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Perotine
On a bleak autumn morning in 1555, Protestant Perotine wakes to find her husband packed to leave. Catholicism has returned to Guernsey, and, fearing for his life, he abandons Perotine, her sister and mother to face increasing hostility alone.
The three women endure a challenging winter of rain, isolation, and poverty - until a dramatic series of events draws unwanted attention. When a local woman asks Perotine to hide stolen goods, what begins as a trial for theft spirals into accusations of heresy.
Secluded, steadfast, and terrified, the women face their plight with fortitude and prayers. Together.
But Perotine Massey holds a terrible secret. One that could bring a reprieve, or a fate worse than death.
And she’ll do anything to keep that secret safe.
The three women endure a challenging winter of rain, isolation, and poverty - until a dramatic series of events draws unwanted attention. When a local woman asks Perotine to hide stolen goods, what begins as a trial for theft spirals into accusations of heresy.
Secluded, steadfast, and terrified, the women face their plight with fortitude and prayers. Together.
But Perotine Massey holds a terrible secret. One that could bring a reprieve, or a fate worse than death.
And she’ll do anything to keep that secret safe.
312 pages, Paperback
Published April 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 23, 2026
Set in 1555 - 1556 on the island of Guernsey, Catholic Queen Mary is on the throne and Protestants are being persecuted. Resources are scarce and winters are hard; harmonious trust is vital for this island community. Three Protestant women are living together in poverty with no man to support them. Isolated and shunned by their friends and neighbours, they are arrested and tried for heresy.
The first half of the book really sets out in rich, vivid detail the place, the time, the landscape, the characters and their circumstances. The latter half of the book then progresses through the arrest and trial of Perotine, her mother and her sister.
Yes, religious discrimination still exists, but when I think about how we now see Christian denominations joining together in celebration for events and services in our local towns, the circumstances surrounding the Guernsey Martyrs is horrifyingly sad and truly intolerable. The punishment imposed upon these women (by men in positions of authority) is harsh, brutal and utterly incomprehensible. Perotine’s strength is tremendous; an assured strength that comes from her deep faith and she firmly believes this is a test from the Lord that they must endure.
“Women’s courage is not as men’s.”
Meticulously researched, author Dreena Collins has created a compelling historical reimagining of the life and times of the Guernsey Martyrs; and puts these remarkable women front and centre, at the heart of this novel - a novel that will stay with me.
I urge all historical fiction fans to read this marvellous, heart wrenching novel. The story of Perotine Massey is shocking and bitter; her name deserves to be remembered.
The first half of the book really sets out in rich, vivid detail the place, the time, the landscape, the characters and their circumstances. The latter half of the book then progresses through the arrest and trial of Perotine, her mother and her sister.
Yes, religious discrimination still exists, but when I think about how we now see Christian denominations joining together in celebration for events and services in our local towns, the circumstances surrounding the Guernsey Martyrs is horrifyingly sad and truly intolerable. The punishment imposed upon these women (by men in positions of authority) is harsh, brutal and utterly incomprehensible. Perotine’s strength is tremendous; an assured strength that comes from her deep faith and she firmly believes this is a test from the Lord that they must endure.
“Women’s courage is not as men’s.”
Meticulously researched, author Dreena Collins has created a compelling historical reimagining of the life and times of the Guernsey Martyrs; and puts these remarkable women front and centre, at the heart of this novel - a novel that will stay with me.
I urge all historical fiction fans to read this marvellous, heart wrenching novel. The story of Perotine Massey is shocking and bitter; her name deserves to be remembered.
Review of advance copy received from Author
In 1556, when Bloody Mary is on the throne and Protestants are being persecuted in the most vile manner, three ordinary women living in poverty on the island of Guernsey are tried for heresy.
They have become known - but not at all widely - as The Guernsey Martyrs - and Perotine, the youngest of the three, is the protagonist in this novel which bears her name.
The story begins when Perotine is newly married, to a French Protestant minister who has chosen to live on Guernsey. They live with her mother and sister, both widowed. Then David - the husband - leaves, afraid of persecution in a small community where he stands out like a sore thumb. They will be fine, he assures them, because this is their home, their people. No harm will come to them.
Perotine and her small family find themselves having to cope alone, with no means of support, and increasingly isolated from a community which has bent with the winds of change. Besides, they are three women with no man to look after them - an anomaly in itself.
There are several aspects I admire about this work.
One is how realistically the lives of the islanders, and especially of Perotine's family, are portrayed. Dreena Collins has done her research and conveys it to the reader in lilting, evocative prose so that you are there - from wading in the cold sea gathering vraic (seaweed) to heat your cottage and scrabbling in a muddy, sodden vegetable bed for the last of the roots, to the cramped, damp, and cold cell the women are held in while awaiting sentencing.
The attitudes of the islanders, too, are sharply defined by their behaviours towards the three. There is the farmer's wife, who dares to persuade her husband to offer a few days work, discreetly. There is the priest, who gently tries to warn the mother that her devotion to her faith has set her and her daughters apart. And then there are the Important Men of the community, the ones who hold and love to wield the power. And others in between, all vivid and real.
What I loved most, however, was the depiction of Perotine herself. She is very young, the baby of the family. She is devout, honest, and she trusts that Good will Triumph. The mother is portrayed as intelligent, committed to her beliefs, realistic; and the sister as open, friendly, but incisive.
Perotine strives to match their maturity. But as events unfold and she meets the piled on miseries with a deeply held faith and a firm belief she is being tested and must endure, her helplessness and confused innocence is heart breaking.
Of course, the most heart breaking aspect is that the bare facts of the story are history - not fiction. Perotine brings that tragic history to vivid life, raw, gritty, emotional. A deeply compelling read.
They have become known - but not at all widely - as The Guernsey Martyrs - and Perotine, the youngest of the three, is the protagonist in this novel which bears her name.
The story begins when Perotine is newly married, to a French Protestant minister who has chosen to live on Guernsey. They live with her mother and sister, both widowed. Then David - the husband - leaves, afraid of persecution in a small community where he stands out like a sore thumb. They will be fine, he assures them, because this is their home, their people. No harm will come to them.
Perotine and her small family find themselves having to cope alone, with no means of support, and increasingly isolated from a community which has bent with the winds of change. Besides, they are three women with no man to look after them - an anomaly in itself.
There are several aspects I admire about this work.
One is how realistically the lives of the islanders, and especially of Perotine's family, are portrayed. Dreena Collins has done her research and conveys it to the reader in lilting, evocative prose so that you are there - from wading in the cold sea gathering vraic (seaweed) to heat your cottage and scrabbling in a muddy, sodden vegetable bed for the last of the roots, to the cramped, damp, and cold cell the women are held in while awaiting sentencing.
The attitudes of the islanders, too, are sharply defined by their behaviours towards the three. There is the farmer's wife, who dares to persuade her husband to offer a few days work, discreetly. There is the priest, who gently tries to warn the mother that her devotion to her faith has set her and her daughters apart. And then there are the Important Men of the community, the ones who hold and love to wield the power. And others in between, all vivid and real.
What I loved most, however, was the depiction of Perotine herself. She is very young, the baby of the family. She is devout, honest, and she trusts that Good will Triumph. The mother is portrayed as intelligent, committed to her beliefs, realistic; and the sister as open, friendly, but incisive.
Perotine strives to match their maturity. But as events unfold and she meets the piled on miseries with a deeply held faith and a firm belief she is being tested and must endure, her helplessness and confused innocence is heart breaking.
Of course, the most heart breaking aspect is that the bare facts of the story are history - not fiction. Perotine brings that tragic history to vivid life, raw, gritty, emotional. A deeply compelling read.
April 20, 2026
Thanks to @rachel'srandomresources for the eARC gifted copy for review.
Perotine by Dreena Collins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚 Blurb 📚
On a bleak autumn morning in 1555, Protestant Perotine wakes to find her husband packed to leave. Catholicism has returned to Guernsey, and, fearing for his life, he abandons Perotine, her sister and mother to face increasing hostility alone.
The three women endure a challenging winter of rain, isolation, and poverty - until a dramatic series of events draws unwanted attention. When a local woman asks Perotine to hide stolen goods, what begins as a trial for theft spirals into accusations of heresy. Secluded, steadfast, and terrified, the women face their plight with fortitude and prayers. Together. But Perotine Massey holds a terrible secret. One that could bring a reprieve, or a fate worse than death.
And she’ll do anything to keep that secret safe.
⭐️ My Review ⭐️
I'm fascinated by this period of history and the Guernsey Martyrs are a fantastically interesting topic. The novel is well researched and ypu can feel this when reading- the tension is palpable as you move through the book, with young Perotine and her family being described not only as realistic and imaginable characters, but as headstrong in the face of adversity. Perotine, her mother and sibling each bring a different quality to the story, adding depth. It's a gritty novel and one that you can easily forget is based in truth.
I definitely recommend it to those who love historical fiction, especially those that uncover lesser known historical events.
Perotine by Dreena Collins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚 Blurb 📚
On a bleak autumn morning in 1555, Protestant Perotine wakes to find her husband packed to leave. Catholicism has returned to Guernsey, and, fearing for his life, he abandons Perotine, her sister and mother to face increasing hostility alone.
The three women endure a challenging winter of rain, isolation, and poverty - until a dramatic series of events draws unwanted attention. When a local woman asks Perotine to hide stolen goods, what begins as a trial for theft spirals into accusations of heresy. Secluded, steadfast, and terrified, the women face their plight with fortitude and prayers. Together. But Perotine Massey holds a terrible secret. One that could bring a reprieve, or a fate worse than death.
And she’ll do anything to keep that secret safe.
⭐️ My Review ⭐️
I'm fascinated by this period of history and the Guernsey Martyrs are a fantastically interesting topic. The novel is well researched and ypu can feel this when reading- the tension is palpable as you move through the book, with young Perotine and her family being described not only as realistic and imaginable characters, but as headstrong in the face of adversity. Perotine, her mother and sibling each bring a different quality to the story, adding depth. It's a gritty novel and one that you can easily forget is based in truth.
I definitely recommend it to those who love historical fiction, especially those that uncover lesser known historical events.
May 27, 2026
Perotine is an historical fiction novel based on the real story of the Guernsey martyrs who were burned as Protestants during the reign of ‘Bloody’ Mary I.
Perotine lives at home with her husband, and her mother and sister. Her husband is a Calvinist from France and mistrusted by the local community as an outsider. The women are therefore tarnished by association but don't help themselves by not going to church and are also tainted by the bad reputation of their son/brother.
I was swept up in the authentic historical detail of the plot especially how the women become vulnerable through the rejection of their community. However I struggled to understand the relationship between Perotine and her husband as he has no redeeming features and the affection seemed minimal. I felt that there could have been more depth to the characters' emotions and relationships.
The incarceration of the women and the graphic depiction of their final moments is difficult to read because it is so convincing. The horror of the events is portrayed with devastating simplicity. I liked the author's historical note at the end to explain choices of plot and characterisation.
Perotine is a chilling depiction of one family's experience of the Tudor religious persecution.
Perotine lives at home with her husband, and her mother and sister. Her husband is a Calvinist from France and mistrusted by the local community as an outsider. The women are therefore tarnished by association but don't help themselves by not going to church and are also tainted by the bad reputation of their son/brother.
I was swept up in the authentic historical detail of the plot especially how the women become vulnerable through the rejection of their community. However I struggled to understand the relationship between Perotine and her husband as he has no redeeming features and the affection seemed minimal. I felt that there could have been more depth to the characters' emotions and relationships.
The incarceration of the women and the graphic depiction of their final moments is difficult to read because it is so convincing. The horror of the events is portrayed with devastating simplicity. I liked the author's historical note at the end to explain choices of plot and characterisation.
Perotine is a chilling depiction of one family's experience of the Tudor religious persecution.
May 8, 2026
The true story of the Guernsey martyrs is brought vividly and heartbreakingly to life in this tense, emotional read. I was gripped from the beginning and couldn’t help myself rooting for Perotine and her family every painful step of the way. Because the narrative is so realistic, and the women’s hardship so clearly defined, Perotine is not a comfortable read but it is a compelling one. Highly recommended.
May 23, 2026
I’m not usually a great lover of historical fiction but really enjoyed Perotine. My initial interest was in all things Guernsey related but this novel is far more than that - the characters are convincing and beautifully drawn, and the story is as gripping as it is disturbing. An evocative and thought provoking read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews