My Beautiful Imperial

by Rhiannon Lewis

‘My Beautiful Imperial is a wonderfully epic story of friendship, unfulfilled love, human tragedy, war and Latin American politics that grips from the very beginning. It’s an exhilarating journey from the poorest parts of rural Wales to the Houses of Parliament at the height of imperialist Victorian London, from Australia as a new immigrant destination to Buenos Aires, from the perils of crossing the Andes to busy Valparaiso harbour and beyond. A must-read.’
Leo Boix, journalist and poet

‘A mighty read this, I feel bereft now that I’ve finished it, always a sign of a writer who can fascinate and engross the reader over 500 pages or so.’
The Walter Scott Prize Academy

‘In its ability to enthral us at every moment, My Beautiful Imperial has the cohesive perfection of a great Hollywood movie like Casablanca. Indeed, the spontaneous singing of Welsh songs on board the Imperial as the ship faces possible annihilation is as poignant a scene, in its way, as the memorable moment the refugees burst into a chant of La Marseillaise in that legendary film.’
Adam Feinstein, author of the acclaimed biography, Pablo a passion for life

‘Skilfully blending fact and fiction, drama and tragedy, Rhiannon Lewis has produced an absorbing novel of depth and complexity. The unusual backdrop of the Chilean Civil War adds both colour and adventure as accidental hero Davy finds himself a very long way from his Welsh home.’
Catherine Hanley, historian and author of the Edwin Weaver medieval mysteries

Genres: Historical Fiction

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 17, 2017

About the author

Rhiannon Lewis' debut novel, My Beautiful Imperial, was listed by the Walter Scott Prize Academy as one of its 20 recommended historical novels of 2018 and her I Am the Mask Maker and other stories was shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year Fiction prize in 2022. Originally from Cardigan, she now lives near Abergavenny.

Reviews

[G John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of love and loss set against the fascinating and little known events of the Chilean Civil War.
My Beautiful Imperial follows the journey of David Davies ( Davy) from his upbringing in West Wales to the captaincy of the steamship Imperial and it’s support for the incumbent Governement during the Civil way of 1891.
While ostensibly a story of action and adventure the book skilfully blends beautiful and haunting passages, with engageing characters and the perennial themes of self determination and economic imperialism.
This is one of those engrossing , filmic books that leaves you with a real sense of loss at its conclusion- little wonder it was on the recommended by the Walter Scott prize academy.

[Victorina Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put down this novel. Both three parts of the book are fascinating. The first part (Land) tells us about Welsh boy David Davies who grows up in Cardigan dreaming of becoming a sailor, like his father. The second part (Sea) offers David's adventures on different ships until he gets to the coast of Chile in Valparaíso. The accurate and entertaining depiction of events and characters is witty and very well written. The third part (War) shows David's unexpected involvement in the Chilean Civil War of 1891 and becoming the captain of his own ship: The Imperial. The story is based on historical events and the author brings her main characters to life with an excellent story-line.

[Margo Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Beautiful Imperial, Rhiannon Lewis’s novel adds an extra dimension to diversity in its depiction of how a seafaring Welshman is caught up in the Chilean Civil War of 1891. Rhiannon Lewis brings a hidden part of our connected history to light in this intense depiction of the life of Captain David Davies, who is based on her ancestor. The absorbing story brings to the surface the tragedy of civil war when Davy ponders on how “a few months earlier these same people would have lived and worked and played alongside the people they were now so intent on killing.”

[Darcie Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and unique tale set during the event of the Chilean Civil war, blending unique and entertaining characters with a wonderfully paced, gripping plot. You genuinely feel like you are travelling along with Davy, the protagonist, experiencing the high highs and low lows just as he would. The novel touches on so many important themes: love, loss, politics, adventure and family, and is a complete page turner from start to finish.

[Kirkwood Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful. Years of research into a mysterious family heirloom has made Rhiannon Lewis an expert on the little known history of the Chilean civil war of the late nineteenth century. Yet her writing skill is such that her book is a page-turning, character-rich thriller of a novel. Thoroughly recommended, whether or not you think you're interested in the subject.