What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dorset Chronicles #1
A New Lease on Freedom
1680s England is a disturbed place.
Thomas and Grace Davenport, from a Dorset Presbyterian family, seek their missing friend, Lady Merriman.
The Duke of Monmouth, illegitimate son to the old King, Charles II, lands with a small force in Dorset, seeking to depose his uncle, James II.
“For liberty and religion!” is his cry.
Thomas and Grace are more concerned with tracking down Lady Merriman. They meet the heir to the Earldom of Sherborne, who falls for Grace but a Catholic nobleman cannot marry a Puritan and it seems the match is doomed.
Monmouth is no leader; his following dissipates as he wanders around the West Country.
Thomas and Grace cannot escape the rebellion around them. They are embroiled in war.
Through battle, captivity and deceit, they finally come home in the aftermath of failed rebellion and all that means for Dorset and the whole country.
A must-read for those who love the history and drama of an emerging nation.
Thomas and Grace Davenport, from a Dorset Presbyterian family, seek their missing friend, Lady Merriman.
The Duke of Monmouth, illegitimate son to the old King, Charles II, lands with a small force in Dorset, seeking to depose his uncle, James II.
“For liberty and religion!” is his cry.
Thomas and Grace are more concerned with tracking down Lady Merriman. They meet the heir to the Earldom of Sherborne, who falls for Grace but a Catholic nobleman cannot marry a Puritan and it seems the match is doomed.
Monmouth is no leader; his following dissipates as he wanders around the West Country.
Thomas and Grace cannot escape the rebellion around them. They are embroiled in war.
Through battle, captivity and deceit, they finally come home in the aftermath of failed rebellion and all that means for Dorset and the whole country.
A must-read for those who love the history and drama of an emerging nation.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2019
About the author
Chris Oswald
11 books15 followersThe Stories that would not Lie Down.
As far back as I can remember, stories have been a major part of my life. At first they were in my head, a whole set of worlds of wonderful make believe. Then they became verbal to wile away long car journeys, rehearsed during boring lessons at school. For the longest time nothing was put into writing except a little poetry and some songs.
Then adulthood came and, with it, responsibility. I tried to put my stories away and concentrate on a career in business. This took me to America where we lived for close to twenty years, also to Scotland where my family comes from. But the stories would not lie down, kept coming back to me. In a fallow period in my thirties I wrote my first book. It was terrible so I wrote another. Then I started ‘2024: A History of the Future’ and things seemed to come together. But it was still little more than ideas and so it remained for a long time until I sold my business and moved to Dorset.
The Dorset Chronicles is historical fiction at its best - local yet national, even international, accurate yet full of imagination, thrilling yet tender, full of description yet full of action.
Each book is a bundle of fiction and fact, entertainment and education.
Other books include 18 Acres of England, a humorous yet serious look into politics and prison life in America and The Stuff of Heroes, first in the Semblance of Order Trilogy, asking what would the 1960s look like if Germany had won the war?
Parallel with my love of stories is an equal love of history. Perhaps it is the millions of different ways things can work out that appeals to me. Or perhaps it is the unknown parts that allow the imagination to play. But my writing is infused with history, mixing and matching ideas and themes that talk of freedom, choices and strong social concepts. But at the end of the day, each book hopes to be a good story with twists, humour and characters that come alive to the reader.
As far back as I can remember, stories have been a major part of my life. At first they were in my head, a whole set of worlds of wonderful make believe. Then they became verbal to wile away long car journeys, rehearsed during boring lessons at school. For the longest time nothing was put into writing except a little poetry and some songs.
Then adulthood came and, with it, responsibility. I tried to put my stories away and concentrate on a career in business. This took me to America where we lived for close to twenty years, also to Scotland where my family comes from. But the stories would not lie down, kept coming back to me. In a fallow period in my thirties I wrote my first book. It was terrible so I wrote another. Then I started ‘2024: A History of the Future’ and things seemed to come together. But it was still little more than ideas and so it remained for a long time until I sold my business and moved to Dorset.
The Dorset Chronicles is historical fiction at its best - local yet national, even international, accurate yet full of imagination, thrilling yet tender, full of description yet full of action.
Each book is a bundle of fiction and fact, entertainment and education.
Other books include 18 Acres of England, a humorous yet serious look into politics and prison life in America and The Stuff of Heroes, first in the Semblance of Order Trilogy, asking what would the 1960s look like if Germany had won the war?
Parallel with my love of stories is an equal love of history. Perhaps it is the millions of different ways things can work out that appeals to me. Or perhaps it is the unknown parts that allow the imagination to play. But my writing is infused with history, mixing and matching ideas and themes that talk of freedom, choices and strong social concepts. But at the end of the day, each book hopes to be a good story with twists, humour and characters that come alive to the reader.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 11, 2020
I saw this book and was very interested, as I love historical novels and I hadn’t come across this author before! It also happens to be in an area I’m reasonably familiar with!
The book drew me in straight away and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much, that I ordered the next books in the chronicles, before having finished the first one!
A easy read, with places I can easily visualise! I look forward to finding out more!
The book drew me in straight away and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much, that I ordered the next books in the chronicles, before having finished the first one!
A easy read, with places I can easily visualise! I look forward to finding out more!
May 25, 2020
A most delightful read , can't wait to read the rest of the series
Read
June 25, 2019An interest g read, historical fiction which was a great read and once started proved unputtable down, worth a read
Read
May 19, 2022Hi Chris I have just finished the First book 'A New Lease On Freedom', Absolutely brilliant, the Machinations and intrigue of all the principle actors. I love Grace with here bravery and courage, Amelia and Elizabeth's cunning fabulous couldn't put it down. The way you capture the zeitgist of the period. Looking forward to reading the next book. Thank you.
September 4, 2020
The Dorset Chronicles are a great read. The characters are so well drawn and the reader finds themselves quite immersed in the historical period in which they are set.
I love them and avidly await the next in the series.
I love them and avidly await the next in the series.
April 28, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical story, the characters were well drawn and the narrative exciting and compelling. I particularly recommend this story to anyone living in the West County, and interested in this period in history.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews