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Jane Evans
Set in 1850s Wales, London and the Crimea, Jane Evans is a novel about the real first woman on the drove, who also nursed under Florence Nightingale. Fleeing her harsh life in rural Wales, Jane ends up nursing wounded soldiers in inhuman conditions in the Crimea. Can she survive the dangers and return to Wales and what home will she find there? --
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 3, 2019
I could not put this book down. I traveled with Jane on her remarkable journey from Wales, along the drive road and out to the Crimea. A remarkable tale, closely observed and beautifully told.
May 13, 2019
A realistic account of a practical yet god-fearing welsh girl.
The descriptions of the Crimean war , and maybe just how the whole Florence Nightingale legend arises, are graphic.
The descriptions of the Crimean war , and maybe just how the whole Florence Nightingale legend arises, are graphic.
May 6, 2019
I am a proud Welsh woman, a nurse and I love history, especially Welsh history. Given this, you would expect this book to be perfect for me but I was disappointed.
Jane is a Welsh women living a bleak life on a rural farm in mid Wales. Both her parents are dead and she is badly treated by her older brothers. When the elder brother wants to marry her off to their elderly neighbour, Jane is having none of it! She decides to run away and plans to join the drove which is leaving the village (a drove is where livestock is taken by foot from Wales to London to the market). The problem? Women don't go on a drove! Jane eventually escapes with the help of her younger brother and joins the drove. She is discovered by her cousin (who is the lead drover) who allows her to stay with them as she says it is 'God's will'. (it's funny how it's God's will when it is something she wants and she questions His will when its something she is not sure about or isn't keen on doing)! When she eventually arrives in London she is taken in by a lady and her preacher husband and ends up in the Crimea with Florence Nightingale, nursing the soldiers.
I was looking forward to learning a lot about drovers (and I was pleased when I read about places that I knew) but I didn't feel there was that much detail. The difficulties and dangers of the drove were evident. There were often attacks as the animals were worth a lot of money and often the drover would carry other valuable assets to London. It was arduous and dangerous for men so for a woman one can imagine how hard that would be, including the way the men on the drove viewed and treated her.
I didn't particularly like Jane! I accept that she was a strong willed woman living in a 'man's world' and she was strong enough to know what she didn't want and strive for what she did want BUT... omg! she didn't shut up about God and all the bible quotes got on my nerves.
By the time we reached the Crimea I had lost interest in her. I ended up skimming the rest.
would give 3 stars to the part about the drovers and 2 for the part about the Crimea so 2.5 overall.
just a note though... I haven't read a book for the last month that I have given more than 2 stars. I don't know if it is the books I am choosing or me! I really need a good read!
Jane is a Welsh women living a bleak life on a rural farm in mid Wales. Both her parents are dead and she is badly treated by her older brothers. When the elder brother wants to marry her off to their elderly neighbour, Jane is having none of it! She decides to run away and plans to join the drove which is leaving the village (a drove is where livestock is taken by foot from Wales to London to the market). The problem? Women don't go on a drove! Jane eventually escapes with the help of her younger brother and joins the drove. She is discovered by her cousin (who is the lead drover) who allows her to stay with them as she says it is 'God's will'. (it's funny how it's God's will when it is something she wants and she questions His will when its something she is not sure about or isn't keen on doing)! When she eventually arrives in London she is taken in by a lady and her preacher husband and ends up in the Crimea with Florence Nightingale, nursing the soldiers.
I was looking forward to learning a lot about drovers (and I was pleased when I read about places that I knew) but I didn't feel there was that much detail. The difficulties and dangers of the drove were evident. There were often attacks as the animals were worth a lot of money and often the drover would carry other valuable assets to London. It was arduous and dangerous for men so for a woman one can imagine how hard that would be, including the way the men on the drove viewed and treated her.
I didn't particularly like Jane! I accept that she was a strong willed woman living in a 'man's world' and she was strong enough to know what she didn't want and strive for what she did want BUT... omg! she didn't shut up about God and all the bible quotes got on my nerves.
By the time we reached the Crimea I had lost interest in her. I ended up skimming the rest.
would give 3 stars to the part about the drovers and 2 for the part about the Crimea so 2.5 overall.
just a note though... I haven't read a book for the last month that I have given more than 2 stars. I don't know if it is the books I am choosing or me! I really need a good read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2019
This was a great book, exciting and well written. Given it is based on a true story, Jane Evans the eponymous heroine was an admirable and brave woman. I particularly enjoyed the details of the drove of cattle, geese and pigs in their tar boots across the Epynt mountains and on to Barnet fields in London. I suspect it is substantially fictionalized in order to make it into an historical novel and might have quibbles about one or two details, eg dates rather late for Rebeccaism and toll gates. However, that is the art of the novelist and Christine Purkis succeeded in her aim to make this exciting action-based and making you long to turn the page to find out what happened next.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews