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The Meriweather Chronicles #1
Friendship and Folly
The year was 1805. The place: Britain.
Napoleon was scheming how to wrest control of the English Channel from the Royal Navy so that he might at last invade the island "nation of shopkeepers" that kept interfering with his plans to dominate Europe. Lord Nelson was chasing Napoleon's fleet across the oceans in a hunt that would shortly culminate in the Battle of Trafalgar.
But on a quiet estate in Warwickshire, "just near enough to Stratford to take a proprietary interest in its immortal Bard." Ann Northcott was much more concerned with her mother's schemes. Those schemes would send Ann and her friend Julia Parry far away from their beloved Merriweather on a turbulent voyage into a fashionable London Season.
For both women, it would prove to be a journey of discovery into the true nature of friendship and folly.
Napoleon was scheming how to wrest control of the English Channel from the Royal Navy so that he might at last invade the island "nation of shopkeepers" that kept interfering with his plans to dominate Europe. Lord Nelson was chasing Napoleon's fleet across the oceans in a hunt that would shortly culminate in the Battle of Trafalgar.
But on a quiet estate in Warwickshire, "just near enough to Stratford to take a proprietary interest in its immortal Bard." Ann Northcott was much more concerned with her mother's schemes. Those schemes would send Ann and her friend Julia Parry far away from their beloved Merriweather on a turbulent voyage into a fashionable London Season.
For both women, it would prove to be a journey of discovery into the true nature of friendship and folly.
334 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 2004
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202 people want to read
About the author
Meredith Allady
4 books32 followersMeredith Allady had a lot more free time before she became involved in The Merriweather Chronicles. She is slowly pulling herself into the 21st century and now has a website and a Twitter account, but she doesn't recommend the latter because, quite frankly, she hasn't figured out why it's useful or exactly what to do with it!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 17, 2019
A nice surprise, because I’ve never before heard of this author and none of my Goodreads friends have read her. This is a very good Regency novel, one of the best I’ve read outside of Austen and Heyer. Its tone falls somewhere between those two: a little more frivolous than Austen, but not as silly or madcap as Heyer. It’s long and slow, in the best way, and while the romance is the ultimate goal of the plot, it takes place largely in the background. This was amusing and thoughtful, and I thoroughly enjoyed these characters.
The narrator is omnipotent, and occasionally addresses the reader directly (see more below), but most of this story is told from the point of view of Ann, a young lady so undervalued by her own relatives that she spends most of her time with the kind, lively family of her dear friend Julia Parry. Of Ann, the narrator notes "the preference she must always give, to a room with Parrys, over a room without them."
Ann travels with the Parry family when they are persuaded, against their general inclination, to spend a Season in London for the benefit their oldest daughter. In London they form a variety of acquaintances, more and less congenial, but the most interesting among them are the Lenox brothers: Irish aristocrats about whom there is a “respected rumor” that the younger son was recently disinherited upon the sudden reappearance of his long lost older brother. This older Lenox, who now has the title and lands which previously belonged to his brother, is intellectually disabled, with the mentality of good-natured if rambunctious child.
At first Ann seems to be a passive character, content to merely bask in the warmth of her beloved Parrys; but she is fiercely protective of them and her reluctance to see them offended sometimes leads her into the titular folly. At any rate "few who scheme to interfere in the lives and problems of others, for those others’ good, meet with the success their benevolent intentions deserve."
The secondary characters are very nicely done. I especially enjoyed the delicate, extremely shy younger sister Kitty, who “could seldom understand any eagerness to see anybody who had not first bothered to establish his worthiness, by being born into the same family, or at least residing in the same house.” Kitty is frankly terrified that her sister Julia will fall in love and be swept from the bosom of her family.
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 is a significant factor in the story, but while Napoleon is mentioned in the first sentence of the book's blurb, the Napoleonic war is hardly discussed at all.
I thought the narrator’s voice was was well done, but I did not care for the affectation in the prologue, asserting this story to come from a discovered text. The epilogue resumes the meta story to some extent, and I did enjoy the Parrys being amused that Ann is “infallibly able to discover that every adverse circumstance that affects us has some origin in herself.”
I think the author should reconsider the snarky, condescending “warning” which appears in some blurbs, ostensibly discouraging fans of more conventional romance novels. It nearly discouraged me.
The narrator is omnipotent, and occasionally addresses the reader directly (see more below), but most of this story is told from the point of view of Ann, a young lady so undervalued by her own relatives that she spends most of her time with the kind, lively family of her dear friend Julia Parry. Of Ann, the narrator notes "the preference she must always give, to a room with Parrys, over a room without them."
Ann travels with the Parry family when they are persuaded, against their general inclination, to spend a Season in London for the benefit their oldest daughter. In London they form a variety of acquaintances, more and less congenial, but the most interesting among them are the Lenox brothers: Irish aristocrats about whom there is a “respected rumor” that the younger son was recently disinherited upon the sudden reappearance of his long lost older brother. This older Lenox, who now has the title and lands which previously belonged to his brother, is intellectually disabled, with the mentality of good-natured if rambunctious child.
At first Ann seems to be a passive character, content to merely bask in the warmth of her beloved Parrys; but she is fiercely protective of them and her reluctance to see them offended sometimes leads her into the titular folly. At any rate "few who scheme to interfere in the lives and problems of others, for those others’ good, meet with the success their benevolent intentions deserve."
The secondary characters are very nicely done. I especially enjoyed the delicate, extremely shy younger sister Kitty, who “could seldom understand any eagerness to see anybody who had not first bothered to establish his worthiness, by being born into the same family, or at least residing in the same house.” Kitty is frankly terrified that her sister Julia will fall in love and be swept from the bosom of her family.
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 is a significant factor in the story, but while Napoleon is mentioned in the first sentence of the book's blurb, the Napoleonic war is hardly discussed at all.
