Grey Lady

by Jenny Maxwell

Ben Jacardi was the first of his family to make his life on the canals - as a bargeman and also as the builder of the narrowboat, Grey Lady. His mentor was Josiah Armstrong who had taken him in as an apprentice and who came to regard him as the son he'd wanted his own to be, but who flitted with all his savings. Ben's awkward courtship and early years of marriage to Faith eventually settles into a strong partnership, further enhanced with the birth of James. And it is James who discovers his father's true ancestry and learns how he has unwittingly followed the footprints of his forebears.

Paperback

First published June 15, 2003

Reviews

[Dru · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific read, that got more and more absorbing as it went on

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really very enjoyable to read and I loved the fact that the portrayal of the working boats is so well researched and factual

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben and Faith are not perfectly formed, and the lack of suitors for these strong young people makes them ideally matched when Ben decides he needs a wife to help him run his narrowboat on England's canals. Grey Lady is a fine narrowboat and she makes a comfortable home, as the couple are never short of work.

We become immersed in their way of life which we can see altering as times change - then with the war, canals which had been neglected in favour of railroads, once more come into their own and work is never busier. Grey Lady, starting with a tow-horse and ending with an engine, reflects the history and character of the lively, hardworking, often shunned canal people.

This is an involving and well-written book. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'd previously read Jenny Maxwell's other books about sisters, The Blacksmith and The Black Cat. For further reading on canal boats, try 'The Narrowboat Girl' or 'Boat Girls' which is about women doing war work in place of men.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading this book I was a bit concerned because almost everything in the preview happened in the first few pages. I can honestly say though that I was not disappointed. The characters felt real, just people dealing with the anxieties of life while trying to figure themselves out. It did race a bit across the times and so much happened but I could not put it down.