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A Captive Freedom: The story of a showgirl and her Captain
Love in the city of diamonds…
When Vivian Veasey-Hunter, Captain of Lancers, returned from Ashanti, his roving eye sought the means to forget the shameful horrors of war. Who better to distract him than the beautiful actress Leila Duncan of the famous ‘Lindley Girls’?
But Leila was more than an empty-headed chorus girl. She too had her secrets and a past she wished to forget. And as their love burst into flame, moving from London’s glittering theatre world to the dry heat of the South African veld, it seemed that the fires of passion would consume both their hearts like tinder . . .
A Captive Freedom is a complex and absorbing novel that ranges from the glamour and gaiety of turn-of-the-century London to the despair and suffering of the Boer War, by an author who has been named as ‘amongst the best writers of historical fiction’.
Elizabeth Darrell served as an officer in the WRAC. She grew up in Hong Kong and Singapore, and travelled extensively in Europe, South Africa and Malaysia. She is the author of numerous acclaimed novels, including Concerto, And in the Morning and We Will Remember.
When Vivian Veasey-Hunter, Captain of Lancers, returned from Ashanti, his roving eye sought the means to forget the shameful horrors of war. Who better to distract him than the beautiful actress Leila Duncan of the famous ‘Lindley Girls’?
But Leila was more than an empty-headed chorus girl. She too had her secrets and a past she wished to forget. And as their love burst into flame, moving from London’s glittering theatre world to the dry heat of the South African veld, it seemed that the fires of passion would consume both their hearts like tinder . . .
A Captive Freedom is a complex and absorbing novel that ranges from the glamour and gaiety of turn-of-the-century London to the despair and suffering of the Boer War, by an author who has been named as ‘amongst the best writers of historical fiction’.
Elizabeth Darrell served as an officer in the WRAC. She grew up in Hong Kong and Singapore, and travelled extensively in Europe, South Africa and Malaysia. She is the author of numerous acclaimed novels, including Concerto, And in the Morning and We Will Remember.
510 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 27, 2018
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17 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Darrell
39 books24 followersA pseudonym used by Edna Dawes and Emma Drummond.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 15, 2019
Captivating Romance
What a great story! I loved it!
This story of a lower class girl who works her way up from maid to chorus girl to beyond who captivated a rather rakish and wealthy captain in a British lancers regiment in South Africa at the end of the 19th century is so wonderfully written it was hard to put down.
The plot takes many twists and turns with some predictable, but mostly unpredictable, results.
I believe readers of historical fiction and romance would appreciate the detailed description of life in South Africa during the Boer Wars.
What a great story! I loved it!
This story of a lower class girl who works her way up from maid to chorus girl to beyond who captivated a rather rakish and wealthy captain in a British lancers regiment in South Africa at the end of the 19th century is so wonderfully written it was hard to put down.
The plot takes many twists and turns with some predictable, but mostly unpredictable, results.
I believe readers of historical fiction and romance would appreciate the detailed description of life in South Africa during the Boer Wars.
April 12, 2020
Great story
I don't usually take the time to write a review, but I have to give this book a shout out. Elizabeth Darrell is a favorite author of mine for historical fiction. However, I had this book on my Kindle for months before reading it. The description "a showgirl and her captain" makes it sound like a tawdry bodice ripper. This is actually a very engaging love story featuring two likable characters separated by the conventions of their time. It takes place during the Boer War which I had heard of but knew little about. The book had interesting historical details as well as a great story line. It is worth reading if you like historical fiction.
I don't usually take the time to write a review, but I have to give this book a shout out. Elizabeth Darrell is a favorite author of mine for historical fiction. However, I had this book on my Kindle for months before reading it. The description "a showgirl and her captain" makes it sound like a tawdry bodice ripper. This is actually a very engaging love story featuring two likable characters separated by the conventions of their time. It takes place during the Boer War which I had heard of but knew little about. The book had interesting historical details as well as a great story line. It is worth reading if you like historical fiction.
February 12, 2021
Not my favorite book by this author. Altho at the end I wished for a sequel.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews