been, should have been, something more ….

[AdiTurbo · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at about half the book. It became apparent in this point that the author was more interested in the LGBTQ issues in the book than in developing the characters, the richness of the historical background or the plausibility of the plot. A shame, since the beginning was quite promising.

[charlotte, · Rating 2 out of 5]

you know when there’s just a few things that you know are nitpicking but you can’t help it? yeah... (there are no hills around cambridge, they weren’t draining the fens during the civil war, they didn’t burn witches in england)

CWs: attempted rape

[Maya Panika · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly enjoyable romp set in the last days of the Civil War with a - for once - more or less positive portrayal of Oliver Cromwell and a refreshing lack of glamorising of the Royalist side.
The times and the history are beautifully detailed: the end days of the Civil War make a turbulent, unpredictable background for the tale of Ruth Flowers and Elizabeth Poole, a pair of very different women whose affairs become linked by fortune, love and lust (the girl on girl action constantly alluded to, is never detailed, if that worries you).
The story opens as the war is drawing to its bitterly-fought close: King Charles is about to be tried for treason, an air of political freedom sweeps through London and newly-free presses are churning out pamphlets in every shade of politics, from diggers and levellers to ardent Royalists demanding safety for the king. These freedoms, as we (or anyone at all familiar with the history) know, will be sadly short lived: the Puritans are on the rise and Ruth and Elizabeth find themselves on the sharp end of the change of mood as 'witches' are hunted down and hanged across the land.
Beautifully described and imaginatively plotted, the story rolls easily across this chaotic backdrop, with plenty of switches and twists and changes of scene that are as entertaining as they are unexpected. A great read, and highly recommended.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really torn rating this... 3.5-4 stars

The Crimson Ribbon is not what I thought it was going to be, but I found it intensely readable. There's tragedy, friendship, passion, secrets, and misplaced loyalties (among other things) that add up to a very well written book. It is uniquely written, and kept my attention. Ruth Flowers is our main storyteller and is a creation of fiction. Many of the characters including Lizzie Poole and Oliver Cromwell are real people from the 17th century British civil war era. I didn't like some of the things Ruth did or allowed to happen but her story was very interesting! I wonder if we will get a sequel? I could see it happening and would definitely read it. There is an informative author's note & historical note at the end of the book that I found very helpful. This is a side of the King Charles-Cromwell saga that I'd never heard of and found intriguing.

I will look out for more works by Katherine Clements in the future!!

[Mieneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The English Civil War is an era of British history that I've only started to learn more than the bare bones about in the past few years. Reading The Bleeding Land and its sequel Brother's Fury by Giles Kristian and some of Andrew Swanston's Thomas Hill novels showed me that these decades in the middle of the seventeenth century were pivotal in Britain's history and created massive changes to British society and left deep scars on its populace. It's a fascinating era and Katherine Clements' debut novel The Crimson Ribbon, set in perhaps some of the most dramatic and traumatic years of the Civil War, couldn't fail but catch my interest when it came through the mail. And though it took me over a year to read it, I'm glad I made the time, because Clements weaves a stunning tale. 

Ruth Flowers is the narrator and protagonist of the story. Her narrative interweaves her personal journey learning to accept her heart and laying her ghosts to rest with the greater story of the final years of King Charles I's life. Ruth's story revolves around her mistress Lizzie Poole, who takes in Ruth after she loses her mother and her place in the Cromwell household in one night. Ruth transfers her love and loyalty from her mother to Lizzie and comes to love her mistress deeply. Yet, Ruth needs to learn to stand on her own, to depend on herself and to be her own woman. Clements allows Ruth to grow and develop in a beautiful manner, slowly gaining agency and letting the balance of power between the two women grow more equal and in some ways tip over in Ruth's favour.

Lizzie is a captivating character, both to Ruth and the reader, yet she has a dangerous edge to her. There is something ominous to Lizzie's brilliance; her light can blind and burn and once sucked into her orbit, it is hard to leave her. Throughout the novel, the reader is confronted with hints that Lizzie isn't the saint Ruth thinks she is and it is this contradiction between Lizzie-as-saint and Lizzie-as-sinner that creates much of the tension in Ruth and Lizzie's friendship. In fact, Ruth's wilful ignorance was quite frustrating at times. Lizzie's dangerous edge is also expressed in her radical ideas. While The Crimson Ribbon tells the story of those on the side of Parliament, set against the King, Lizzie's views oscillate from too radically egalitarian even for the rebels to too Royalist to not be considered a traitor. The numerous brands of freethinkers portrayed in the novel were fascinating and Lizzie's story showed just how dangerous these new ideas could be.

Though the story very much focuses on Ruth's relationship to Lizzie, Clements manages to infuse a lot of the politics of the time into the novel as well. Told from the point of view of those of the lower classes, The Crimson Ribbon makes a clear case of why they might rebel against the King and his court. The ordinary man wants to have an equal chance and an equal say in how his life and country is run. She also manages to show that Cromwell's rebellion was just as hard, if not harder, on the general populace, as it was on the ruling classes. In a way, Ruth's relationship with Lizzie mirrors the political developments of the war. They go from a traditional mistress-servant relationship, to a more equal friendship and in the end it flips completely around with Ruth being the one 'in power'. And it is only in this middle part that they are at peace and happy.

In Ruth's tale we also have a juxtaposition of blazing passion versus steady love. Lizzie sweeps Ruth off her feet from the first moment Ruth lays eyes on her. It is the kind of love that is celebrated in countless power ballads and romance novels, yet it is a love that burns, flares, and hurts. To accentuate this, Clements gives us Joseph, the soldier who travels with Ruth at the start of the novel and who weaves his way in and out of her life throughout the novel. Their friendship is slow and steady, and while not always easy or without hurt, it is a constant. Joseph is steadfast and loyal and it is his unwavering regard that lets Ruth discover her own wants and desires and to make her own choices for the future.

Katherine Clements' The Crimson Ribbon is a powerful story of friendship and love set in an era that challenged all preconceived notions of how life was supposed to be. There are numerous layers to the narrative and so much to unpack, that I've not managed to touch on half of it in this review. This fascinating novel of a country in turmoil, of a girl set adrift in the world, and of how she manages to reach safe haven in the end, managed to capture my imagination and I was spell-bound until its final pages.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.

[Catherine]

COULD THIS BE a lesbian As Meat Loves Salt? If so sign me up and ready my grave.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction! Highly recommended.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
Got nothing done today as I had to finish this. Enthralling.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Crimson Ribbon is a new historical fiction novel set during the English Civil War. As the story begins in 1646, our narrator, Ruth Flowers, is a servant in the household of Oliver Cromwell. When her mother is hanged for witchcraft, Ruth is forced to flee to London to the home of Master Poole and his daughter, Elizabeth (Lizzie), friends of Cromwell's mother. On the journey she meets a former Parliamentarian soldier, Joseph Oakes, who has deserted after the Battle of Naseby and is hoping to become a printer's apprentice so that he can continue the fight using words instead of violence.

Still haunted by her mother's death, Ruth finds it difficult to trust Joseph and separates from him when they reach London, expecting never to see him again. As she settles into her new life at the Pooles' house, Ruth becomes captivated by the beautiful Lizzie Poole and is delighted to find that Lizzie returns her love. But when Lizzie's religious and political beliefs draw her into the conflict between King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell, the lives of both women could be in danger.

Ruth is a fictional character and her story is imagined by the author, but Elizabeth Poole was a real historical figure who really did claim to have visions and argued against the execution of King Charles I. It seems that there is not a lot of information available about Elizabeth's life and she eventually disappears from historical records, allowing Katherine Clements to come up with an interesting conclusion to her story. In her author's note she does explain where the story has moved away from the known facts about Lizzie.

This book is set during a fascinating period of history and one that I wish more historical fiction authors would write about. Ruth's relationships with Lizzie, with Joseph and with Oliver Cromwell form the basis of the novel, but other subjects and themes are included too, particularly witchcraft and the witch hunts that were so common in seventeenth century England. These were superstitious times and anyone who led an unconventional life could find themselves under suspicion. Through Joseph we also learn a little bit about army life and what happened at Naseby, while Lizzie's storyline involves prayer meetings and the writing of religious pamphlets.

As the story is narrated by Ruth in the first person, I felt that I got to know her better than any of the other characters. However, I didn't like the character of Elizabeth Poole and this made it hard for me to understand Ruth's love for her. It frustrated me that she continued to remain so devoted and loyal, despite the way Lizzie often treated her. Apart from this, my only problem with the book was that it was written in the present tense which I almost always dislike, although I can understand the reasons for choosing to write in that way – it does give the story a sense of immediacy and intimacy.

I did enjoy The Crimson Ribbon and as this is Katherine Clements' first novel I will be looking out for news of a second!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining historical fiction set during the last few months of the English Civil War. The perspective here is a female one and, although there is love to be found, our heroine Ruth's story is lonely, dark and unjust.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mulling it over, not a time period I'm overly familiar with but I think there were other reasons I wasn't fully engaged by this. :(

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5/5*

[Symon Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well-written and absorbing book, set in the exciting world of mid-seventeenth century conflicts over politics and religion.

While I was sufficiently absorbed to read it very quickly, I felt keener at some points than others. However, this is less to do with the quality of the book and more about my own preferences: most historical fiction I read tends to be crime fiction or focused on political conflict. In contrast, The Crimson Ribbon is primarily about personal relationships - it could almost be considered a romantic novel - with the political conflict providing the background. That is, until the last section of the book, when the main characters' relationships become entangled in the trial of Charles Stuart, king of England, in 1649.

Clements manages strong characterisation without losing the pace of the story. The main character, Ruth, who narrates the story, is both believeable and complex. The same can be said of certain other characters, and Oliver Cromwell appears in the book as a realistically multi-layered and conflicted individual. My only real disappointment in terms of characterisation was Lizzie Poole, on whom much of the book is focused (and who is based on a historical figure about whom little is known). I find Lizzie's character rather undeveloped compared to the others. Ruth's character, in contrast, really develops throughout the story. Her bisexuality appears as a realistic part of the story rather than as something forced into the narrative for the sake of it (as is sometimes the case).

While I may prefer historical crime novels and historical political thrillers to historical romances, I enjoyed this book very much and heartily recommend it. There's been an increase recently in fiction set in the mid-seventeenth century - a welcome development!

[Brittany (Lady Red) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know what to say about this one. It’s a decent historical fiction, but damm did it have every single queer trope I hate. So bare that in mind fellow queer folks.
1.one of them’s dead at the end (hanged as a witch because how else do queer people die in the 1600s)
2. The “ might be a straight girl but can’t decide so I keep stringing you alone while also have sex with guys” (Just make your characters bi why is this difficult)
3. The “it’s not historically accurate to say lesbian “
Well no but...
Arrrrgh. Just face palm.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

As seen on The Everyday Reader blog


The Crimson Ribbon is a historic novel set during the height of the English Civil War. It twines together two historical figures, Oliver Cromwell and Elizabeth Poole (the Abingdon Prophetess, who testified at the trial of Charles I, claiming God had given her visions of destruction if he be executed) through the fate of a fictional character, the maidservant Ruth Flowers.

In most respects I really enjoyed The Crimson Ribbon. Clements does an excellent job of capturing the chaos that would have been everyday life during the English Civil War, not just because of the war itself, but the societal changes that were going on at the same time, due to changes in the Church, years of bad crops etc (hundreds of women were executed as witches during the Civil War period). The whole novel has a sense of hurry, of chaos and of confusion that I think would very accurately reflect what it felt like to be caught up in that time. The writing is subtle, but wonderfully done - easy to read, plenty of metaphor and symbolism without becoming to flowery.

The characterisation was where I had more trouble. Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Poole is a triumph of a character; through the eyes of Ruth we get glances of a very complex woman, with conflicting traits that even she doesn't seem to know how to manage. However, I just couldn't make a connection with Ruth herself, or her friend/love interest Joseph. Joseph is just willing to give everything to Ruth to quickly - from the first time he meets her, he's telling her secrets that he shouldn't and giving her with information that seems to go well beyond the realms of trust their level of relationship could garner. Ruth is a bit all over the place - her mind changes quickly and often, her relationship with Lizzie goes over the borderline of obsession and starts to edge into crazy. She gives Lizzie her most precious possession without a second thought, despite spending the entire novel up to that point keeping it safe and regarding it as the most important thing in her life. On a personal level, my brain just doesn't work like hers in any way, so I found the novel harder to get through being from her point of view.

Although it didn't entirely click with me The Crimson Ribbon is a tight debut from Katherine Clements. It's obviously very well researched and I appreciated the author's note giving more historical detail. Well written, well plotted and a fascinating fictional insight into a turbulent time.

3/5 stars, just because the main character didn't work for me, but I'll certainly be on the look out for more of Clements work in future. If you think you can deal with an obsessive first person point of view better than I can and enjoy historical fiction, than it's worth giving this one a go.

[Northern Light · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads First Read.


It tells the story of Ruth who helps her mother deliver a baby who is sadly not able to live. Blaming her mother they decide she is a witch and hang her immediately. Ruth although a servant in Oliver Cromwell's home is forced to flee for her life to London where she meets Elizabeth Poole and is drawn into her strange and charismatic lifestyle.

I really looked forward to reading this book as I enjoy reading about historical incidents but this book was very disappointing for a few reasons. Although obviously fiction it is based on real events in history but sadly changes what really happened and although there is an explanation I don't like changes being made but prefer an author to work around what is actually known. I also have to wonder why there are such explicit sex scenes which add little if anything to the story and again why does the author feel this is necessary?

There is a good story in there but feel that that too much emphasis was made on unimportant things and not on the wider issue of witchcraft at the time.

Sorry but I can't recommend this book which did not live up to expectations.

Why was it needed to make the characters have an explicit homosexual relationship? I would never have licked this book up if I'd known that which made the whole book seem like voyeurism at best. When it's documented that Elizabeth didn't die by hanging when the book has it what is the point of changing history? Why was it necessary to make Ruth the daughter of Cromwell when there is no record of him having another child?

[Andrea Zuvich · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crimson Ribbon, set during the 1640s and the tumultuous English Civil Wars, brings us into the world of Ruth Flowers and her mother Annie Flowers. The book starts off with fast-paced realistic horror that grabs the reader immediately and keeps up a page-turning momentum throughout. Indeed, the beginning was horrific and the importance of that echoes throughout the book. Ruth's struggles are realistic for the time period and she's a likable character. As for the other main character, Lizzie, my initial opinion was that some of the sex/love scenes felt a little out of character for her, especially as we're told how devout she is. Later on, or more specifically, near the end of the novel, this made complete sense as we were shown other aspects of her character. Although the character of Joseph Oakes has a nasty secret (involving a very nasty historical incident in the ECW), I really liked him. Several historical figures of the period are involved in the story, to varying degrees of importance, including Oliver Cromwell, Henry Ireton, and Charles I. The novel is written in first-person present tense, which is generally my least favourite kind of prose, but Clements pulls it off and has the crucial ability to maintain a reader's interest in the story. I enjoyed the emphasis on the importance of religion and political pamphleteering on the time, and I commend Clements on incorporating these into her tale. In short, a very accomplished debut work. I look forward to reading more from Katherine Clements!

[Deborah Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for review from the Amazon Vine programme because I love the seventeenth century and it looked like my sort of book. I was not disappointed.

The story of Elizabeth Poole and her role as witness to the beheading of a King is brought masterfully to life in this gripping drama. Told through the eyes of Ruth Flowers who is on the run to escape a witch hunt, the book draws the reader gradually into the uneasy, fragile world of desperate people looking for an answer to the bloodshed of the English Civil Wars. Elizabeth Poole herself remains an enigma, shedding layers of shifting truths that make the reader unsure who or what she is. Is Elizabeth a sinner or a saint? Ruth's devotion to her, though not fully explained, is both her salvation and her downfall.

Although it only uses historical events as a kind of backdrop to the story I found the historical background to be well-researched and atmospheric. But the strength of this novel is in the portayal of the ever-changing relationship between Ruth and Lizzie, and the writer's ability to take you fully into the mindset of a nation which can try a King for treason against his own country.

I look forward to more books from this debut novelist, Katherine Clements. For comparison you might like to try 'As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann which tells of a similar obsessive relationship between two men, and is one of my favourite reads about this period.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting novel set against the backdrop of the English Civil War. The heroine, Ruth Flowers, tells us that her story began and ends with a hanging: first, that of her mother, a healer, hanged as a witch and then that of her good friend, Lizzie. The story traces the Civil War years through Ruth's observations and personal experiences. I did feel the novel was written with a British audience in mind; us non-Brits could have done with more explanation of the political background.

Ruth was a well-rounded character, but I couldn't warm to Lizzie and her extremes of temperament--blowing hot one minute, cold the next. Their friendship so soon after meeting seemed implausible. Lizzie was convinced of her role as "prophetess". She also wrote strongly worded political pamphlets. The intimacies between Ruth and Lizzie made me uneasy; I wish the author had kept the relationship that of sisters. Oliver Cromwell revealed himself as someone more than general and despot though he was not a main character. His influence overshadows the whole story even so. Well-written though the novel was, Lizzie's character spoiled it for me. The ending was disappointing, but perhaps inevitable. It did leave room for a more satisfactory outcome.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this from Goodreads early reads and took it away on holiday, where it kept me entertained and turning the pages.

It was really rather good ! Set in England during the Civil war and the times of Oliver Cromwell it is based around the life of a girl, Ruth whose Mother is accused of witchcraft and hanged in front of her. This undoubtedly has an effect on Ruths's ability to form normal friendships and trust people and she mistrusts the deeply troubled Joseph whom she encounters on her flight to London despite him having her best interests at heart.

She throws her lot in with the Poole family who agree to house and employ her and she soon becomes infatuated and obsessed with the rather enigmatic and unconventional Lizzie Poole into whose life she becomes inextricably entwined. Full of historical detail and lots of twists and turns this is an exciting work of fiction based around a real character (Lizzie Poole) and events imagined and real combine to create a gripping and entertaining story.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I so wanted to LOVE this book. The descriptions and the opening in particular were wonderful. I felt so emotionally involved with the opening scene I thought it could only mean promising things...

However, for me the relationship between Lizzie and Ruth was verging on the unbelievable, Ruth was little more than a puppy dog for the majority of the book which was unbelievably frustrating. Joseph's willingness to put everything on the line for her time and time again even after months and months of seperation just seemed a little ludicrous to me, especially considering they didn't have much of a bond in the first place to build on. I would have liked to have heard more about the political and historical events than Ruth whining on about Lizzie all the time.

That being said, the book was very well written and if Clements wrote another in the future that maybe had a little less romance/focus on the characters in it I would definitely give it a go.

[ghost-hermione · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was part of a list of recommendations of positive lgbt novels, and I must say it disappoints on that account. Maybe I was biased because of this, but even so.
The prose was good, but it's all that can save it. The story itself was difficult to believe, and the tropes it perpetuates are disappointing, and made me angry most of the time I was reading.
I usually really enjoy historical fiction, of any kind, but that spoiled it for me.
And, besides the abusive relationship between Ruth and Lizzie, which only makes it it seem like the best thing that can happen to her is going back to Joseph, making a character explicitly queer only to kill her by the end contrary to historical reality is never an insignificant decision, regardless of the time period you're writing in.
Besides, the characters are bland, their motivations unclear, and Ruth, the protagonist, could have used another goal in life besides pleasing Lizzie.

[Elizabeth King · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of stuck around 2.5 on this story. I enjoyed reading it: some passages describing events were really absorbing. The characters were a little one-dimensional with intense relationships seeming to develop instantaneously and some serendipity behind meetings to enable plot progression.
I didn't like how this fictional story was based on real people as there seems to be some major liberties with the truth.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The historical context is so well wrought, I could see, hear, and smell my way through Civil War England." "The twists and turns kept me totally mesmerized...and the heroine, Ruth, is an utterly captivating character."

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 1646, the Civil War is raging on, there's unrest everywhere, and the hysteria of witchcraft is sweeping through the outer counties.

When Ruth and her mother attend the birth of a local woman, and that baby is born already dead, with the mother dying shortly after, the womans husband, Isaac Tuttle, accuses Ruth's mother of witchcraft, the villagers are quick to back him and Ruth barely escapes the horrifying scene with her life...her mother is not so lucky. Ruth has to flee from the Cromwell household, the only home she has ever known and make her way to London with the help of ex-army man Joseph Oakes.

When they reach London, Ruth finds her way to the Poole household, and fast becomes enchanted with Elizabeth "Lizzie" Poole. It's not long before Ruth becomes close with Lizzie, and Joseph takes an interest in Ruth. But when Isaac Tuttle shows up in London, a friend of Joseph's, and Lizzie is cast out and accused of being a with by her Pastor, the girls flee London to the safety of Abingdon. But things fast go downhill. Lizzie changes, and when they have to go to back to London, it isn't long before Lizzie's radical thinking gets them both in trouble, especially when Lizzie speaks out to the court about the execution of the King.

"I always thought that as I grey older I would not be so afraid of the world and the people in it"

The Crimson Ribbon enthralls you from the first page with the very first line, and from that point on you're sucked in to the world painted so vividly by the author. It's truly gripping the entire way through. I was unable to put it down, finding myself thoroughly engrossed in the journey Ruth was on and the events of the London of the time.

The Crimson Ribbon was utterly heartbreaking and devastating from the beginning, right through until the end. Like Ruth says, her story starts with a hanging and ends with a hanging, and there's plenty of heartbreak in between. While it makes you feel sad for Ruth, it also opens your eyes to what it was like to live in the time, how hard things where for the people and how precarious. Death was always around the corner in those days, plague, common illnesses could end in death, an accusation from the right people could end in a hanging and so on.

The story, the characters both real and fictional, and the world where all written so realistically and so believably, more so than most historical novels I've read. It's obvious so much work and research has gone in to the book, and you can get a wealth of information from the book without having everything explained to you in the narrative in huge info-dumps. Characters will mention something, or something will be concisely explained, there's no pages and pages of "this happened because this and this and then that happened" and so on.

I'm a bit of a fail of a history geek in regards to the Civil War, it's not an area I know too much about, and to be honest I know more about the Salem Witch Trials than the ones that took place here. I came away from the book knowing a great deal more than I originally did. We see how witchcraft was an easy blame for people who wanted revenge for petty slights, wanted an excuse for cheating on their wife, or wanted someone to blame for an accident of nature. We learned what was going on with the Civil War, the King being tried for treason and being beheaded after much debate, the court, the army taking over, what the people thought of it and so on. Then we get a look at how people accused of witchcraft where treated and what a trial was like. We even get to have a look at the printing presses of the time, that was very interesting. You get all that within a couple of hundred pages, and to be honest, I grasped what was going on easily, and understood the politics of the time a lot better than if I'd been reading history textbook to be honest!

The authors note also has a couple of pages packed with a lot of interesting information about the real Elizabeth Poole, who she was, what we know about her from the records, it's quite sad that no-one knows what happened to her in the end. You also get to see the front of one of the pamphlets that Elizabeth Poole had printed regarding her vision, which ya know....is pretty cool!

The historical threads of fact where woven so seamlessly with the storyline and the lives of our characters, both real and fictional, that you weren't having facts shoved in your face. It was very subtle and very interesting to read about. You get a real feel for the atmosphere of the time.

Detail, is another thing there was plenty of, but without pages of text describing a tree or something. We get lots of detail, with just a few words. This detail extends to the more brutal moments as well as the more normal moments, the hangings, their time in the prison, all where described vividly with enough detail to make it seem like you where there, as well as the details of London at the time.

A lot of the time, historical novels romanticize the time, I've said this before, they try to make it seem like living in poverty, filth and so on was somehow glorious, when I imagine it was far from it. Clements, however, is refreshingly and brutally honest, for example when describing a London street, she mentions the "vile filth" in the street and later the "shit" in the gutter. It gives you an honest picture of the time and what the city and area was like.

The world building was so detailed, so honest and vivid, that I really felt like I was there, smelling the rather ripe (and that's being polite), streets of London, experiencing the filthy and dank cell with Ruth and so on. It was a truly fascinating world, and one of the things I loved about the book was the brutal honesty in the descriptions of the time and the places.

For every brutally honest descroption of the time there where beautifully written ones, almost lyrical.
"Houses stretching their eaves towards the thin streak of light, as if gasping for air"
"Lantern-hung wherries darting between them like fireflies"
And those are just two out of a whole book full of them, I chose these two because you can still see some semblance of them today in modern day London. Well, at least with the houses/skyscrapers, stand on a bridge at London at night and I'd imagine, while there are boats, it's a lot lighter than it would have been back then.

The injustice of the book is so devastating it actually makes you feel both sad for the victims and angry on their behalf. It's heartrending and devastating and more than once it's absolutely mind boggling. I mean, we've all been pissed off before and wanted to get back at people, but I certainly wouldn't sentence someone to what Ruth went through with a lie, that will ultimately end up in a rather nasty death. It's horrifying when you think about how everyone killed for being a witch was actually innocent, and in the book you experience what would have happened to those women in real life, through Ruth, being strip searched by other women, questioned and repeatedly pushed to confess, they where all practically starved, and most of them would have confessed just to get it over with.

Evidence was made up and believed, lies where told and so on and you see in the book how someones account of something, with a bit of acting can be turned round to the poor woman accused, to help someone else get away with something. Clements paints a vivid and horrifying scene of the conditions they where kept in, but more importantly, what happened to the women. They where watched for 3days/nights, with no sleep, no food and no drink to see if the "devils imps" come to them, being in those conditions would have made them see things, and as soon as they spoke about them they'd have their "proof". As I said, the injustice and unfairness was truly mind boggling.

It really makes you think, about that kind of thing and what life was like then. Particularly, when at one point, Ruth ironically wonders "what harm words can do in the end" after the trial. You kind of think back over the book so far and the trial and you realize exactly what harm words and lies can do.

You really get a sense of how simple it was back then. Famine meant God was angry that the King wasn't on the throne. Cows dying, crops failing and sickness meant the village had been cursed by the spirit of a dead witch, in this case Annies mother's. You also see how much religion was taken seriously by everyone at the time, whereas now it's not as important to everyone. Back then everyone believed and worshiped and so on.

Ruth is an interesting character, I felt so much empathy for her, because after what happened to her mother she was vulnerable and she got snared in by Lizzie. That's the rather original thing about this book, we see Lizzie become lovers with Ruth as well as a woman called Thomasine, which is not a relationship that is portrayed in historical novels much if at all, and it was very well done. I loved the idea that she was the illegitimate daughter of Oliver Cromwell, as the author says, there's no proof he didn't have one, it was a source of intrigue throughout the book, why Oliver was so worried about a servant.

Lizzie was a harder character to work out. Instead of being given hints she was something other than she appeared, we see Lizzie how Ruth does, so in the beginning, like Ruth, you see her kindness and you feel sorry for her when she's thrown out of her congregation. It's not until a bit later that you realize she's got some very radical views that she's been printing. When Ruth realises Lizzie isn't all that innocent, you get an entirely different picture of her. She comes across as cruel to Ruth, controlling when she burns Ruth's letter from Cromwell without letting her read it, duplicitous, she constantly lies and hurts Ruth and stabs her in the back, I would go so far as to maybe say she emotionally blackmails her once or twice. I couldn't work out if she was very manipulative, or if she was very crazy at one point. At times Lizzie seemed to be quite ahead of her time, some of what she was saying about equality, almost matched feminist views in the present day.

Each of the characters where very colourful, full of life and very complex. They all have dark pasts, Joseph, Lizzie and Ruth that is, that you find out about along with Ruth. It's a source of intrigue, but your opinion of Joseph and Lizzie changes along with Ruth as she learns more information. I mean I disliked Lizzie a lot at one point, but in the end I just felt sorry for her.

The Crimson Ribbon is perfectly paced. We cover a lot of time in the book, but at points, the passing of a chunk of time is just marked and acknowledged, instead of lived through, if that makes sense. Like at one point it was summer and when the next chapter starts it mentions how "it rained all summer but now the leaves are turned". The flow was smooth, the narrative engaging and....like I said....gripping.

The Crimson Ribbon is a fascinating, gripping, original and truly fantastic novel, full of history and beautifully vivid details. It stands out from it's fellow historical novels, and I couldn't recommend it enough!

[Annelies - In Another Era · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth Flowers is a servant in the household of Oliver Cromwell in Ely when suddenly tragedy strikes and she’s forced to leave. She’s sent to London to work for the Poole family. Once there, she quickly becomes friends with the charismatic and outspoken Elizabeth Poole. Elizabeth writes rebellious manuscripts and mean rumours circulate about her, but Ruth doesn’t believe there’s any truth in them. In the midst of Civil War, Ruth and Elizabeth become entangled in the trial of Charles I. When a king might lose his head, nobody is safe.

I borrowed ‘The crimson ribbon‘ from the library not knowing much about it, except that’s a story about women set during the Civil War. A dark period in English history that no so many authors write about it, so I wasn’t familiar with it.

The story opens with Ruth Flowers attending a childbirth with her mother in the charming village of Ely. As the child is born dead and her mother blames Ruth’s mother, the village turns against the two of them. Ruth’s mother is called a witch and hanged by a tree before anyone can stop the crowd. A cruel start that takes Ruth to London.

On her way to London she meets Josep Oakes, a former soldier in The Civil War. He gives us an insight into the cruelty that soldiers have witnessed during some of the battles. Ruth and Joseph loose sight of each other when they arrive and Ruth goes to live with Elizabeth- Lizzie- Poole. Ruth is immediately taken with her. Even when people in the streets start to call her a whore and a witch, Ruth believes in her mistress’ innocence.

Ruth Flowers is a fictional character, but Elizabeth is a true historical character. She played a role in the trial of Charles I where she testified about her visions given by God. Elizabeth was a highly religious person and it is said she was used by Oliver Cromwell to get what he want. Except from her testimony, we don’t know much about Elizabeth’s real life or death. In this book, Clemens tries to reconstruct a believable story.

I didn’t like Elizabeth’s character at all and I believe this was the author’s meaning 😅. She’s selfish, fickle, vain and highly ambitious. She doesn’t care about Ruth’s feelings and I couldn’t always understand why Ruth is so good and patient with her. However, this characterisation does fit in my opinion to the profile of a seer with a self-declared gift granted by God.

The Crimson Ribbon includes an insight into the personality of Oliver Cromwell. This was a different Cromwell than he’s usually represented. It also talks about the gruesomeness of the war, the unrest in the streets of London and the witch trials on the country. For me, this novel gave a fine introduction into the 1640’s and I hope to read more about the Civil War in the future.

Apart from the historical setting, there’s a heavy sapphic romance in this book which felt unhealthy and a bit forced at times. It’s a big part of the storyline and I would have loved to read more about Joseph and his friends for example than having to discover Lizzie’s next love interest.

This was Catherine Clemens’ debut novel. It isn’t the most unique historical novel I’ve read. Some plot lines felt familiar from other books. But she introduced me to a new period. She created a wel-written and engaging story with intriguing characters.

Dutch review:
Ruth Flowers werkt in het huishouden van Oliver Cromwell in het dorpje Ely, maar wanneer haar moeder door het toedoen van de dorpsbewoners wordt vermoord, moet ze vluchten. Ze wordt naar Londen gestuurd naar het gezin van Elizabeth, Lizzie, Poole en haar vader. De knappe en extraverte Lizzie neemt haar meteen onder haar vleugels en ze worden heel close. Lizzie's puriteinse geloof en rebelse opvattingen zullen er voor zorgen dat ze midden in het conflict van the Civil War terechtkomt. En wanneer een koning zijn hoofd dreigt te verliezen zijn ook Ruth en Lizzie niet veilig.

Dit boek nam ik redelijk onbezonnen mee uit de bib. Ik lees bijna nooit over the Civil War, een periode waar ik dus maar bitterweinig over weet. Ook over Elizabeth Poole had ik nog nooit gehoord en dus kon ik zonder voorkennis genieten van het verhaal.

Het boek opent in Ely waar Ruth haar moeder, die kennis heeft van de oude rituelen, helpt bij een bevalling. En dan gaat het heel fout. Ze trekt naar Londen en komt onderweg de soldaat Joseph tegen die zo zijn eigen geheimen heeft. In Londen ontmoeten we Lizzie en de rest van het huishouden.

Ik moest Lizzie niet echt. Ze gebruikt mensen en denkt vooral aan haar eigen emoties. Ik vond haar redelijk labiel maar dat past wel in haar profiel als waarzegster. De overige karakters zijn boeiend neergezet. Dit boek is niet dik en toch weet Clemens een goed doordacht verhaal op te bouwen van het begin tot einde.

Ik las snel door dit verhaal. De gruwel en onzekerheid van the Civil War komt naar voren door Joseph's verhaal, we krijgen een inkijk in de persoon Oliver Cromwell en er is een focus op de heksenprocessen die doorheen de jaren 1650 door het land raasden. Vooral de vreemde praktijken om te ontdekken of iemand een heks was blijven bij.

Het einde vond ik best goed uitgewerkt. We weten eigenlijk niet hoe het met Elizabeth is afgelopen dus kon Clemens zelf een einde verzinnen.

Het enige minpunt aan dit verhaal is de romance die met momenten wat geforceerd en vooral ongezond aanvoelde. En die ook wel redelijk allesoverheersend was met momenten. Voor mij mocht dat allemaal wat minder.

Voor een debuutroman is dit een fijn historisch verhaal met geloofwaardige personages. Was dit ontzettend verfrissend? Neen, maar net door de keuze van deze periode bleef het me wel boeien tot het einde.

[Prince Philip Hospital Library Book Club · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everyone had finished the book that attended book club this month.

The main points that came from our discussion was that we felt that we were following things through the wrong person, we would have preferred to be watching through Lizzie Poole's eyes rather than Ruth. That would have meant we would have some idea as to why she did what she did. We wanted to know why Lizzie became as politically active as she did, it just seemed to come out of the blue for us as readers. Given that there was so little written about Lizzie Poole in terms of first hand evidence the author really could have done a lot more with her in terms of giving her possible reasons for her behaviour.

We also wanted to have more from the other characters in the book like Joseph, as he was one of the only characters we actually liked. We would have liked a little more of his history as it did seem interesting to do with the printing presses etc.

We all felt that Lizzie was a very spoilt character who seemed to do everything she could simply to get attention with little thought as to how it would affect those around her or even how things would pan out for her. We honestly could not see what Ruth did in Lizzie, why did she follow her like a little puppy dog into so much trouble? Lizzie seemed to think of people as simply things to acquire to make her feel special. She wanted Ruth so she just took her and took advantage of her, and this happened with a few other people in the book as well.

Considering when this book is set we didn't really feel any kind of fear either to do with the politics of the day or to do with the witch trials, both of which Lizzie and Ruth were mixed up in. We all wanted more background in these elements put into the book because to be honest it really could have been anywhere with the amount of historical detail we felt we'd been given. The witch trials especially could have been a really interesting element given how the book started. We felt that there was a lot of missed opportunities in this book overall. We came away from the book with not much more knowledge about this period in history than we had going into it, not the sign of a good historical novel.

We really didn't like the insta-love between characters and the love triangles that happened. This just made it feel like a badly written YA type book relying on the typical love tropes.

We gave this book 5 out of 10.