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Late Harvest
This passionate West Country smuggling saga set in the early 19th-century is an intriguing departure for Tudor mystery writer Fiona Buckley.
Exmoor, 1800. When farmer’s daughter Peggy Shawe meets the charismatic Ralph Duggan, son of a so-called ‘free trader’, it’s love at first sight. Determined to prevent the match, Peggy’s widowed mother sends her daughter to live with the Duggans for six weeks, believing she will be put off marriage to Ralph when she discovers what life is like among a smuggling family.
Matters take a dramatic turn however when Ralph’s brother Philip is suspected of murder, and Ralph and Philip are despatched to distant relatives across the Atlantic. Heartbroken, Peggy vows to be reunited with her lover one day. But it will be several years before she and Ralph are destined to meet again – and in very different circumstances . . .
Exmoor, 1800. When farmer’s daughter Peggy Shawe meets the charismatic Ralph Duggan, son of a so-called ‘free trader’, it’s love at first sight. Determined to prevent the match, Peggy’s widowed mother sends her daughter to live with the Duggans for six weeks, believing she will be put off marriage to Ralph when she discovers what life is like among a smuggling family.
Matters take a dramatic turn however when Ralph’s brother Philip is suspected of murder, and Ralph and Philip are despatched to distant relatives across the Atlantic. Heartbroken, Peggy vows to be reunited with her lover one day. But it will be several years before she and Ralph are destined to meet again – and in very different circumstances . . .
246 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Buckley
47 books188 followersValerie Anand is a British author of historical fiction. Under the pen name Fiona Buckley she writes the series of historical mysteries, set in the reign of Elizabeth I of England, featuring "Ursula Blanchard" (whose full name is Ursula Faldene Blanchard de la Roche Stannard). Under her own name she writes historical fiction based on the royalty of England and the Bridges over Time series which follows a family from the eleventh century through the nineteenth century.
Series:
* Ursula Blanchard
Series:
* Ursula Blanchard
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 9, 2017
Fiona Buckley is best known for her Tudor-era mystery series featuring Ursula Blanchard, lady-in-waiting (and more) at the court of the first Queen Elizabeth. Under her real name, Valerie Anand, she has crafted many outstanding historical novels set in various periods of England’s history, including the six-book Bridges Over Time series as well as two linked standalone novels (The House of Lanyon and The House of Allerbrook) set on Exmoor in Somerset in the 15th and 16th centuries respectively.
In terms of style and focus, her newest historical saga, Late Harvest, belongs in the same category with the latter. It brings together bucolic settings, timeless human dilemmas, epic romance, and dashing adventure (including intrigue surrounding illegal smuggling) reminiscent of the Poldark novels.
The heroine is Peggy Shawe of Foxwell Farm, a freehold on Exmoor in the county of Somerset. In 1860, as an elderly woman, she looks back on a life which her fellow countrymen might call scandalous, but of which she's proud... she has no regrets about her actions. Her main sorrow involves the many years she was forced to spend apart from the man she loved and lost, Ralph Duggan.
In 1800, Peggy is 20 years old, and there’s always been the unspoken understanding that she’d marry James Bright, the younger son from another farming family. Although Peggy and James are childhood friends, she finds him solid but dull. Then Peggy falls in love with Ralph, whose father engages in “free trading” to avoid the excessive import duties on foreign goods. Peggy’s widowed mother strongly objects to their marriage, claiming they’re unsuited: “Farming families should marry into one another. The sea and the land don’t mix.” Ultimately, their future together is thwarted after Ralph’s brother is accused of murder.
Mention is made of the Napoleonic Wars, but specific events don’t intrude much into the story. However, a deep sense of time and place is ever-present in the farmers’ speech patterns, the beautiful descriptions of the heather-covered moorlands and rocky coastline of Somerset, and local men’s actions against government overreach. People’s long-term relationships with the land are emphasized. “It was,” Peggy states, observing the yarn market at Dunster, “as though bygone times still existed, preserved in the things our ancestors had built.”
Many sagas that span this amount of time can have an episodic feel, but Late Harvest is smoothly paced as it follows Peggy’s domestic life and adventures over many decades. The story comes full circle in a satisfying fashion but takes many twists on its way there.
For those curious about the setting, aside from the painting on the novel's cover, see the Exford page on the Visit Somerset tourism site. Exford is the rural village where the Shawes live, and it's beautiful country.
First published at Reading the Past, based on a NetGalley copy.
In terms of style and focus, her newest historical saga, Late Harvest, belongs in the same category with the latter. It brings together bucolic settings, timeless human dilemmas, epic romance, and dashing adventure (including intrigue surrounding illegal smuggling) reminiscent of the Poldark novels.
The heroine is Peggy Shawe of Foxwell Farm, a freehold on Exmoor in the county of Somerset. In 1860, as an elderly woman, she looks back on a life which her fellow countrymen might call scandalous, but of which she's proud... she has no regrets about her actions. Her main sorrow involves the many years she was forced to spend apart from the man she loved and lost, Ralph Duggan.
In 1800, Peggy is 20 years old, and there’s always been the unspoken understanding that she’d marry James Bright, the younger son from another farming family. Although Peggy and James are childhood friends, she finds him solid but dull. Then Peggy falls in love with Ralph, whose father engages in “free trading” to avoid the excessive import duties on foreign goods. Peggy’s widowed mother strongly objects to their marriage, claiming they’re unsuited: “Farming families should marry into one another. The sea and the land don’t mix.” Ultimately, their future together is thwarted after Ralph’s brother is accused of murder.
Mention is made of the Napoleonic Wars, but specific events don’t intrude much into the story. However, a deep sense of time and place is ever-present in the farmers’ speech patterns, the beautiful descriptions of the heather-covered moorlands and rocky coastline of Somerset, and local men’s actions against government overreach. People’s long-term relationships with the land are emphasized. “It was,” Peggy states, observing the yarn market at Dunster, “as though bygone times still existed, preserved in the things our ancestors had built.”
Many sagas that span this amount of time can have an episodic feel, but Late Harvest is smoothly paced as it follows Peggy’s domestic life and adventures over many decades. The story comes full circle in a satisfying fashion but takes many twists on its way there.
For those curious about the setting, aside from the painting on the novel's cover, see the Exford page on the Visit Somerset tourism site. Exford is the rural village where the Shawes live, and it's beautiful country.
First published at Reading the Past, based on a NetGalley copy.
June 25, 2016
Love's eternal story.
A timeless story of two young lovers torn from each other's lives by murder. Not quite Tess of the Durbervilles, but you can sense the fecundity of the landscape and imagine the breadth of the moors, and the generations of folk of the land with Buckley's telling descriptive writing. All is vivid, you can smell the moors and taste the sea of Exmoor in the 1800's.
A tale of smuggling, love and accepting what life throws at you. Of a lost love that when faced down defies sense and sensibilities. At times I felt like I was moving in a Constable painting, at others I was looking around for Ross Poldark and Demelza.
Peggy Shawe was engaged to Ralph Duggan, a free trader, a euphemism for smuggler. Her mother sends Peggy to live with Ralph's family for six weeks to test the relationship. When Ralph's brother Philip is accused of murder, Philip is forced to flee England. Ralph goes with him, and with that event Ralph and Peggy's story takes a different path. Although determined to wait for him Peggy is worn down by the importuning of her family to marry into a neighbouring farming family and to secure the care of her own family's holding. After time Peggy gives in.
You can feel the unhappiness of Peggy and her slow coming to acceptance of what life has dealt her, only to have it ripped once more from her grasp by one heady and unlooked for moment.
The tragedy of her life is that she was given no choice. She makes do, but in the end making do is not enough. One comes to hate how women were treated and the narrowness of some minds.
Ralph Duggan and Peggy Shawe's love was tangible and real and yet both bowed to circumstances and the times. Love lost and love gained, years that never quashed their secret feelings for each other, pushed as they were to a small secret corner of their hearts.
A NetGalley ARC
A timeless story of two young lovers torn from each other's lives by murder. Not quite Tess of the Durbervilles, but you can sense the fecundity of the landscape and imagine the breadth of the moors, and the generations of folk of the land with Buckley's telling descriptive writing. All is vivid, you can smell the moors and taste the sea of Exmoor in the 1800's.
A tale of smuggling, love and accepting what life throws at you. Of a lost love that when faced down defies sense and sensibilities. At times I felt like I was moving in a Constable painting, at others I was looking around for Ross Poldark and Demelza.
Peggy Shawe was engaged to Ralph Duggan, a free trader, a euphemism for smuggler. Her mother sends Peggy to live with Ralph's family for six weeks to test the relationship. When Ralph's brother Philip is accused of murder, Philip is forced to flee England. Ralph goes with him, and with that event Ralph and Peggy's story takes a different path. Although determined to wait for him Peggy is worn down by the importuning of her family to marry into a neighbouring farming family and to secure the care of her own family's holding. After time Peggy gives in.
You can feel the unhappiness of Peggy and her slow coming to acceptance of what life has dealt her, only to have it ripped once more from her grasp by one heady and unlooked for moment.
The tragedy of her life is that she was given no choice. She makes do, but in the end making do is not enough. One comes to hate how women were treated and the narrowness of some minds.
Ralph Duggan and Peggy Shawe's love was tangible and real and yet both bowed to circumstances and the times. Love lost and love gained, years that never quashed their secret feelings for each other, pushed as they were to a small secret corner of their hearts.
A NetGalley ARC
May 17, 2016
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn Publishing House.
I have read other novels by Fiona Buckley but they have always been mysteries. When I saw that this was not a mystery I was intrigued because I enjoy historical fiction. The writing in this novel is superb and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the characters develop over a long period of time. The feeling of the historical time is also very well done with the influences of the reign of George III forming the basis for the split between two communities and the way they earned their livelihood.
The story is told from the viewpoint of eighty year old Margaret "Peggy" Shawe in the year 1860 as she looks back at her life. In these tiny Exmoor villages people were born to be either of the land, farmers, or of the sea and all the related ways of making a living from the sea. As Peggy's mother often told her, land and sea don't mix; the meaning was very clear, stick to your own kind and her kind were farming folk. It was accepted as fact that Peggy would marry one of the sons of a neighboring farmer. The problem is that Peggy has met Ralph Duggan and the Duggan's are boat builders and free traders, otherwise known as smugglers. The story involves all the twists and turns fate has in store for us when we think we have our future all mapped out.
I did enjoy this new type of novel by Fiona Buckley and think it was a success. Because the story is told from Peggy's remembrances there are large portions of the novel without dialog. Sometimes those sequences seemed to go on for a long time. If you enjoy this period of British history around the 1800s to the 1860s and the lives of those evading the King's Revenuers, this will be a welcome reading experience.
I have read other novels by Fiona Buckley but they have always been mysteries. When I saw that this was not a mystery I was intrigued because I enjoy historical fiction. The writing in this novel is superb and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the characters develop over a long period of time. The feeling of the historical time is also very well done with the influences of the reign of George III forming the basis for the split between two communities and the way they earned their livelihood.
The story is told from the viewpoint of eighty year old Margaret "Peggy" Shawe in the year 1860 as she looks back at her life. In these tiny Exmoor villages people were born to be either of the land, farmers, or of the sea and all the related ways of making a living from the sea. As Peggy's mother often told her, land and sea don't mix; the meaning was very clear, stick to your own kind and her kind were farming folk. It was accepted as fact that Peggy would marry one of the sons of a neighboring farmer. The problem is that Peggy has met Ralph Duggan and the Duggan's are boat builders and free traders, otherwise known as smugglers. The story involves all the twists and turns fate has in store for us when we think we have our future all mapped out.
I did enjoy this new type of novel by Fiona Buckley and think it was a success. Because the story is told from Peggy's remembrances there are large portions of the novel without dialog. Sometimes those sequences seemed to go on for a long time. If you enjoy this period of British history around the 1800s to the 1860s and the lives of those evading the King's Revenuers, this will be a welcome reading experience.
September 30, 2016
This book has a beautiful cover, evocative of the time period. I love historical stories that tell of a different life - everything from the lords and ladies of the regency period to the working class in Iris Gower's Swansea, to tales of the tudors or knights and their swords or Scottish Lairds and their remote clans and castles, so this cover conjured up the idea of hours of happy reading for me.
And it was, but the story mostly plodded along. I didn't like the characters very much, although I did find their way of life interesting. I think I always felt at arms' length from the characters because the book was written more in a memoir style, with the main character recounting the story of her life, so the narration style was very much more telling than showing. Possibly this is why I never felt a great deal of empathy for Peggy and couldn't really sympathise with her. Nor did I experience any of her passion for Ralph.
I enjoyed the English setting, and a time period/social class that I don't often see explored. I think the brutality of history is often overlooked in novels - the harsh weather and living hand to mouth, or the true danger of disease and animal death. I would have liked even more detail about their lives at times, to be shown how Peggy felt about things and what was going on in her head, but this is more difficult within the structure of the memoir.
A good, believable read. A solid three stars from me.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
And it was, but the story mostly plodded along. I didn't like the characters very much, although I did find their way of life interesting. I think I always felt at arms' length from the characters because the book was written more in a memoir style, with the main character recounting the story of her life, so the narration style was very much more telling than showing. Possibly this is why I never felt a great deal of empathy for Peggy and couldn't really sympathise with her. Nor did I experience any of her passion for Ralph.
I enjoyed the English setting, and a time period/social class that I don't often see explored. I think the brutality of history is often overlooked in novels - the harsh weather and living hand to mouth, or the true danger of disease and animal death. I would have liked even more detail about their lives at times, to be shown how Peggy felt about things and what was going on in her head, but this is more difficult within the structure of the memoir.
A good, believable read. A solid three stars from me.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
June 20, 2022
A retrospective of the life of Margaret (Peggy) Shawe as related by Peggy herself. There are many twists and turns along with ups and downs in her life. Perseverance appears to have been one of Peggy's qualities. Being a lifetime story some events were dealt with in greater detail with other details being more generally summarized.
April 18, 2016
Fiona Buckley is another author who has been on my list for some time; I read some of her Elizabethan mysteries, and partly had her on the List so I could keep track of them. I didn't quite leap at this book – a departure for her, set in the very early 1800's – but I did perk up a little and request it without hesitation.
And it was very readable. It's been long enough that I don't recall what kept me from loving the Elizabeth mysteries, but they wouldn't have been on the list if I didn't at least enjoy spending a few hours with each one, and I certainly don't regret the time spent on this … but … Not very far into it I made a note: quite simply, "I don't like any of these people". It isn't a Wuthering Heights level of dislike for the cast of characters – just simply a mild distaste for everyone, from heroine Peggy Shawe, of Foxwell farm on Exmoor – proper-spoken and nearly twenty-one as the book begins – and her family, to James – the young man her parents want her to marry – to Ralph Duggan, the young man with whom she falls instantly and deeply in love. Terrible things happen, and Ralph's brother has to go on the run – and because he is young and in trouble Ralph must go with him. And since true love doesn't feed the bulldog, Peggy ends up marrying James after all. And James quickly goes from being a rather boring and colorless substitute for True Love to being … well, to go back to Wuthering Heights, he becomes a bit Heathcliff. Not in a good way. If there is a good way to be a bit Heathcliff … and I maintain that there is not. James is a nasty piece of work.
Well, no, I have to correct what I said up there – I did like one character a bit: Harriet. If you read the book you'll see why that didn't turn out so well.
And Love's Young Dream, Ralph? Let me put it this way. My grandmother was named Elizabeth Duggan. I've never seen the name used in a book before – and I am unhappy that of all the characters in all the books I've read, this jerk has to be the one named Duggan.
My frustrations with this book and its characters were manifold. The stupidity of the behavior and decisions of these people … The midnight swiving that resulted in a bastard daughter made me sigh and roll my eyes, because it was so stunningly dumb, and such a disgusting move considering both of them were married, and both had children – and that Peggy quite liked Ralph's wife. "I could have liked Harriet so much, and in another world we could have been such good friends"… Yeah, well, when you cuckold a woman it does tend to get in the way of a lasting and meaningful friendship. (Then of course some time later when the bastard daughter is sent to school to learn from her father's wife's brother… Really?)
The fact that Ralph kept on with the smuggling despite all the begging, despite the insanely high stupidity level of the thing, just served to irritate me continuously. '…Oh dear heaven!’ Suddenly it burst out of her. ‘If only he would give up the free trading, as he calls it! I loathe it. I’m frightened all the time, and I think it’s so wrong, anyway! And then of course there's the recurring "Ralph is about to get caught smuggling he must be warned and saved from the punishment he so richly deserves!" thing which happens not once, not twice, but three times. (My note late in the book: "not AGAIN".) Spoiler: He doesn't give up because it's illegal. He doesn’t give it up because his mother doesn't like it. He doesn't give it up because it terrifies his wife. He doesn't give it up because his lover hates it. He doesn't give it up because it leads directly to the ruination of his lover's life or because it leads directly to his wife's death. Nope. He gives it up because he has the realities of transportation rubbed forcibly in his face, and realizes he's not tough enough to survive that. Self-centered ass.
There are character deaths because of these stunningly stupid decisions – "'his ma caught her death warning her husband not to go out smuggling that night'" –and lives ruined, and while that doesn't mean it isn't all perfectly realistic it does make it hard to tolerate.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
And it was very readable. It's been long enough that I don't recall what kept me from loving the Elizabeth mysteries, but they wouldn't have been on the list if I didn't at least enjoy spending a few hours with each one, and I certainly don't regret the time spent on this … but … Not very far into it I made a note: quite simply, "I don't like any of these people". It isn't a Wuthering Heights level of dislike for the cast of characters – just simply a mild distaste for everyone, from heroine Peggy Shawe, of Foxwell farm on Exmoor – proper-spoken and nearly twenty-one as the book begins – and her family, to James – the young man her parents want her to marry – to Ralph Duggan, the young man with whom she falls instantly and deeply in love. Terrible things happen, and Ralph's brother has to go on the run – and because he is young and in trouble Ralph must go with him. And since true love doesn't feed the bulldog, Peggy ends up marrying James after all. And James quickly goes from being a rather boring and colorless substitute for True Love to being … well, to go back to Wuthering Heights, he becomes a bit Heathcliff. Not in a good way. If there is a good way to be a bit Heathcliff … and I maintain that there is not. James is a nasty piece of work.
Well, no, I have to correct what I said up there – I did like one character a bit: Harriet. If you read the book you'll see why that didn't turn out so well.
And Love's Young Dream, Ralph? Let me put it this way. My grandmother was named Elizabeth Duggan. I've never seen the name used in a book before – and I am unhappy that of all the characters in all the books I've read, this jerk has to be the one named Duggan.
My frustrations with this book and its characters were manifold. The stupidity of the behavior and decisions of these people … The midnight swiving that resulted in a bastard daughter made me sigh and roll my eyes, because it was so stunningly dumb, and such a disgusting move considering both of them were married, and both had children – and that Peggy quite liked Ralph's wife. "I could have liked Harriet so much, and in another world we could have been such good friends"… Yeah, well, when you cuckold a woman it does tend to get in the way of a lasting and meaningful friendship. (Then of course some time later when the bastard daughter is sent to school to learn from her father's wife's brother… Really?)
The fact that Ralph kept on with the smuggling despite all the begging, despite the insanely high stupidity level of the thing, just served to irritate me continuously. '…Oh dear heaven!’ Suddenly it burst out of her. ‘If only he would give up the free trading, as he calls it! I loathe it. I’m frightened all the time, and I think it’s so wrong, anyway! And then of course there's the recurring "Ralph is about to get caught smuggling he must be warned and saved from the punishment he so richly deserves!" thing which happens not once, not twice, but three times. (My note late in the book: "not AGAIN".) Spoiler: He doesn't give up because it's illegal. He doesn’t give it up because his mother doesn't like it. He doesn't give it up because it terrifies his wife. He doesn't give it up because his lover hates it. He doesn't give it up because it leads directly to the ruination of his lover's life or because it leads directly to his wife's death. Nope. He gives it up because he has the realities of transportation rubbed forcibly in his face, and realizes he's not tough enough to survive that. Self-centered ass.
There are character deaths because of these stunningly stupid decisions – "'his ma caught her death warning her husband not to go out smuggling that night'" –and lives ruined, and while that doesn't mean it isn't all perfectly realistic it does make it hard to tolerate.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
August 11, 2016
This is a character driven family saga about a young woman and the young man she loves. A murder impedes their romance, ripping them apart. The setting is Exmoor in the 1800s, a difficult time where farmers struggle to make a living off the land. Smugglers abound as a means to keep above debt and away from debtors. The relationship are all complex, with none of the characters perfect. And this is what I liked. Everyone has their faults, just like in real life, and the heroine and the hero are not necessarily good for each other.
Despite her mother's disapproval, Peggy Shawe accepts Ralph Duggan's marriage proposal. He is a smuggler and not the best choice for Peggy. So she is sent to live with her fuure family for six weeks on a trial basis. During this time, Ralph's brother is accused of murder and is forced to flee the country. Of course this does not sit well with Peggy's mother, who becomes more determined than ever to pull her daughter away from the impending marriage. Soon Peggy has no choice but to marry someone else. What follows is what happens when true love is thwarted and forsaken for duty and responsibility.
I love family dramas like this. Fiona Buckley did an excellent job at recreating Exmoor in the 1800s and very colorful, faulted characters. This is the essence of a believeable story. The story unfolds with a steady pace and I enjoyed every page from start to finish. Definitely recommended for those who love historical fiction about human hardship and emotion.
Thank you to the author and publisher. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for visiting my blog, http://greathistoricals.blogspot.ca, where the greatest historical fiction is reviewed! For fascinating women of history bios and women's fiction please visit http://www.historyandwomen.com.
Despite her mother's disapproval, Peggy Shawe accepts Ralph Duggan's marriage proposal. He is a smuggler and not the best choice for Peggy. So she is sent to live with her fuure family for six weeks on a trial basis. During this time, Ralph's brother is accused of murder and is forced to flee the country. Of course this does not sit well with Peggy's mother, who becomes more determined than ever to pull her daughter away from the impending marriage. Soon Peggy has no choice but to marry someone else. What follows is what happens when true love is thwarted and forsaken for duty and responsibility.
I love family dramas like this. Fiona Buckley did an excellent job at recreating Exmoor in the 1800s and very colorful, faulted characters. This is the essence of a believeable story. The story unfolds with a steady pace and I enjoyed every page from start to finish. Definitely recommended for those who love historical fiction about human hardship and emotion.
Thank you to the author and publisher. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for visiting my blog, http://greathistoricals.blogspot.ca, where the greatest historical fiction is reviewed! For fascinating women of history bios and women's fiction please visit http://www.historyandwomen.com.
September 5, 2016
I have been stuck in a rut in my reading lately finding only mediocre modern drivel which is poorly constructed. So it is pure joy to stumble upon a classic type book of recent issue! Reading Late Harvest was pure joy. The plot of Late Harvest is a simple one but with enough intrigue to keep the reader interested. What works for me are the descriptions of time and place which are historic, poetic, wonderful. I was on the moors, on the sea, experiencing my first kiss, walking behind the coffin to the church, devastated by the loss of my lover. Thank you Fiona for your classic turn of the pen.
May 13, 2017
A romance with a twist. It is hard to say much about it without spoilers, but this novel provides an excellent view of life in the West Country of England during the early 1800s, from the viewpoint of Peggy Shawe. Peggy had always expected to marry James Bright, with whom she had grown up, but a chance meeting with Ralph Duggan changes everything. The two fall in love at first sight, despite their very different backgrounds. So Peggy goes to stay with the Duggans to see if she can fit into their world. But outside events intervene, and nothing quite turns out like she expects. Excellent characterization and vivid description make this book hard to put down. Highly recommended.
July 12, 2017
I had a hard time getting into this book, but enjoyed the final 2/3. An interesting mystery, with a lot of personal and family dynamics involved. Personal decision making and moral dilemmas. And interesting departure from mystery for Fiona Buckley.
April 14, 2018
En la orilla sur del río Severn, en el estuario de Bristol, se desarrolla una historia de amor durante el siglo XIX que dará lugar a una cosecha tardía. La guerra con Napoleón, el contrabando y las leyes inglesas del tiempo dan color al relato.
November 10, 2018
I was going to call this "Jamaica Inn," the boring years, but it did pick up at the halfway mark. Good slice of life on Exmoor over 80 years, and nice to read a later in life love story.
I do recommend this.
I do recommend this.
February 11, 2020
If you enjoy love stories with little bit of adventure... then this is book for you. Peggy is a sassy lady who knows her heart. She loves with her whole heart , and is stead fast in her love of Ralph the smuggler.
November 12, 2022
A slow slow read but the author captivates the times accurately. The main character endures obstacles and struggles more often that she wants. The times were different for her than what women experience today. Enjoyed the setting in English countryside and the sea.
August 1, 2023
I love this book! I really enjoyed the geographical and time setting. I felt like I time travelled back to the 1800s. I enjoyed the writing. I enjoyed the plot and the story and the characters. I think I will remember Peggy for a very long time.
June 28, 2016
Peggy's story and obstructed love
The prologue hints that the story will be a flashback. Peggy is nearly eighty years old in 1860. She reflects back to 1800 and how she met and fell in love with Ralph Duggan. Of her memories, she narrates, “There are two nights that I recall especially. On both of them, the moonlight was so bright that the Bristol Channel could have been made of molten silver. On one of those nights, a child was conceived. On the other, a man died.”
Her flashback begins when Peggy Shawe, her mother, and their neighbors were walking behind the cart carrying her father’s coffin. Josiah Duggan and his two sons, Ralph and Philip, were among the mourners, as her father had business dealings with them. When Peggy met Ralph, they seemed to have instant rapport. But, he wasn’t the man everyone assumed she would marry. James Bright, a close neighbor and farmer, was her presumed husband to be. When James actually asked her to marry him, she put him off. Instead she accepted a marriage proposal from Ralph. Ralph’s family were ‘free traders’ (smugglers) and Peggy’s mother was against her daughter marrying him. However, Peggy would soon be eighteen. Her mother reluctantly agreed, Ralph bought the ring, and life seemed cheery. But, Ralph had to leave suddenly, taking his brother away after Philip is accused of murder. Their futures are no longer certain and cherished plans have a way of refusing to cooperate.
Many of these characters made bad decisions, and that’s realistic and part of life. No matter how many times we as readers stand on the sidelines and try to shake some sense into them, they’re still going to break each other’s heart, and quite possibly break our hearts for them along the way. The story started out so strongly, I thought it was going to be one of those ‘I don’t want it to end’ books. However, several chapters prior to the end, it fell into a summary type of writing, presenting many additional characters that had not been given sufficient character depth to make me care about them. Overall, it was a fascinating look at life in that time period, their way of life, and their hardships.
Fictionzeal
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
The prologue hints that the story will be a flashback. Peggy is nearly eighty years old in 1860. She reflects back to 1800 and how she met and fell in love with Ralph Duggan. Of her memories, she narrates, “There are two nights that I recall especially. On both of them, the moonlight was so bright that the Bristol Channel could have been made of molten silver. On one of those nights, a child was conceived. On the other, a man died.”
Her flashback begins when Peggy Shawe, her mother, and their neighbors were walking behind the cart carrying her father’s coffin. Josiah Duggan and his two sons, Ralph and Philip, were among the mourners, as her father had business dealings with them. When Peggy met Ralph, they seemed to have instant rapport. But, he wasn’t the man everyone assumed she would marry. James Bright, a close neighbor and farmer, was her presumed husband to be. When James actually asked her to marry him, she put him off. Instead she accepted a marriage proposal from Ralph. Ralph’s family were ‘free traders’ (smugglers) and Peggy’s mother was against her daughter marrying him. However, Peggy would soon be eighteen. Her mother reluctantly agreed, Ralph bought the ring, and life seemed cheery. But, Ralph had to leave suddenly, taking his brother away after Philip is accused of murder. Their futures are no longer certain and cherished plans have a way of refusing to cooperate.
Many of these characters made bad decisions, and that’s realistic and part of life. No matter how many times we as readers stand on the sidelines and try to shake some sense into them, they’re still going to break each other’s heart, and quite possibly break our hearts for them along the way. The story started out so strongly, I thought it was going to be one of those ‘I don’t want it to end’ books. However, several chapters prior to the end, it fell into a summary type of writing, presenting many additional characters that had not been given sufficient character depth to make me care about them. Overall, it was a fascinating look at life in that time period, their way of life, and their hardships.
Fictionzeal
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
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