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The Child from the Sea
Against the pomp and pageantry of turbulent seventeenth-century England, Elizabeth Goudge weaves the poignant tale of Lucy Walter, the proud and beautiful secret wife of Charles II.
Here is a subtle portrait of a deeply good and fascinating woman. From her early childhood in a castle by the sea in Wales -- evoked as only Elizabeth Goudge can evoke the joys and pangs of childhood -- to her tragic estrangement from the king and her death in Paris at the age of twenty-eight, Lucy Walter lived to the full a life of intense joy and equally intense drama. Miss Goudge portrays brilliantly a young love almost too ecstatic to bear. Equally moving is her characterization of Lucy -- a spirited woman caught up in the cataclysmic wars and disruptive revolution of a tumultuous era. London at the time of the Great Fire, Paris when British royalty fled to the sanctuary of the Louvre, Brussels and The Hague -- against this rich panoramic background a master storyteller traces the life and loves of an extraordinary woman.
THE CHILD FROM THE SEA is a superbly colorful and romantic historical novel alive with brilliant Goudge cameos and infused with a spiritual essence rare in our times.
598 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1970
62 people are currently reading
1397 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Goudge
64 books895 followersElizabeth Goudge was an English author of novels, short stories and children's books.
Elizabeth de Beauchamp Goudge was born on 24 April 1900 in Wells, Somerset, in Tower House close by the cathedral in an area known as The Liberty, Her father, the Reverend Henry Leighton Goudge, taught in the cathedral school. Her mother was Miss Ida Collenette from the Channel Isles. Elizabeth was an only child. The family moved to Ely for a Canonry as Principal of the theological college. Later, when her father was made Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford, they moved to Christ Church, Oxford.
She went to boarding school during WWI and later to Arts College, presumably at Reading College. She made a small living as teacher, and continued to live with her parents. During this time, she wrote a few plays, and was encouraged to write novels by a publisher. As her writing career took off, she began to travel to other nations. Unfortunately, she suffered from depression for much of her life. She had great empathy for people and a talent for finding the comic side of things, displayed to great effect in her writing.
Goudge's first book, The Fairies' Baby and Other Stories (1919), was a failure and it was several years before she authored Island Magic (1934), which is based on Channel Island stories, many of which she had learned from her mother, who was from Guernsey. After the death of her father, Goudge and her mother went to Devon, and eventually wound up living there in a small cottage. There, she wrote prolifically and was happy.
After the death of her mother, and at the wishes of Goudge's family who wished her to live closer to them, she found a companion who moved with her to Rose Cottage in Reading. She lived out her life there, and had many dogs in her life. Goudge loved dogs, and much preferred their company to that of humans. She continued to write until shortly before her death, when ill health, successive falls, and cataracts hindered her ability to write. She was much loved.
Goudge was awarded the Carnegie Medal for The Little White Horse (1946), the book which J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter stories, has said was her favorite as a child. The television mini-series Moonacre was based on The Little White Horse. Her Green Dolphin Country (1944) was made into a film (under its American title, Green Dolphin Street) which won the Academy Award for Special Effects in 1948.
A Diary of Prayer (1966) was one of Goudge's last works. She spent her last years in her cottage on Peppard Common, just outside Henley-on-Thames, where a blue plaque was unveiled in 2008.
Elizabeth de Beauchamp Goudge was born on 24 April 1900 in Wells, Somerset, in Tower House close by the cathedral in an area known as The Liberty, Her father, the Reverend Henry Leighton Goudge, taught in the cathedral school. Her mother was Miss Ida Collenette from the Channel Isles. Elizabeth was an only child. The family moved to Ely for a Canonry as Principal of the theological college. Later, when her father was made Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford, they moved to Christ Church, Oxford.
She went to boarding school during WWI and later to Arts College, presumably at Reading College. She made a small living as teacher, and continued to live with her parents. During this time, she wrote a few plays, and was encouraged to write novels by a publisher. As her writing career took off, she began to travel to other nations. Unfortunately, she suffered from depression for much of her life. She had great empathy for people and a talent for finding the comic side of things, displayed to great effect in her writing.
Goudge's first book, The Fairies' Baby and Other Stories (1919), was a failure and it was several years before she authored Island Magic (1934), which is based on Channel Island stories, many of which she had learned from her mother, who was from Guernsey. After the death of her father, Goudge and her mother went to Devon, and eventually wound up living there in a small cottage. There, she wrote prolifically and was happy.
After the death of her mother, and at the wishes of Goudge's family who wished her to live closer to them, she found a companion who moved with her to Rose Cottage in Reading. She lived out her life there, and had many dogs in her life. Goudge loved dogs, and much preferred their company to that of humans. She continued to write until shortly before her death, when ill health, successive falls, and cataracts hindered her ability to write. She was much loved.
Goudge was awarded the Carnegie Medal for The Little White Horse (1946), the book which J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter stories, has said was her favorite as a child. The television mini-series Moonacre was based on The Little White Horse. Her Green Dolphin Country (1944) was made into a film (under its American title, Green Dolphin Street) which won the Academy Award for Special Effects in 1948.
A Diary of Prayer (1966) was one of Goudge's last works. She spent her last years in her cottage on Peppard Common, just outside Henley-on-Thames, where a blue plaque was unveiled in 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
March 12, 2013
I wasn't prepared for this.
When my mom "asked," or "ordered" me to read this book, I said that I would get to it, and eventually I did. I waited until a rainy day, and so I spent the whole of the rainy day reading it. And I wasn't prepared for it.
Before I read this particular book, it wasn't that I wasn't familiar with Goudge. I'd read The Little White Horse, Linnets and Valerians, Henrietta's House, City of Bells, Sister of the Angels, the Well of the Star, and I Saw Three Ships. I'd thought that I'd seen Ms. Goudge at her best, and I respected her. But I wasn't ready for such endearing and realistic characters- flawed, yes, but real because of their flaws. I didn't expect that I'd be captured by the plot in such a real way.
Most of the books I rate five-stars are adventures with fairy tale endings where everybody ends up fine and dandy. This is the exception. This book shook me to my core, made me wonder what good this world is, and redefined my definition of a classic. How do a mere 5 stars tell you all of this?
I haven't felt this way after reading a book, or watching a movie for a long time. THIS is what books were meant to be. Books are supposed to make you ask questions, REAL questions, make you laugh and cry, and make you feel. This book didn't have my fairy tale ending, but when it didn't, I oddly wasn't sad that I had read the whole book "for nothing." Because it wasn't for nothing.
When my mom "asked," or "ordered" me to read this book, I said that I would get to it, and eventually I did. I waited until a rainy day, and so I spent the whole of the rainy day reading it. And I wasn't prepared for it.
Before I read this particular book, it wasn't that I wasn't familiar with Goudge. I'd read The Little White Horse, Linnets and Valerians, Henrietta's House, City of Bells, Sister of the Angels, the Well of the Star, and I Saw Three Ships. I'd thought that I'd seen Ms. Goudge at her best, and I respected her. But I wasn't ready for such endearing and realistic characters- flawed, yes, but real because of their flaws. I didn't expect that I'd be captured by the plot in such a real way.
Most of the books I rate five-stars are adventures with fairy tale endings where everybody ends up fine and dandy. This is the exception. This book shook me to my core, made me wonder what good this world is, and redefined my definition of a classic. How do a mere 5 stars tell you all of this?
I haven't felt this way after reading a book, or watching a movie for a long time. THIS is what books were meant to be. Books are supposed to make you ask questions, REAL questions, make you laugh and cry, and make you feel. This book didn't have my fairy tale ending, but when it didn't, I oddly wasn't sad that I had read the whole book "for nothing." Because it wasn't for nothing.
July 5, 2017
4.5 stars. Loved it. Loved it, loved it. Enchanting, magical writing. Depth of characters. Beautiful, rich themes (redemption and forgiveness being two big ones in this book). It's slow, but absolutely wonderful.
November 9, 2009
"He was born to shout for his gloves and have a servant bring them, but I was born to find my own gloves underneath my own chaos..."
Goudge's novel is a romanticized version of the life of Lucy Walter, long-time mistress to Charles Stuart (or was she his wife?), before he ascended the throne of England as well as mother to the Duke of Monmouth. Raised at Roche Castle in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Lucy is a bit of a tomboy who loves the sea, but her parents eventually become estranged and she must leave her beloved home and start a new life with her mother in London. As a child, Lucy meets Charles by chance and a friendship of sort is born and when they meet again at sixteen love blossoms and they marry in secret - although they only have a couple of days of bliss at Roche castle before Charles must return to his family and their struggles with the Parliamentarians.
Charles eventually flees to Europe and a heartsick Lucy follows him, although Charles is now a poor refugee living on the charity of his royal relatives and Lucy can only be acknowledged as his mistress - never his wife. Charles soon finds Lucy entirely inappropriate as a wife in his new role as King of England, and needing a wealthy heiress to fund his efforts to oust Cromwell unknown forces conspire to discredit Lucy and the marriage and to take her child from her.
And that's as far as I go. If you know Lucy's history you know what happens, and if you don't you won't want me to spoil it for you. Taking a person of whom very little is known about gives Goudge a lot of creative license to craft a lovely tale of what may have happened and the consequences of youthful indiscretion. My only quibbles are that this novel, originally published in1970, could easily lose 200-300 pages and lose none of its potency, and because of that I suspect many of today’s younger readers might give up too soon. Skim the first parts if you must, it's worth it at the end. Too much time is spent on Lucy's childhood relationships and descriptions of the Welsh countryside but other than that her writing was lovely - and ohhhhhh that ending. Tissue worthy.
Goudge's novel is a romanticized version of the life of Lucy Walter, long-time mistress to Charles Stuart (or was she his wife?), before he ascended the throne of England as well as mother to the Duke of Monmouth. Raised at Roche Castle in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Lucy is a bit of a tomboy who loves the sea, but her parents eventually become estranged and she must leave her beloved home and start a new life with her mother in London. As a child, Lucy meets Charles by chance and a friendship of sort is born and when they meet again at sixteen love blossoms and they marry in secret - although they only have a couple of days of bliss at Roche castle before Charles must return to his family and their struggles with the Parliamentarians.
Charles eventually flees to Europe and a heartsick Lucy follows him, although Charles is now a poor refugee living on the charity of his royal relatives and Lucy can only be acknowledged as his mistress - never his wife. Charles soon finds Lucy entirely inappropriate as a wife in his new role as King of England, and needing a wealthy heiress to fund his efforts to oust Cromwell unknown forces conspire to discredit Lucy and the marriage and to take her child from her.
And that's as far as I go. If you know Lucy's history you know what happens, and if you don't you won't want me to spoil it for you. Taking a person of whom very little is known about gives Goudge a lot of creative license to craft a lovely tale of what may have happened and the consequences of youthful indiscretion. My only quibbles are that this novel, originally published in1970, could easily lose 200-300 pages and lose none of its potency, and because of that I suspect many of today’s younger readers might give up too soon. Skim the first parts if you must, it's worth it at the end. Too much time is spent on Lucy's childhood relationships and descriptions of the Welsh countryside but other than that her writing was lovely - and ohhhhhh that ending. Tissue worthy.
September 1, 2022
This is my marathon book. I sprint-limped to the end, grateful for the journey and grateful to be done. I do have some things to say. But at the moment I need some water and a cool down period. 😆
I just have two full-length Elizabeth Goudge novels left to read, so I have some brief thoughts on her work as a whole first. It occurred to me several times while reading this novel that Elizabeth Goudge likes writing about England's periods of war. Since she lived through both WWI and WWII, I can't say I blame her. War makes a fascinating back drop for both plot and character. It gives space for endless moral, ethical, and character dilemmas and development. Child From the Sea and The White Witch are both set during the English Civil War, Gentian Hill is set during the Napoleonic wars, A City of Bells has a veteran from the Boer War, and the Damerosehay trilogy, The Scent of Water, and Castle on the Hill are all touched by the world wars. I love that she used novels to explore the impact of these major conflicts on individuals (even if that individual is King Charles II like in Child From the Sea!).
I also realized that her novels are roughly divided between historical fiction and "present day" novels (meaning the novels set during Goudge's own life time). I tend to prefer her present day novels, though her rich, descriptive prose and spiritual insight is a gold thread through all her novels.
Elizabeth Goudge is also a Romantic. This came through loud and clear in Child From the Sea (CFTS). Goudge takes the little we know about Lucy Walter and crafts a sweeping narrative of her life. I guess the fun of historical fiction is that the author gets to answer the question: "What might this person have been like?" with full creative license. And she does manage to make Lucy very human. But she also does a very Goudge-like thing with Lucy that I'm struggling to know how to describe. I think it's where Goudge's Romanticism comes in. Lucy's connection with Charles in the first half of the book is so immediate and intense...they're soulmates and they somehow know just where to be to meet the other person. It is very Romantic, but I guess I'm not very Romantic? I'm not sure. Lucy is very much a character who can look into a person's eyes and know their soul. I wish I was like that, but I so often get entangled in my own limited experience and knowledge of the world and of other humans. I found the intensity of this kind of thing a little trying at points in the novel.
I did prefer the first half of the book to the second half. I like Lucy when she's a child living at Roch and then in London. She brings such a lively curiosity to the world and to other people and Goudge's style served her plot and characters well for this.
The second half was long and chaotic. Lucy's life was chaotic. The times were chaotic. Charles was in perpetual crisis for years. I don't like reading this kind of narrative. The exception is when there is a more stable thread, like in Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher where Nancherrow is the anchor point. (But even that's not my favorite narrative.) So I did speed read the last 70 pages and closed the book with relief. I'm not sure I'll revisit this one, but the ending was redemptive and even satisfying in some ways, and I'm glad to have read it.
I just have two full-length Elizabeth Goudge novels left to read, so I have some brief thoughts on her work as a whole first. It occurred to me several times while reading this novel that Elizabeth Goudge likes writing about England's periods of war. Since she lived through both WWI and WWII, I can't say I blame her. War makes a fascinating back drop for both plot and character. It gives space for endless moral, ethical, and character dilemmas and development. Child From the Sea and The White Witch are both set during the English Civil War, Gentian Hill is set during the Napoleonic wars, A City of Bells has a veteran from the Boer War, and the Damerosehay trilogy, The Scent of Water, and Castle on the Hill are all touched by the world wars. I love that she used novels to explore the impact of these major conflicts on individuals (even if that individual is King Charles II like in Child From the Sea!).
I also realized that her novels are roughly divided between historical fiction and "present day" novels (meaning the novels set during Goudge's own life time). I tend to prefer her present day novels, though her rich, descriptive prose and spiritual insight is a gold thread through all her novels.
Elizabeth Goudge is also a Romantic. This came through loud and clear in Child From the Sea (CFTS). Goudge takes the little we know about Lucy Walter and crafts a sweeping narrative of her life. I guess the fun of historical fiction is that the author gets to answer the question: "What might this person have been like?" with full creative license. And she does manage to make Lucy very human. But she also does a very Goudge-like thing with Lucy that I'm struggling to know how to describe. I think it's where Goudge's Romanticism comes in. Lucy's connection with Charles in the first half of the book is so immediate and intense...they're soulmates and they somehow know just where to be to meet the other person. It is very Romantic, but I guess I'm not very Romantic? I'm not sure. Lucy is very much a character who can look into a person's eyes and know their soul. I wish I was like that, but I so often get entangled in my own limited experience and knowledge of the world and of other humans. I found the intensity of this kind of thing a little trying at points in the novel.
I did prefer the first half of the book to the second half. I like Lucy when she's a child living at Roch and then in London. She brings such a lively curiosity to the world and to other people and Goudge's style served her plot and characters well for this.
The second half was long and chaotic. Lucy's life was chaotic. The times were chaotic. Charles was in perpetual crisis for years. I don't like reading this kind of narrative. The exception is when there is a more stable thread, like in Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher where Nancherrow is the anchor point. (But even that's not my favorite narrative.) So I did speed read the last 70 pages and closed the book with relief. I'm not sure I'll revisit this one, but the ending was redemptive and even satisfying in some ways, and I'm glad to have read it.
May 11, 2017
Originally posted on Reveries Reviews
The Child from the Sea by Elizabeth Goudge is a decent book. It’s ridiculously long and boring, but the ending was satisfying, in a way, and the story wasn’t all that bad. The characters were all developed to an extreme, as with all of Goudge’s books, and the description was amazing.
This is the story of Lucy Walter-Barlow, mistress/wife(?) of King Charles II of England. It begins with her childhood and goes until her death at the age of twenty-eight. I think most of it is fact, although some may be fiction. Goudge herself states in the forward that very little - if anything - is known of Lucy’s childhood, and the lines between fact and fiction have been blurred in other places as well.
However, it is known that she was born in Wales, in her father’s castle, Roche, around 1630. It is also known that she moved to London in 1644 when parliamentary forces destroyed her home. It is said that she seduced Charles (and was not a very good girl before that), but Goudge doesn’t portray her that way. She bore him a son, James (nicknamed Jackie). However, there is really no way around Lucy’s affair with Theobald Taaffe, 1st Earl of Carlingford, and her subsequent child, a daughter named Mary.
After this, Lucy’s life really began to crumble (as one’s life will when one gets into that kind of thing). She discovered that her marriage to Charles wasn’t legal (if, as Goudge says, there was a marriage), and he didn’t want to have anything to do with her anyway. A few times they seemed almost to reconcile, but that never lasted long.
Goudge portrays Lucy as wronged. I don’t know if I agree with that or not. It seems like Lucy could have been the victim … but it seems more likely to me, based on other sources, that she wasn’t. On the other hand, perhaps it was simply Charles’s enemies - those who wanted the throne for themselves - who made Lucy Walter-Barlow seem this way. But her actions do speak of something less than undying devotion to Charles, if I were completely honest.
As I said before, the character development was incredible. Of course, as is Goudge’s style, this is due to the omniscient POV and show-not-tell-ing more than anything (though, of course, the characters’ actions speak loudly, too). Goudge pulls this off very well, and I really do love her style. She’s one of my favorite authors.
What else is there to say? This was a life story, so no real dramatic arch, although the ending was quite satisfactory. The last two chapters were especially touching. It was heartbreaking, but not in an unsettling way.
So, would I recommend this book? Well, if you’re studying this era, definitely. If you have a lot of time on your hands, probably. If you love Goudge, yes. However, I don’t think it’s her best work. It’s quite lengthy and pretty boring. I feel like it could have been shorter and included fewer political details. But it really is a historical work.
~Kellyn Roth, Reveries Reviews
The Child from the Sea by Elizabeth Goudge is a decent book. It’s ridiculously long and boring, but the ending was satisfying, in a way, and the story wasn’t all that bad. The characters were all developed to an extreme, as with all of Goudge’s books, and the description was amazing.
This is the story of Lucy Walter-Barlow, mistress/wife(?) of King Charles II of England. It begins with her childhood and goes until her death at the age of twenty-eight. I think most of it is fact, although some may be fiction. Goudge herself states in the forward that very little - if anything - is known of Lucy’s childhood, and the lines between fact and fiction have been blurred in other places as well.
However, it is known that she was born in Wales, in her father’s castle, Roche, around 1630. It is also known that she moved to London in 1644 when parliamentary forces destroyed her home. It is said that she seduced Charles (and was not a very good girl before that), but Goudge doesn’t portray her that way. She bore him a son, James (nicknamed Jackie). However, there is really no way around Lucy’s affair with Theobald Taaffe, 1st Earl of Carlingford, and her subsequent child, a daughter named Mary.
After this, Lucy’s life really began to crumble (as one’s life will when one gets into that kind of thing). She discovered that her marriage to Charles wasn’t legal (if, as Goudge says, there was a marriage), and he didn’t want to have anything to do with her anyway. A few times they seemed almost to reconcile, but that never lasted long.
Goudge portrays Lucy as wronged. I don’t know if I agree with that or not. It seems like Lucy could have been the victim … but it seems more likely to me, based on other sources, that she wasn’t. On the other hand, perhaps it was simply Charles’s enemies - those who wanted the throne for themselves - who made Lucy Walter-Barlow seem this way. But her actions do speak of something less than undying devotion to Charles, if I were completely honest.
As I said before, the character development was incredible. Of course, as is Goudge’s style, this is due to the omniscient POV and show-not-tell-ing more than anything (though, of course, the characters’ actions speak loudly, too). Goudge pulls this off very well, and I really do love her style. She’s one of my favorite authors.
What else is there to say? This was a life story, so no real dramatic arch, although the ending was quite satisfactory. The last two chapters were especially touching. It was heartbreaking, but not in an unsettling way.
So, would I recommend this book? Well, if you’re studying this era, definitely. If you have a lot of time on your hands, probably. If you love Goudge, yes. However, I don’t think it’s her best work. It’s quite lengthy and pretty boring. I feel like it could have been shorter and included fewer political details. But it really is a historical work.
~Kellyn Roth, Reveries Reviews
July 22, 2008
Elizabeth Goudge does a brilliant job of weaving together the love story of Lucy Walter and Charles II in 17th century England. She captures the beauty of the English landscape as well as the spiritual beauty of Lucy Walter and her marriage to someone who she really had no hope for a "normal" future with. This is one of my very favorite books.
April 22, 2021
This was a beautiful story about forgiveness, redemption, and the power of spirituality. It was heartbreaking at times and uplifting at others. Although I loved all of the (very detailed) descriptions the author included, I thought the book could have been a good 200 pages shorter. It took me a while to get through the whole thing, but the ending was definitely worth it.
June 15, 2016
King Charles II is known for his amorous ways and numerous mistresses. His first love (fling…crush… call it what you will but the mother to his first child) was during his teen years at the onset of the Civil War with a Welsh girl, Lucy Walter. Rumored to have secretly married Lucy; Charles sired a royal bastard with her (James, later Duke of Monmouth). Elizabeth Goudge fictionalizes and romanticizes the life of Lucy Walter in the HF novel published in 1970 in, “The Child from the Sea”.
Although there is information available surrounding Lucy’s behavior once Charles became King; her upbringing and even relationship with Charles is rather shadowy. This absence of hard-hitting truths allowed Goudge plenty of space and liberty to create a web with Lucy’s characterization and the plot that is all her own. “The Child from the Sea” starts with Lucy’s childhood and is admittedly ‘slow’ for the first 200 pages. Goudge tries to set the scene and create a basis for Lucy’s personality but the pages seem somewhat ‘pointless' and not going anywhere. Plus, Goudge is much too literal and descriptive with her prose. The best historical fiction novels find the perfect balance of literary language to dialogue but the beginning of “The Child from the Sea” is too flowery and therefore doesn’t always flow well with the pace.
Once this passes, events in “The Child from the Sea” pick-up and Lucy becomes firmer in her characterization and development. Even though Lucy’s personality is purely fictional in “The Child from the Sea” and therefore not to be taken with a heavy history hand; Goudge succeeds in making her more of a person and having readers familiar with the read history consider her in a new light over that merely of a mistress and overprotective mother to James. Alongside this, Charles is also revealed in a new way and a man known for his mistresses instead displays innocent, first love and is therefore very relatable.
“The Child from the Sea” is much more fictional than history even though the background events and speaking dialogue is accurate for the times. In many ways, the novel borderlines a romance novel (not a bodice-ripper, though) and is a bit too fluffy and lovey-dovey when describing the relationship between Lucy and Charles. Often times, their actions, feelings, and speech towards each other at only 16 years of age is highly unbelievable even during a time when children were basically considered adults at this benchmark.
On the other hand, Goudge deviates from the fluff with philosophical meanderings which go beyond the plot and are worth dwelling on at any time/age. Goudge was clearly a deep individual and her intellectual thoughts were interspersed into “The Child from the Sea”.
It should be noted that Goudge is highly impressive with her ability to create characters. Each character has a distinct, clear voice and settings are described so vividly that it is highly notable that one person can pen and create these in one single mind. “The Child from the Sea” is comparable to classic lit novels in this way. Plus, Goudge’s prose and language is beautiful and well-written.
“The Child from the Sea” becomes highly repetitive as it progresses which isn’t helped by an absence of reader emotional involvement. Although Lucy and Charles encounter charged-events; this isn’t translated to the reader and thus they aren’t fully ‘felt’. Basically; Lucy and the reader aren’t on the same level which makes the reading boring, on some level.
The final chapters reveal Lucy much more brightly than on previous pages. It is the first that the reader can truly emphasize and cheer for her. Sadly, at this point, Goudge starts to rush to the end which is a stark contrast to a generally slow-paced novel. The conclusion is mild but doesn’t disappoint.
Goudge includes a brief one-page note to explain the outcomes of figures in the novel but doesn’t dive deep, doesn’t address Lucy, or explain historical inaccuracies.
“The Child from the Sea” suffers from many punctuation and grammar errors throughout the text. Perhaps editors were more lax in 1970?
Goudge’s “The Child from the Sea” still stands out 46 years as being the only HF novel focusing on Lucy Walter and is therefore recommended for those interested in the mistresses of Charles II. However, the novel can be described as slow and dragged out (plus overly descriptive) and therefore as uneventful. Basically, the novel toggles up-and-down in strength but it is suggested for readers of Stuart England (but be aware that this novel is romanticized).
**Note: “The Child from the Sea” is a very waxing and waning book which is a 3 at some points while being a 4 at others. My rating is therefore a 3.5 but with halves unavailable; I have rounded up to a 4. The novel is, however, not to be thought of as a strong 4.**
Although there is information available surrounding Lucy’s behavior once Charles became King; her upbringing and even relationship with Charles is rather shadowy. This absence of hard-hitting truths allowed Goudge plenty of space and liberty to create a web with Lucy’s characterization and the plot that is all her own. “The Child from the Sea” starts with Lucy’s childhood and is admittedly ‘slow’ for the first 200 pages. Goudge tries to set the scene and create a basis for Lucy’s personality but the pages seem somewhat ‘pointless' and not going anywhere. Plus, Goudge is much too literal and descriptive with her prose. The best historical fiction novels find the perfect balance of literary language to dialogue but the beginning of “The Child from the Sea” is too flowery and therefore doesn’t always flow well with the pace.
Once this passes, events in “The Child from the Sea” pick-up and Lucy becomes firmer in her characterization and development. Even though Lucy’s personality is purely fictional in “The Child from the Sea” and therefore not to be taken with a heavy history hand; Goudge succeeds in making her more of a person and having readers familiar with the read history consider her in a new light over that merely of a mistress and overprotective mother to James. Alongside this, Charles is also revealed in a new way and a man known for his mistresses instead displays innocent, first love and is therefore very relatable.
“The Child from the Sea” is much more fictional than history even though the background events and speaking dialogue is accurate for the times. In many ways, the novel borderlines a romance novel (not a bodice-ripper, though) and is a bit too fluffy and lovey-dovey when describing the relationship between Lucy and Charles. Often times, their actions, feelings, and speech towards each other at only 16 years of age is highly unbelievable even during a time when children were basically considered adults at this benchmark.
On the other hand, Goudge deviates from the fluff with philosophical meanderings which go beyond the plot and are worth dwelling on at any time/age. Goudge was clearly a deep individual and her intellectual thoughts were interspersed into “The Child from the Sea”.
It should be noted that Goudge is highly impressive with her ability to create characters. Each character has a distinct, clear voice and settings are described so vividly that it is highly notable that one person can pen and create these in one single mind. “The Child from the Sea” is comparable to classic lit novels in this way. Plus, Goudge’s prose and language is beautiful and well-written.
“The Child from the Sea” becomes highly repetitive as it progresses which isn’t helped by an absence of reader emotional involvement. Although Lucy and Charles encounter charged-events; this isn’t translated to the reader and thus they aren’t fully ‘felt’. Basically; Lucy and the reader aren’t on the same level which makes the reading boring, on some level.
The final chapters reveal Lucy much more brightly than on previous pages. It is the first that the reader can truly emphasize and cheer for her. Sadly, at this point, Goudge starts to rush to the end which is a stark contrast to a generally slow-paced novel. The conclusion is mild but doesn’t disappoint.
Goudge includes a brief one-page note to explain the outcomes of figures in the novel but doesn’t dive deep, doesn’t address Lucy, or explain historical inaccuracies.
“The Child from the Sea” suffers from many punctuation and grammar errors throughout the text. Perhaps editors were more lax in 1970?
Goudge’s “The Child from the Sea” still stands out 46 years as being the only HF novel focusing on Lucy Walter and is therefore recommended for those interested in the mistresses of Charles II. However, the novel can be described as slow and dragged out (plus overly descriptive) and therefore as uneventful. Basically, the novel toggles up-and-down in strength but it is suggested for readers of Stuart England (but be aware that this novel is romanticized).
**Note: “The Child from the Sea” is a very waxing and waning book which is a 3 at some points while being a 4 at others. My rating is therefore a 3.5 but with halves unavailable; I have rounded up to a 4. The novel is, however, not to be thought of as a strong 4.**
July 21, 2016
Why is Elizabeth Goudge forgotten? Her writing is gorgeous and compelling. I love the mysterious, complicated, densely detailed worlds she creates, and the flawed believable characters. She has a deeply spiritual tinge to her writing that should be off-putting to this atheist, but I have loved every book of hers. This one isn't my favorite, but I still had a wonderful time reading it.
December 1, 2020
I really enjoyed this book! Thank you, Emmi!
November 15, 2012
I read this book back in the 70's while in my late teens. I remember it was very memorable and moving. I won't go into too much detail, due to spoilers, but the I did not like the life choices of the main character, though I understand it is about a historical figure. This did not make me enjoy the book less, in fact it made me like it even more. It is a sad story about love won and lost. I would read it again given the chance.
March 27, 2010
If I could give it 10 stars, I would. An old favorite of mine. Historical fiction.
November 22, 2024
I loved parts of this book and disliked others. The first two or so hundred pages, especially Lucy, William, the Welsh stories, and the Sin-Eater, were amazing. I thought the ending was just heart-breaking. Goudge's writing is flawless and the balance between story and philosophy perfect. Jackie, Mary, and Lord Taafe were also wonderful. And I ADORED that this was written about a real lady! But, I thought the pacing was a little slow, and it kind of seemed to go on and on with no particular goal. I understand this story spanned Lucy's whole life, so maybe there shouldn't have been a definite plot, but still, a little boring. Charles also could have used a LOT more personality; it was annoying that I loved and hated Lucy so much but felt nothing for Charles. Furthermore, I feel like Lucy started to lose some of her personality as the story went on. I know she's older, sadder, and less lively, but she definitely felt less like Lucy by the end of the book.
All in all, this was very good, but not my favorite Goudge (Green Dolphin Street still holds that honor!).
All in all, this was very good, but not my favorite Goudge (Green Dolphin Street still holds that honor!).
October 2, 2007
The Child from the Sea - VG
Elizabeth Goudge
THE CHILD FROM THE SEA is the story of Lucy Walter, a child of transcendent beauty and spirituality. Born in 17th century England, Lucy grows up to become the secret wife of Charles II.
Against the drama of the times and the machinations of the court, such a union had scant hope for success, but as a love match, the marriage remains a beautiful and tender romance.
I believe I was 21 when I read this book and has suffered my first major heartbreak. The main thing I remember was it having the most devistatingly tragic ending I'd ever read. In fact, I don't believe I've ever read another of Ms. Goudge's books since. Not because it wasn't well written, which obviously it was if I've remembered it all these years, but because I was afraid her other books would make me cry as this one did. However, if you are a fan of historical fiction, grab your hankie and stroll on in.
Elizabeth Goudge
THE CHILD FROM THE SEA is the story of Lucy Walter, a child of transcendent beauty and spirituality. Born in 17th century England, Lucy grows up to become the secret wife of Charles II.
Against the drama of the times and the machinations of the court, such a union had scant hope for success, but as a love match, the marriage remains a beautiful and tender romance.
I believe I was 21 when I read this book and has suffered my first major heartbreak. The main thing I remember was it having the most devistatingly tragic ending I'd ever read. In fact, I don't believe I've ever read another of Ms. Goudge's books since. Not because it wasn't well written, which obviously it was if I've remembered it all these years, but because I was afraid her other books would make me cry as this one did. However, if you are a fan of historical fiction, grab your hankie and stroll on in.
July 8, 2010
This is another book I read ages ago and loved. It's still sitting on my bookshelves, ancient and falling apart.
February 17, 2014
This was one of my favorite novels as a teenager. Recently my sixth grade daughter and I started reading it together; it has more history and more lengthy descriptions than I remembered, so the pace is slower than I anticipated and I think I might have jumped the gun in reading this with a twelve-year-old. But it's a magical book, beautifully written (as always with Elizabeth Goudge) and even for a contemporary sixth grade child the wild romance of it all, the stunning settings, and the tantalizing strangeness of such characters as the sin-eater and Old Sage are alive and intriguing. We're halfway through and going strong.
June 26, 2021
This was a very detailed and poignant book about a part of history that I know very little about. The detail in the book is quite amazing and it took me a long time to read. Which I enjoy! Excellent writing skill and frankly I was amazed at the depth. It will be hard to go back to novels without that much detail and history.
May 12, 2012
What an amazing book! A Historical fiction about Lucy Walters, who some believe was the secret wife of Charles II... Goudge makes her come alive & steal your heart, all while teaching you a bit about the politics of the time. Several characters are very memorable (whether they were real people or not) & inspire you to look beyond yourself for happiness & hope.
November 27, 2021
I haven't enjoyed a book so thoroughly in such a good while. It was long enough to both binge read and savor. I shared way too many quotes on Twitter.
Goudge does excellent putting forth hard, bitter circumstances and bringing out the lovely and hopeful. Forgiveness, honor, and love, as well as child-like delight and mystic faith drive the story into one's heart.
I was a child, a girl, and then became a woman while reading this book. It's impossible to not come to terms with our own sin, to accept some scapegoat burden, and then to start anew on the path of Salvation.
It is not a Christian book. And yet God is very real. And in that way this book outshines all "Christian" books.
Best dime I've ever spent on a paperback. Loved it so much I somehow lost the cover.
Quotes:
https://twitter.com/KeturahAbigail/st...
Goudge does excellent putting forth hard, bitter circumstances and bringing out the lovely and hopeful. Forgiveness, honor, and love, as well as child-like delight and mystic faith drive the story into one's heart.
I was a child, a girl, and then became a woman while reading this book. It's impossible to not come to terms with our own sin, to accept some scapegoat burden, and then to start anew on the path of Salvation.
It is not a Christian book. And yet God is very real. And in that way this book outshines all "Christian" books.
Best dime I've ever spent on a paperback. Loved it so much I somehow lost the cover.
Quotes:
https://twitter.com/KeturahAbigail/st...
December 30, 2024
4.5 stars, I loved it, but I didn’t love everything about it.
January 4, 2025
Very, very thought provoking. This is a different kind of historical fiction - it’s really just a way to tell a story of suffering. Some of the implications are a little theologically strange but still worth thinking about.
September 11, 2013
This is my second foray into the novels of Elizabeth Goudge, returning to the historical period that she wrote about in The White Witch--the English Civil War in the 17th century. This time, she focuses on the life of Lucy Walter, the first love of King Charles II and a woman about whom few historical facts are known.
From what I could tell doing a little bit of cursory research, Goudge did an excellent job in this novel weaving whatever facts have become available over time into her tale. Although she could have cut probably a couple of hundred pages from the first half of the book and been fine, I still found myself enchanted by her writing style no matter how long it took me to get into the book and actually finish it. Her style is "romantic" in the literal and literary senses of the word, full of intense emotion and the glorification of the natural world.
As for the story itself, she somehow manages to portray the tragedy of Lucy Walter with a pure, eternal hope shining through the cracks, and her skill as a writer is such that I can't quite bring myself to hate Charles even though by modern standards he was a huge jackass to Lucy in this version of events. I'm not sure how Goudge managed to make Charles come across as another victim of the tragedy to me when I am also so irritated at the double-standard toward women at the time--Charles was allowed to have as many mistresses as he wanted, but when it came down to Lucy slipping up one time, her "disloyalty" broke *his* heart? Give me a break. As if a man's loyalty is in the spirit of standing by the side of a friend whereas a woman's loyalty (and in some sense, value) only goes as far as what's between her legs. Ick. At the same time, I get that Charles was surrounded by enemies on all sides and incredibly paranoid. By the end, I felt sorry for how he had been deceived by the people trying to bring Lucy down. Of course, I felt more sorry for poor Lucy whose entire life had been selflessly devoted to Charles only to be destroyed just as her father had feared. The abuse that she suffered because of the path that she chose was only really redeemed in her love for her maid, Anne, and her Christ-like forgiveness of Anne's betrayal.
I do wonder now if Lucy was the glorious almost Mary-Sue-like misunderstood character whom Goudge portrays or if she was in fact the power-grabbing "strumpet" that Charles' brother James and his cronies made her out to be after her death in order to avoid her son, the Duke of Monmouth, being seen as a legitimate heir to the throne. We might never know, but Elizabeth Goudge puts forth an absorbing theory in this book--that in her youth, Lucy Walter either was married to Charles, or at least believed that she was, and that Charles' friends and enemies alike destroyed her reputation with their lies and drove her into a sad and early grave.
From what I could tell doing a little bit of cursory research, Goudge did an excellent job in this novel weaving whatever facts have become available over time into her tale. Although she could have cut probably a couple of hundred pages from the first half of the book and been fine, I still found myself enchanted by her writing style no matter how long it took me to get into the book and actually finish it. Her style is "romantic" in the literal and literary senses of the word, full of intense emotion and the glorification of the natural world.
As for the story itself, she somehow manages to portray the tragedy of Lucy Walter with a pure, eternal hope shining through the cracks, and her skill as a writer is such that I can't quite bring myself to hate Charles even though by modern standards he was a huge jackass to Lucy in this version of events. I'm not sure how Goudge managed to make Charles come across as another victim of the tragedy to me when I am also so irritated at the double-standard toward women at the time--Charles was allowed to have as many mistresses as he wanted, but when it came down to Lucy slipping up one time, her "disloyalty" broke *his* heart? Give me a break. As if a man's loyalty is in the spirit of standing by the side of a friend whereas a woman's loyalty (and in some sense, value) only goes as far as what's between her legs. Ick. At the same time, I get that Charles was surrounded by enemies on all sides and incredibly paranoid. By the end, I felt sorry for how he had been deceived by the people trying to bring Lucy down. Of course, I felt more sorry for poor Lucy whose entire life had been selflessly devoted to Charles only to be destroyed just as her father had feared. The abuse that she suffered because of the path that she chose was only really redeemed in her love for her maid, Anne, and her Christ-like forgiveness of Anne's betrayal.
I do wonder now if Lucy was the glorious almost Mary-Sue-like misunderstood character whom Goudge portrays or if she was in fact the power-grabbing "strumpet" that Charles' brother James and his cronies made her out to be after her death in order to avoid her son, the Duke of Monmouth, being seen as a legitimate heir to the throne. We might never know, but Elizabeth Goudge puts forth an absorbing theory in this book--that in her youth, Lucy Walter either was married to Charles, or at least believed that she was, and that Charles' friends and enemies alike destroyed her reputation with their lies and drove her into a sad and early grave.
March 13, 2024
The Child from the Sea was written by Elizabeth Goudge and published in 1970. This is historical fiction set in the 17th century. We follow Lucy Walter from childhood to her death. She was a mistress of Charles II and mother of his first child. There were rumors that Charles had secretly married her and Goudge includes that in her plot.
I really enjoyed this novel! It was a bit more of a rose colored glasses approach to Lucy Walter’s history, but because little is known about her I suppose Goudge had the creative license. I adored Lucy in this book and I found the cast of characters interesting. Goudge takes the vague figure from history of Lucy and creates a passionate, life loving character. I loved many of the other characters as well, but there was a character called Old Sage earlier in the book who really stuck with me. His story parallels Lucy’s later on especially around themes of forgiveness. Major themes in this book were around betrayal by those one trusts and forgiveness. Goudge has beautiful writing and is fabulous at descriptions. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Wales in the first two sections of the book. The book was split into 3. The child, the idyll, and the woman. I think the idyll was my favorite. It had a fairytale like quality to it and was the section about Lucy and Charles falling in love. The last section was the saddest. Lucy’s life did not end up the happiest and she died young.
Overall I became thoroughly absorbed in this novel and really liked it. This was also a time in English history I wasn’t that familiar with, so I enjoyed learning about that too. I highly recommend this book if it appeals to you. I can’t wait to check out more of Elizabeth Goudge.
I really enjoyed this novel! It was a bit more of a rose colored glasses approach to Lucy Walter’s history, but because little is known about her I suppose Goudge had the creative license. I adored Lucy in this book and I found the cast of characters interesting. Goudge takes the vague figure from history of Lucy and creates a passionate, life loving character. I loved many of the other characters as well, but there was a character called Old Sage earlier in the book who really stuck with me. His story parallels Lucy’s later on especially around themes of forgiveness. Major themes in this book were around betrayal by those one trusts and forgiveness. Goudge has beautiful writing and is fabulous at descriptions. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Wales in the first two sections of the book. The book was split into 3. The child, the idyll, and the woman. I think the idyll was my favorite. It had a fairytale like quality to it and was the section about Lucy and Charles falling in love. The last section was the saddest. Lucy’s life did not end up the happiest and she died young.
Overall I became thoroughly absorbed in this novel and really liked it. This was also a time in English history I wasn’t that familiar with, so I enjoyed learning about that too. I highly recommend this book if it appeals to you. I can’t wait to check out more of Elizabeth Goudge.
December 5, 2016
This is a great story based on the life of Lucy Walter, the Welshwoman known to history as the mother of the tragic Duke of Monmouth, son of Charles II and a claimant to the English and Scottish thrones after Charles' death. Lucy is commonly assumed to be Charles' mistress, and her son a bastard not eligible for the succession, but Goudge based her story on an alternative scenario for which there is some circumstantial and family anecdotal evidence, that Lucy and Charles secretly married as teenagers, and their son was in fact legitimate.
Goudge is a marvelous writer, and she brings life to a love story set amidst the terrible years of the Revolution and reign of the puritans led by Oliver Cromwell, involving us in the desperate lives of the Royalist exiles in Europe during the Protectorate. Very little is known about Lucy Walter, so Goudge had to recreate her life as a novel, using the few facts available, and produced a plausible story of a loving mother long vilified in histories, as we come to know Lucy and Charles, and their families, as personal friends.
Goudge is a marvelous writer, and she brings life to a love story set amidst the terrible years of the Revolution and reign of the puritans led by Oliver Cromwell, involving us in the desperate lives of the Royalist exiles in Europe during the Protectorate. Very little is known about Lucy Walter, so Goudge had to recreate her life as a novel, using the few facts available, and produced a plausible story of a loving mother long vilified in histories, as we come to know Lucy and Charles, and their families, as personal friends.
December 1, 2023
this is an old old favorite, that i've owned most of my life and now can't find on my shelves (CV planned activity- clean and reorganize my sprawling bookshelves.) i'd love to re-read it and see how it holds up, as it's been decades since i read it last. i love elizabeth goudge and i'm betting i still love this one.
11/30/23. Found my old copy and just finished a happy re-read. I'm leaving it at a 4. I enjoy the first half of the book, The Child and the Idyll, so very much. It's also the most fictional part. The second half, The Woman, follows the little history we know about Lucy, and it's not a happy story. It's all Goudge's gorgeous writing, so I'm in for it all, but I so want better for the wild, joyful Lucy we first come to know. For sure staying on my bookshelf, although next time I may give myself permission to quit while it's still happy.
11/30/23. Found my old copy and just finished a happy re-read. I'm leaving it at a 4. I enjoy the first half of the book, The Child and the Idyll, so very much. It's also the most fictional part. The second half, The Woman, follows the little history we know about Lucy, and it's not a happy story. It's all Goudge's gorgeous writing, so I'm in for it all, but I so want better for the wild, joyful Lucy we first come to know. For sure staying on my bookshelf, although next time I may give myself permission to quit while it's still happy.
October 2, 2013
I loved this book, although it was hard to read at times because of the subject matter and knowing how Lucy ends up in the end. I really felt her pain and joys throughout the story. The descriptions of scenery and characters are remarkable, as I've found in other books by Elizabeth Goudge. I felt the pain and intensity of feeling Lucy had during her life, despite the circumstances being so foreign to me. I was nearly distraught at the end, exhausted by the depth of this woman's soul and the life she'd lived for love. I want to read some of Goudge's other novels again now.
April 1, 2008
If you like historical fiction, you will love this book about Charles Stuart and Lucy Walter. There is very little written about Lucy and her marriage to Prince Charles, but Elizabeth Goudge does a brilliant job in bringing their love story to light. I loved the beautiful descriptions of the surrounding countryside and there is no one else who can quite describe the emotions of a child/woman as Goudge.
November 6, 2009
Although I do not reread this frequently as I do her juveniles, this historical novel by Goudge about Charles II's most famous mistress is readable and compelling, so long as one is not in a hurry. Goudge's historicals are sweeping but deliberate and slow paced, much like those of Inglis Fletcher.
July 10, 2010
this is a good book for serious readers of british historical fiction. it was gorgeously written, but humongous. a very nice clean read, with attention paid to the spiritual development of the main character, lucy walter. i particularly loved how goudge illuminated the webs of dark and light in human relationships.
December 30, 2008
This book I will NEVER forget! I read it so long ago, more than 30 years ago. It was the beginning of my love of the historical novel and global history. And it was so romantic and heartbreaking! I read it in one day, I couldn't put it down.
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