I thought the narrator’s voice was was well done, but I did not care for the affectation in the prologue, asserting this story to come from a discovered text. The epilogue resumes the meta story to some extent, and I did enjoy the Parrys being amused that Ann is “infallibly able to discover that every adverse circumstance that affects us has some origin in herself.”
I think the author should reconsider the snarky, condescending “warning” which appears in some blurbs, ostensibly discouraging fans of more conventional romance novels. It nearly discouraged me.
February 7, 2018
A really delightful, literate and witty novel set in the Regency era, with a large cast of eminently lovable characters. Perhaps someday I'll be able to review it properly, but for now I can just say that second reading has only increased my affection and appreciation for this book—the Meriweather Chronicles have achieved a solid ranking among my favorite books.
March 26, 2023
How on earth can you have two such entirely different and yet entirely delightful experiences reading the same book? The wit and wonderful characters were exactly the same as always, but I already knew the solutions to some of the things that had held me fast on a first read-through, so I was freed up to notice things I hadn't before.
Also, rereading this with the perspective of the rest of the series...my WORD!!! How did I take Ann's word on how basically useless a certain person was when I knew how wrong she'd been about certain other people? After A Summer in Bath? Oh, yeah, no, he totally did all of that on purpose!!! Turned my view of a couple key points completely upside-down. XD
And...what do you say when it turns out your own private ship that you've always been a little afraid to acknowledge in case you were wrong was not only planted by the author but hinted at so pervasively that it eventually stops looking like it was very cleverly hidden and more like you were just incredibly blind? Because...HOW did I miss that? Granted, my attention was engaged elsewhere, and I really wasn't paying attention to Ann, but, HOW??? Guess I'm not afraid to acknowledge my ship anymore anyway...
Basically, unless you're way more perceptive than I am, this book needs at least two reads to be fully appreciated: one after you've finished the rest of the series. Just...brilliant.
-----
This was In. Credible! Honestly, I was prepared to say that when I started composing my mental review about halfway in, and not only did it not let up from that point, it just got better and better and better!
Let's start with what pulled me into the book: the style. To be honest, I think I've only read one Jane Austen book entirely through in my life, although I've watched a bunch of movie adaptations. But this book pulls off not just the setting, but the flavor and texture of a Jane-Austen-ish novel so well that if you slapped it between a pair of worn covers and stuck it on the antique shelf of a bookstore, I probably would not have noticed. That's a compliment that I've only been able to give one or two historical fiction authors in my lifetime (this makes three), so it's not something I say lightly. There were a few times when I had to go back and parse out a particularly convoluted sentence, or where the Use of Capitals for Emphasis bugged my eyes a little, but those were minor blips, not something that I noticed continually. And the wit! The wit, people!!! It wasn't so subtle as to be unnoticeable, but it was of the dry, understated, deadpanned sarcasm kind that made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions. And that was just the narration! Don't get me started on the bits where the family was going back and forth... X'D
Moving on to what wouldn't let me put it down: the...mystery? That might be too strong of a word for it; there's not an actual mystery involved, but there are unexplained pasts and contradictory conjectures and trying to figure out characters that have been seen in various lights and--it was all very, very intriguing! I found myself at least as consumed by curiosity as Ann, and trying to work out various theories in my head, and while not falling prey to all of her suspicions, I certainly came up with some wild ones of my own. ;) For having so little action or danger or mystery involved, I was certainly kept in suspense trying to fit together bits of past, present, and future...
And what absolutely floored me at the end: aaargh--spoilers! Let's say...certain characters? Certain relationships? A couple of scenes that took me from Appreciative Observer of Sarcastic Wit and Amateur Sleuth in Training to Mushy Mess on the Floor in about three seconds flat? Just so, so, SWEET! <3<3<3 And in the interest of not gushing spoilers all over the place, I'll try to turn my attention to the characters in general here for a second. I absolutely loved, loved, loved the fact that, even with a good supply of folly-and-foible-ridden characters to hand, there were also so many lovely, uncorrupted (though by no means perfect) characters. In particular, I loved the Parry family, their closeness, their friendliness, and the way the parents looked out for and guided their children--so unlike so many portrayals of parents in even older works! Julia was a dear, and I adored Ann, even with all her mistakes. *clamping jaw shut to prevent comments on male cast members that would give away major plot points* And oh--Clive! He did the sometimes annoying but sweetly protective younger brother role to perfection! <3 I will admit to losing track of a few extended family members or friends who were re-introduced at a much later date and having to re-orient myself with who they were and in what context we had heard of them before, but that didn't happen nearly as often as it could have with such a large cast.
One other small thing to mention: I'm not an expert on the history of the period at all, but I did recognize a few names, places, incidents, etc. and could tell that at least one plot point centered around an actual historical event. That was interesting, but even better was the fact that these references were woven into the fabric of the story and not merely set pieces to illustrate the time period. Very well done!
Final verdict--5 shining stars! If you're at all a fan of Jane Austen stories or sweet, understated romances filled with an abundance of dry wit or sweet, healthy family and friend relationships, give this one a try. I'm guessing you'll be glad you did. :)
Content--brief mentions of deaths and atrocities committed in the Irish Rebellion; slight mention of wounds and blood; mentions of drinking
Also, rereading this with the perspective of the rest of the series...my WORD!!! How did I take Ann's word on how basically useless a certain person was when I knew how wrong she'd been about certain other people? After A Summer in Bath? Oh, yeah, no, he totally did all of that on purpose!!! Turned my view of a couple key points completely upside-down. XD
And...what do you say when it turns out your own private ship that you've always been a little afraid to acknowledge in case you were wrong was not only planted by the author but hinted at so pervasively that it eventually stops looking like it was very cleverly hidden and more like you were just incredibly blind? Because...HOW did I miss that? Granted, my attention was engaged elsewhere, and I really wasn't paying attention to Ann, but, HOW??? Guess I'm not afraid to acknowledge my ship anymore anyway...
Basically, unless you're way more perceptive than I am, this book needs at least two reads to be fully appreciated: one after you've finished the rest of the series. Just...brilliant.
-----
This was In. Credible! Honestly, I was prepared to say that when I started composing my mental review about halfway in, and not only did it not let up from that point, it just got better and better and better!
Let's start with what pulled me into the book: the style. To be honest, I think I've only read one Jane Austen book entirely through in my life, although I've watched a bunch of movie adaptations. But this book pulls off not just the setting, but the flavor and texture of a Jane-Austen-ish novel so well that if you slapped it between a pair of worn covers and stuck it on the antique shelf of a bookstore, I probably would not have noticed. That's a compliment that I've only been able to give one or two historical fiction authors in my lifetime (this makes three), so it's not something I say lightly. There were a few times when I had to go back and parse out a particularly convoluted sentence, or where the Use of Capitals for Emphasis bugged my eyes a little, but those were minor blips, not something that I noticed continually. And the wit! The wit, people!!! It wasn't so subtle as to be unnoticeable, but it was of the dry, understated, deadpanned sarcasm kind that made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions. And that was just the narration! Don't get me started on the bits where the family was going back and forth... X'D
Moving on to what wouldn't let me put it down: the...mystery? That might be too strong of a word for it; there's not an actual mystery involved, but there are unexplained pasts and contradictory conjectures and trying to figure out characters that have been seen in various lights and--it was all very, very intriguing! I found myself at least as consumed by curiosity as Ann, and trying to work out various theories in my head, and while not falling prey to all of her suspicions, I certainly came up with some wild ones of my own. ;) For having so little action or danger or mystery involved, I was certainly kept in suspense trying to fit together bits of past, present, and future...
And what absolutely floored me at the end: aaargh--spoilers! Let's say...certain characters? Certain relationships? A couple of scenes that took me from Appreciative Observer of Sarcastic Wit and Amateur Sleuth in Training to Mushy Mess on the Floor in about three seconds flat? Just so, so, SWEET! <3<3<3 And in the interest of not gushing spoilers all over the place, I'll try to turn my attention to the characters in general here for a second. I absolutely loved, loved, loved the fact that, even with a good supply of folly-and-foible-ridden characters to hand, there were also so many lovely, uncorrupted (though by no means perfect) characters. In particular, I loved the Parry family, their closeness, their friendliness, and the way the parents looked out for and guided their children--so unlike so many portrayals of parents in even older works! Julia was a dear, and I adored Ann, even with all her mistakes. *clamping jaw shut to prevent comments on male cast members that would give away major plot points* And oh--Clive! He did the sometimes annoying but sweetly protective younger brother role to perfection! <3 I will admit to losing track of a few extended family members or friends who were re-introduced at a much later date and having to re-orient myself with who they were and in what context we had heard of them before, but that didn't happen nearly as often as it could have with such a large cast.
One other small thing to mention: I'm not an expert on the history of the period at all, but I did recognize a few names, places, incidents, etc. and could tell that at least one plot point centered around an actual historical event. That was interesting, but even better was the fact that these references were woven into the fabric of the story and not merely set pieces to illustrate the time period. Very well done!
Final verdict--5 shining stars! If you're at all a fan of Jane Austen stories or sweet, understated romances filled with an abundance of dry wit or sweet, healthy family and friend relationships, give this one a try. I'm guessing you'll be glad you did. :)
Content--brief mentions of deaths and atrocities committed in the Irish Rebellion; slight mention of wounds and blood; mentions of drinking
May 28, 2018
This book was amazing! It felt like a Jane Austen book!
March 5, 2016
Perfect in almost every way. If you are looking for a Jane Austen fix in between re-reads, do yourself a favour and READ THIS BOOK.
Don't go in expecting heaving bosoms and fiery glances and melting looks, because you won't get it. You'll get family regency settings, hilarious and perfectly executed dialogue that is *sigh!* actually CONSISTENT with the era in which it is set! Amazing! You'll get a fallible and not always clever heroine (though the author states that she is NOT the heroine, Anne will always be the heroine to me) who is just as prone to mistakes as she is to inspire love in the reader.
Beautifully written, everyday Christianity in all that the Parrys say and do, which is SUCH a wonderful thing. It takes real skill to do that.
I loved this book.
Don't go in expecting heaving bosoms and fiery glances and melting looks, because you won't get it. You'll get family regency settings, hilarious and perfectly executed dialogue that is *sigh!* actually CONSISTENT with the era in which it is set! Amazing! You'll get a fallible and not always clever heroine (though the author states that she is NOT the heroine, Anne will always be the heroine to me) who is just as prone to mistakes as she is to inspire love in the reader.
Beautifully written, everyday Christianity in all that the Parrys say and do, which is SUCH a wonderful thing. It takes real skill to do that.
I loved this book.
February 4, 2019
Such a nice change from most historical fiction! If I had one complaint it would be that sometimes the story could be a little confusing (keeping all the characters straight-especially those with similar names/titles- was a little daunting) but I loved the old-fashioned writing style and the humor throughout.
December 4, 2018
Delightful regency
June 23, 2020
This book is a classic example of how much the author’s choice of approach changes the final result. The novella-length prequel to this series, Letters From Bath, was written (not surprisingly, given the title) in an epistolatory style, so the personality of the letter-writer shone through in every word, every charmingly acerbic phrase. It was sharply witty and I absolutely adored it.
This, on the other hand, was written in a laboured narrative style, complete with direct-to-reader interjections, and even though the wit and rapier-sharp use of language were still there, it felt heavy and (frankly) dull. There were moments when I practically fell off my seat laughing, just as before, but there were also long turgid passages where I almost lost the will to live, and whole lengthy paragraphs that I honestly couldn’t make head or tail of, even though I struggled manfully to disentangle the writhing sentences. But still, I finished it and there were parts I loved.
The story follows the Parry family, an eccentric and quite astonishingly clever family, to London for the season, to bring out the eldest daughter and beauty of the family, Julia. Along too goes Ann Northcott, the letter-writer from the previous book, and so much a friend of the family that she’s almost a Parry herself. They also take all the children and another hanger-on (whose name escapes me, since he was one of a cast of thousands). Now, this may be about the season in 1805, but there’s nothing about clothes (apart from the court dress) or Almack’s or drives in the park or any of the usual settings. The whole book seems to be a backdrop for the oh-so-clever wit of the Parry family and Ann Northcott.
There’s a plethora of side characters, but the principals are Sir Warrington Lenox and his younger brother, Mr Edmund Lenox, from Ireland, who are truly an odd pair. Sir Warrington Lenox is very redolent of Dolph from Georgette Heyer’s Cotillion, in that he appears to be mentally deficient after reportedly being stolen as a child and raised by gypsies. The younger brother actually believed he was an only child and it wasn’t until his father died and he supposedly inherited the baronetcy that he learnt about his older brother. Now Sir Warrington has come to England to find a bride, and his brother has come along too. Sir Warrington develops a liking for Julia and attaches himself to the Parrys, and they are amenable to said attachment. And so the tale meanders along. I almost said plot, but really, there isn’t one, just a series of settings in which the Parrys can show off their terribly clever turns of phrase.
It should be obvious by now that this is very much not your run-of-the-mill Regency romance. There is a romance, but it’s practically offstage and everything about it is interpreted through the biased eyes of Ann. In fact, it’s so low-key you might very well miss it altogether if the narrator hadn’t stopped and pointed it out. As with other elements of the story, it’s completely hemmed in by the perfect selflessness of the main characters, who are just too considerate of other people’s feelings to be totally credible.
I’m going to be honest and say that this book wasn’t really my thing. It’s too long, too wordy, too convoluted and very often too show-offy clever for its own good. But that’s just me. While I struggled with large parts of it, I acknowledge that it’s incredibly well-written, it feels utterly authentic as a Regency novel and if you’re the sort of reader who wants to sink into a warm scented bath of delicious wordsmithery, then this might very well make you squeal with delight. If, on the other hand, you’re like me and want a proper plot and characters who aren’t selfless bundles of virtue, you should probably avoid it. Three stars.
This, on the other hand, was written in a laboured narrative style, complete with direct-to-reader interjections, and even though the wit and rapier-sharp use of language were still there, it felt heavy and (frankly) dull. There were moments when I practically fell off my seat laughing, just as before, but there were also long turgid passages where I almost lost the will to live, and whole lengthy paragraphs that I honestly couldn’t make head or tail of, even though I struggled manfully to disentangle the writhing sentences. But still, I finished it and there were parts I loved.
The story follows the Parry family, an eccentric and quite astonishingly clever family, to London for the season, to bring out the eldest daughter and beauty of the family, Julia. Along too goes Ann Northcott, the letter-writer from the previous book, and so much a friend of the family that she’s almost a Parry herself. They also take all the children and another hanger-on (whose name escapes me, since he was one of a cast of thousands). Now, this may be about the season in 1805, but there’s nothing about clothes (apart from the court dress) or Almack’s or drives in the park or any of the usual settings. The whole book seems to be a backdrop for the oh-so-clever wit of the Parry family and Ann Northcott.
There’s a plethora of side characters, but the principals are Sir Warrington Lenox and his younger brother, Mr Edmund Lenox, from Ireland, who are truly an odd pair. Sir Warrington Lenox is very redolent of Dolph from Georgette Heyer’s Cotillion, in that he appears to be mentally deficient after reportedly being stolen as a child and raised by gypsies. The younger brother actually believed he was an only child and it wasn’t until his father died and he supposedly inherited the baronetcy that he learnt about his older brother. Now Sir Warrington has come to England to find a bride, and his brother has come along too. Sir Warrington develops a liking for Julia and attaches himself to the Parrys, and they are amenable to said attachment. And so the tale meanders along. I almost said plot, but really, there isn’t one, just a series of settings in which the Parrys can show off their terribly clever turns of phrase.
It should be obvious by now that this is very much not your run-of-the-mill Regency romance. There is a romance, but it’s practically offstage and everything about it is interpreted through the biased eyes of Ann. In fact, it’s so low-key you might very well miss it altogether if the narrator hadn’t stopped and pointed it out. As with other elements of the story, it’s completely hemmed in by the perfect selflessness of the main characters, who are just too considerate of other people’s feelings to be totally credible.
I’m going to be honest and say that this book wasn’t really my thing. It’s too long, too wordy, too convoluted and very often too show-offy clever for its own good. But that’s just me. While I struggled with large parts of it, I acknowledge that it’s incredibly well-written, it feels utterly authentic as a Regency novel and if you’re the sort of reader who wants to sink into a warm scented bath of delicious wordsmithery, then this might very well make you squeal with delight. If, on the other hand, you’re like me and want a proper plot and characters who aren’t selfless bundles of virtue, you should probably avoid it. Three stars.
June 28, 2016
A more-than-competent Jane Austen tribute book. The language and plot are a perfect homage to JA - multiple points to Meredith Allady for that. It's an enjoyable read.
What is missing - to be fair, what is missing from almost every JA tribute - is the acidic stratum that has the reader smiling and wincing in equal measure. When Mr Bennet says to Mr Collins (anent the latter's gushing over Lady Catherine de Bourgh), "It is happy for you that you possess the talent of flattering with delicacy. May I ask whether these pleasing attentions proceed from the impulse of the moment, or are the result of previous study?" - JA doesn't pause to nudge the reader ("hey, there, did you notice Mr Bennet was poking fun at Mr C?"), but carries on with Mr Collins' unself-conscious reply, "They arise chiefly from what is passing at the time, and though I sometimes amuse myself with suggesting and arranging such little elegant compliments as may be adapted to ordinary occasions, I always wish to give them as unstudied an air as possible." The key word here is "amuse", of course. It's a rare author who is courageous enough to put the irony out there without signposting it discreetly, and although Meredith Allady is a good contender, JA in the original just always does it better. Sorry, MA.
What is missing - to be fair, what is missing from almost every JA tribute - is the acidic stratum that has the reader smiling and wincing in equal measure. When Mr Bennet says to Mr Collins (anent the latter's gushing over Lady Catherine de Bourgh), "It is happy for you that you possess the talent of flattering with delicacy. May I ask whether these pleasing attentions proceed from the impulse of the moment, or are the result of previous study?" - JA doesn't pause to nudge the reader ("hey, there, did you notice Mr Bennet was poking fun at Mr C?"), but carries on with Mr Collins' unself-conscious reply, "They arise chiefly from what is passing at the time, and though I sometimes amuse myself with suggesting and arranging such little elegant compliments as may be adapted to ordinary occasions, I always wish to give them as unstudied an air as possible." The key word here is "amuse", of course. It's a rare author who is courageous enough to put the irony out there without signposting it discreetly, and although Meredith Allady is a good contender, JA in the original just always does it better. Sorry, MA.
February 5, 2016
The year was 1805; the place, England. Napoleon was scheming how to wrest control of the Channel from the British Navy so that he might at last invade the island "nation of shopkeepers" that kept interfering with his plans to dominate all of Europe. Lord Nelson was chasing the Emperor's fleet across the oceans in a hunt that would shortly culminate in the battle of Trafalgar.
But on a quiet estate in Warwickshire, "just near enough to Stratford to take a proprietary interest in its immortal Bard," Ann Northcott was much more concerned with her mother's schemes. Those schemes would send Ann and her friend Julia Parry far away from their beloved Merriweather, on a turbulent voyage into a fashionable London season. For both of them, it would prove to be a journey of discovery into the true nature of Friendship and Folly.
But on a quiet estate in Warwickshire, "just near enough to Stratford to take a proprietary interest in its immortal Bard," Ann Northcott was much more concerned with her mother's schemes. Those schemes would send Ann and her friend Julia Parry far away from their beloved Merriweather, on a turbulent voyage into a fashionable London season. For both of them, it would prove to be a journey of discovery into the true nature of Friendship and Folly.
January 19, 2020
A favorite reread - I think this is the third time I've read and enjoyed it. Delightful characters, plot and tone.
May 21, 2017
It took me a few pages to actually get into this story. Then I was hooked and laughing at every other page. When I was actually invested, I was completely thrown off by the plot twist. This plot twist wasn't completely random, I just wasn't expecting the romance to take a turn away from the main character (sorta spoiler!). So, while I liked the writing and the humor, I wasn't crazy about the end. I feel like if this book was written 100 years ago, I would have liked it because its a "classic" :)
Here's some quotes I loved:
"Mr. Lenox had already trounced him on several occassions, and this time, in an effort to prolong the game beyond its usual length of four or five minutes, he implored Clive to pause and think about it before bringing out his queen. 'Consider,' said he, 'her frame. She is your monarch; more, she is a woman. Should she not rather be protected? The careless fashion in which you continually thrust her out into the thickest part of the battle--it is unseemly. Would you serve your mother or your sisters thus?'
'Of course not. But this is an Amazon Queen. She loves to fight; she lives for conquest. Nothing pleases her more than to send home a fat parcel of prisoners. Why else would she have reserved for herself the greatest mobility?' And so saying, he advanced his wooden Hippolyta upon a cringing pawn, and promptly lost her to a bishop. He remarked sadly that he would have expected better from a man of the cloth, and at once plunged his knight into certain disaster."
"There is scarcely a family, that does not have in it persons which the other members are apt to regard with less than delight, and to be persuaded that, on the whole, it might have been better for family relations, had these persons been kidnapped at birth, smuggled aboard a merchantman, and shipped to one of the more obscure islands visited by Captain Cook. "
Here's some quotes I loved:
"Mr. Lenox had already trounced him on several occassions, and this time, in an effort to prolong the game beyond its usual length of four or five minutes, he implored Clive to pause and think about it before bringing out his queen. 'Consider,' said he, 'her frame. She is your monarch; more, she is a woman. Should she not rather be protected? The careless fashion in which you continually thrust her out into the thickest part of the battle--it is unseemly. Would you serve your mother or your sisters thus?'
'Of course not. But this is an Amazon Queen. She loves to fight; she lives for conquest. Nothing pleases her more than to send home a fat parcel of prisoners. Why else would she have reserved for herself the greatest mobility?' And so saying, he advanced his wooden Hippolyta upon a cringing pawn, and promptly lost her to a bishop. He remarked sadly that he would have expected better from a man of the cloth, and at once plunged his knight into certain disaster."
"There is scarcely a family, that does not have in it persons which the other members are apt to regard with less than delight, and to be persuaded that, on the whole, it might have been better for family relations, had these persons been kidnapped at birth, smuggled aboard a merchantman, and shipped to one of the more obscure islands visited by Captain Cook. "
December 7, 2019
Most authors who try to be Jane Austen are just not very good at it. For this reason I usually don't bother with so-called Austen 'sequels' or books that claim to be written in the Jane Austen style. They always disappoint. But this one was not bad.
I liked the understated sarcasm--it was quite funny--but sometimes it felt like the author wrote a story around clever one-liners instead of the other way around. And I liked Ann so much better than Julia, so I wished she had been the heroine, not just the chronicler.
I liked the understated sarcasm--it was quite funny--but sometimes it felt like the author wrote a story around clever one-liners instead of the other way around. And I liked Ann so much better than Julia, so I wished she had been the heroine, not just the chronicler.
January 31, 2022
This is a historical novel set in the Regency era that also endeavors to be written in the style of a Regency author. As such, it is wordy, the emotions (including the romance) are quite subdued, there are long sections without dialogue, and there is a bit of moralizing thrown in here or there. As I enjoy this style of fiction, I was very pleased to discover this book. The romance is more of a subplot - really the center of the story is the Parry family.
I'm saving a longer review for the sequel, which I enjoyed even more.
I'm saving a longer review for the sequel, which I enjoyed even more.
May 29, 2018
This was a pleasant book. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I'd been in a different mood, but as it was I still enjoyed it moderately well.
I did find it distracting that much of the dialogue sounded more like conservative homeschoolers who read lots of classic than it did authentic Regency dialogue, but that also didn't really bother me, just felt a smidge anachronistic at times.
I did find it distracting that much of the dialogue sounded more like conservative homeschoolers who read lots of classic than it did authentic Regency dialogue, but that also didn't really bother me, just felt a smidge anachronistic at times.
January 29, 2025
An Ancient Turtle Swimming in a Bath of Cold Molasses.
🖊 Well, I tried. I'll be dead by the time I get to Chapter 2. In fairness, it does take a lot of work to write a novel, so kudos to the authoress for that. Cute book cover. 🗑 Conversely, other readers may find this story their speedy ride to somewhere.
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2%
🖊 Well, I tried. I'll be dead by the time I get to Chapter 2. In fairness, it does take a lot of work to write a novel, so kudos to the authoress for that. Cute book cover. 🗑 Conversely, other readers may find this story their speedy ride to somewhere.
જ⁀🟡 Kindle Unlimited.
༺ ༅ ✬ ༅ ༻ ༺ ༅ ✬ ༅ ༻
2%
November 10, 2019
Allady does Austenesque prose remarkably well and creates interesting characters. There were enough of them that I finally had to write down a cast of characters and how they were all related, but that did not diminish at all the great delight of a novel well-crafted. Well done.
April 29, 2020
I read the first chapter. There were no conversations and the passages were quite wordy. This is not for me.
April 30, 2020
Excellent reading during quarantine. Definitely took my mind off other troubles, and for that I greatly thank the authoress. I highly recommend.
February 25, 2023
Loved this book. An amusing, well written, historical tale that didn't need intense action or an involved plot to keep me reading to see how things would pan out.
June 20, 2025
Charming
This book in humorous and delightful. Definitely not your usual love story. The title almost perfectly explains the plot. I certainly recommend this book.
This book in humorous and delightful. Definitely not your usual love story. The title almost perfectly explains the plot. I certainly recommend this book.
August 13, 2014
I have already praised this author's exceptional ability with historical fiction and language. Her " Regency" is perfect and her sense of the past spot on accurate.
But now I will talk about the story itself. This is the novel that follows Letters from Bath. It mainly concerns Julia Parry and her best friend Ann Northcott. The Parrys travel to London to attend balls, lectures, and meet interesting people, accompanied by Ann--who they view as essentially a relative. The plot, such as it is, concerns their interactions with new friends in London.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes old-fashioned narrative. If you care deeply about plot, you might not enjoy it that much. The interest of the tale arises from relationships.
The Best Things in the Book: 1: the episode involving the obnoxious Robinson family. Ann's feelings of dread towards them, not to mention the malicious daughters and Mrs Robinson's refusal to admit they treated Kitty badly, were satisfyingly real. True life stuff here. :) 2: the episode where a soldier spoke with gross insensitivity about the war in Ireland to a pair of Irish men at a dinner table. This event could easily have come across as stagey and angsty, but the author managed it quite well. It was the sort of outrageous breach of etiquette that occurs in real life to vulnerable people. 3: the plot twist at the end revealing Sir Warrington's intentions towards Julia. As soon as I realized what he was getting at I literally burst out laughing. 4: Julia surprised her parents by actually wanting to go to balls and have fun. That is a heroine I can relate to. :)5: Gerard. That boy was depicted in surprisingly bright, honest colors as a rather unappealing kid. Very cute and funny.
Further comments: Some readers might find Mr and Mrs Parry to be a couple with little appreciation of fun. Their contempt for balls and socializing could be construed as selfish restrictions on the lives of their kids. I did not always agree with their parenting, though I found them to be nice people overall. In particular their fondness for lectures over balls annoyed me.
Kitty is a sweet girl, and humorously shown, but I warn you, she comes close to being the villain of the piece--though in the end she pulls through. Her terror of human beings who are not her family would be exasperatingly childish if the author didn't take care to have a sense of humor about it. I confess, though I am not the type who slaps at emotional, sensitive heroines as "weak", that I found her irritating--not because of her weakness, but because of her tyrannous behavior at the end of the story.
A major portion of the plot concerns a mother displaying shockingly poor treatment of her own child--the Irish baronet, Sir Warrington--in public. It's sort of a comical, Irish take on The Man in the Iron Mask. I did not find his mother completely unbelievable, but she is a very strange and unattractive woman. In some ways, she was a peculiar addition to the cast, giving the book a specific flavor. Kind of like fried pig rinds--you either like them or you don't.
Ann is still unmarried at the end of the book. This was not a fault in itself--in fact, the ending scene with her is super cute--but I personally think she should marry Julia's cousin. He was a surprisingly interesting character. Ann herself was faulty and fancied herself a much wittier person than she really is--but I would like to see her married. As with Emma Woodhouse, it would do her good.
To conclude, outstanding historical material that was a breeze to read, with one or two very strong episodes, good comedy, and a couple of creative plot twists. Just remember the characters are like real people--you're not gonna like or even understand all of them equally well.
But now I will talk about the story itself. This is the novel that follows Letters from Bath. It mainly concerns Julia Parry and her best friend Ann Northcott. The Parrys travel to London to attend balls, lectures, and meet interesting people, accompanied by Ann--who they view as essentially a relative. The plot, such as it is, concerns their interactions with new friends in London.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes old-fashioned narrative. If you care deeply about plot, you might not enjoy it that much. The interest of the tale arises from relationships.
The Best Things in the Book: 1: the episode involving the obnoxious Robinson family. Ann's feelings of dread towards them, not to mention the malicious daughters and Mrs Robinson's refusal to admit they treated Kitty badly, were satisfyingly real. True life stuff here. :) 2: the episode where a soldier spoke with gross insensitivity about the war in Ireland to a pair of Irish men at a dinner table. This event could easily have come across as stagey and angsty, but the author managed it quite well. It was the sort of outrageous breach of etiquette that occurs in real life to vulnerable people. 3: the plot twist at the end revealing Sir Warrington's intentions towards Julia. As soon as I realized what he was getting at I literally burst out laughing. 4: Julia surprised her parents by actually wanting to go to balls and have fun. That is a heroine I can relate to. :)5: Gerard. That boy was depicted in surprisingly bright, honest colors as a rather unappealing kid. Very cute and funny.
Further comments: Some readers might find Mr and Mrs Parry to be a couple with little appreciation of fun. Their contempt for balls and socializing could be construed as selfish restrictions on the lives of their kids. I did not always agree with their parenting, though I found them to be nice people overall. In particular their fondness for lectures over balls annoyed me.
Kitty is a sweet girl, and humorously shown, but I warn you, she comes close to being the villain of the piece--though in the end she pulls through. Her terror of human beings who are not her family would be exasperatingly childish if the author didn't take care to have a sense of humor about it. I confess, though I am not the type who slaps at emotional, sensitive heroines as "weak", that I found her irritating--not because of her weakness, but because of her tyrannous behavior at the end of the story.
A major portion of the plot concerns a mother displaying shockingly poor treatment of her own child--the Irish baronet, Sir Warrington--in public. It's sort of a comical, Irish take on The Man in the Iron Mask. I did not find his mother completely unbelievable, but she is a very strange and unattractive woman. In some ways, she was a peculiar addition to the cast, giving the book a specific flavor. Kind of like fried pig rinds--you either like them or you don't.
Ann is still unmarried at the end of the book. This was not a fault in itself--in fact, the ending scene with her is super cute--but I personally think she should marry Julia's cousin. He was a surprisingly interesting character. Ann herself was faulty and fancied herself a much wittier person than she really is--but I would like to see her married. As with Emma Woodhouse, it would do her good.
To conclude, outstanding historical material that was a breeze to read, with one or two very strong episodes, good comedy, and a couple of creative plot twists. Just remember the characters are like real people--you're not gonna like or even understand all of them equally well.
September 30, 2025
A slog with a few hearty laughs. Not like the "Letters..." prequel
thrown back at just over 50% - that boring. Tedious.
thrown back at just over 50% - that boring. Tedious.
January 18, 2015
The beauty of Friendship and Folly is that you wouldn’t know it was written in the twenty-first century just by reading the story. In fact, I’d wager that you’d think you were reading a book written two hundred years ago. Yes, Ms. Allady was that good at evoking the voice of the past and the feel of a historical period. For example: she didn’t get out of the story to even drop an explanation or definition of a term or custom; she used all the correct words, dialogue, and syntax (occasionally I had to reread a paragraph to catch the meaning, and then smiled over the insightful thing she was saying, just like a Jane Austen!); and her characterization was accomplished in the same way as in old novels (i.e., memorable and solidly described personalities).
Set in 1805 England, the story is heartwarming because it’s about two friends, Ann Northcott and Julia Parry. Julia is part of a wonderful family that any normal person would wish they were friends with—Ann is consistently grateful for them—because they’re hospitable, fun-loving, genuine, and down to earth. Ann is an only child whose parents are dismissive of her; her mother is only concerned about getting her married, which appears to be a difficult task, since Ann is not especially beautiful and also has a hip injury that affects her walk and prevents her from dancing. (And how could anyone back then get a spouse without being able to dance?)
When the Parrys, through a set of circumstances, decide to go to London for the Season, Ann accompanies them and they meet with several adventures. Clive, Julia’s younger brother, tries to fend off from his sister suitors he deems foolish or foppish. But eventually the family meets a couple of young men who suit their sensibilities, and they welcome them into their circle as “friends” … what follows is an often hilarious series of misunderstandings, false estimations of the young men (mostly on Ann’s part) and a gradual unraveling of their story, and intriguing “anything can happen” visits with amusing acquaintances, all on the whirlwind stage of a London autumn. Ann learns lessons about friendship and meddling—or folly, as she calls it; but she and the members of the Parry family grow only closer together as they are forever changed by their adventure.
The story could be considered slow in some respects, but that’s because it reads like a classic. It’s all about witty dialogue and penetrating insights into personalities and relationships, so the pace is perfect. And there were times when I had to tear through the pages to find out what would happen next. So it definitely kept my interest! I enjoyed the look at characters and situations that Jane Austen perhaps touched on but didn’t explore—among other things, a whole family portrait where the young children actually had names and lines; a look at the Irish rebellion; an endearing character who wasn’t quite right in the head; the ins and outs of a London season; and several unequivocal references to characters’ spiritual beliefs.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Jane Austen (particularly if they appreciate her humor and character insight most of all!).
Set in 1805 England, the story is heartwarming because it’s about two friends, Ann Northcott and Julia Parry. Julia is part of a wonderful family that any normal person would wish they were friends with—Ann is consistently grateful for them—because they’re hospitable, fun-loving, genuine, and down to earth. Ann is an only child whose parents are dismissive of her; her mother is only concerned about getting her married, which appears to be a difficult task, since Ann is not especially beautiful and also has a hip injury that affects her walk and prevents her from dancing. (And how could anyone back then get a spouse without being able to dance?)
When the Parrys, through a set of circumstances, decide to go to London for the Season, Ann accompanies them and they meet with several adventures. Clive, Julia’s younger brother, tries to fend off from his sister suitors he deems foolish or foppish. But eventually the family meets a couple of young men who suit their sensibilities, and they welcome them into their circle as “friends” … what follows is an often hilarious series of misunderstandings, false estimations of the young men (mostly on Ann’s part) and a gradual unraveling of their story, and intriguing “anything can happen” visits with amusing acquaintances, all on the whirlwind stage of a London autumn. Ann learns lessons about friendship and meddling—or folly, as she calls it; but she and the members of the Parry family grow only closer together as they are forever changed by their adventure.
The story could be considered slow in some respects, but that’s because it reads like a classic. It’s all about witty dialogue and penetrating insights into personalities and relationships, so the pace is perfect. And there were times when I had to tear through the pages to find out what would happen next. So it definitely kept my interest! I enjoyed the look at characters and situations that Jane Austen perhaps touched on but didn’t explore—among other things, a whole family portrait where the young children actually had names and lines; a look at the Irish rebellion; an endearing character who wasn’t quite right in the head; the ins and outs of a London season; and several unequivocal references to characters’ spiritual beliefs.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Jane Austen (particularly if they appreciate her humor and character insight most of all!).
December 11, 2013
This story takes FOREVER to get to the point. We're told Julia's entire family history before she is even introduced. Then we're told Julia is the heroine but she disappears from the story for several chapters. Various characters come and go and appear again so long after that I forgot who they were. I needed a family tree to keep them all straight. Many characters and situations don't serve much purpose and all and some of them are very very long winded. The narrator is also extremely long winded and steps away from the main plot to relate certain incidents happening elsewhere or in the past. The action is all summarized. I kept waiting for the plot to begin and it doesn't begin until about halfway through. There were several instances where I couldn't put the book down but it took me 4 days to read it because I kept falling asleep. Finally we learn that everything has been leading up to the romantic plot. It's a very subtle romance. I picked up on Julia's love interest right away though at first I thought perhaps he was going to end up as the love interest of another. It's obvious when Julia falls in love yet the romance plays off page for the most part. There's lots of meddling and misunderstandings that drove me crazy. The characters don't appear on page long enough to really get a good feel for them. We're told endlessly of this or that or what that character thinks but the story never gets inside anyone's head. The romance doesn't develop on page and more time is dedicated to other characters and plots than the romance. There's not even a kiss or even a real declaration of love. This was obviously intended to be some sort of Pride and Prejudice style story. The hero is very much a Darcy type. I kind of liked him at first but found him too noble and self-sacrificing towards the end. I found Julia too perfect and bland to be interesting. Ann had potential to be interesting but she comes across as sycophantic at first and then self-serving. Kitty is the most obnoxious character. She's too pious, too nervous and weepy and just so annoying! I really wanted to slap her. Mrs. Lenox is the most horrible unnatural mother. She's maybe supposed to be a Lady Katherine type but she's cruel and heartless. Even Lady Katherine could extol upon the virtues of her daughter. The only character I felt I knew and liked was Sir Warrington. Since this book is free on Amazon, I would recommend it to Jane Austen and Jude Morgan fans but I wouldn't pay for it. I do appreciate the author's attempts to publish the manuscript she found in her grandmother's trunk but this book is badly in need of Jane Austen's editor and that lady's wit and good sense.
February 22, 2014
What drew me to this book was the author's hilarious disclaimer that readers who enjoy books with half-naked men on the cover or who think Colin Firth jumping into a fish pond is the real Mr. Darcy should avoid her novel. I was pretty sure I would enjoy the writing of anyone who could so accurately sum up my feelings about historical novels, and indeed I did. Friendship and Folly is a charming step back in time. It is steeped in history--I never spotted an anachronism--and concerns characters who are products of their time rather than modern characters plunked down in vaguely historic settings. I really appreciated the clever dialogue and how the Parrys and Ann cared about and for each other. I hope very much that the author will continue the chronicles so I can revisit this lovely family.
July 22, 2011
Friendship and Folly follows the Parry family as they move to London during the social season in the early 1800s. While this may sound like the standard beginning for many stereotypical historical fictions, these particular characters do not have the typical outlook on society. All of the Parry family are a delight, and I love the friend Ann. This excellent book has fabulous characters that will make you smile, wonderful language, and a delightful story. I was rather caught off guard by this unexpected gem, and I really wish more people would read it!
April 1, 2014
Friendship and Folly -- the title captures the essence of Ann Northcott's interactions and devotion to the Parry family and their stay in London for the Season when Julia Parry is presented. There are a few humorous passages but mainly it's Ann's misguided protective nature of her friend Julia and a series of plots and misunderstandings.
This book might be a parody of Jane Austin's famous novels but I thought it was just silly and I had to force myself to finish reading it.
No sex
No violence
This book might be a parody of Jane Austin's famous novels but I thought it was just silly and I had to force myself to finish reading it.
No sex
No violence
November 4, 2016
There were some interesting ideas in this book, and the characters were interesting and sympathetic overall, but I felt that it was about 1 1/2 times as long as it needed to be. It could have been trimmed and edited and been a much better book. The author does do a good job overall with the pseudo-Austen tone and language, though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2015
I liked the authors caveat on Amazon, don't buy this book if you watch Pride and Prejudice just to see Darcy jump in a pond...and some other points that let me know I'd like this.
The characters were realistic, and I liked the feeling that I had no idea how it would turn out. Satisfying, and not run-of-the-mill.
The characters were realistic, and I liked the feeling that I had no idea how it would turn out. Satisfying, and not run-of-the-mill.
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