Earthly Joys & Virgin Earth

by Philippa Gregory

Both books in Philippa Gregory's Tradescant series

1. Earthly Joys - John Tradescant’s fame and skill as a gardener are unsurpassed in seventeenth-century England, but it is his clear-sighted honesty and loyalty that make him an invaluable servant. As an informal confidant of Sir Robert Cecil, adviser to King James I, he witnesses the making of history, from the Gunpowder Plot to the accession of King Charles I and the growing animosity between Parliament and court.
Tradescant’s talents soon come to the attention of the most powerful man in the country, the irresistible Duke of Buckingham, the lover of King Charles I. Tradescant has always been faithful to his masters, but Buckingham is unlike any he has ever known: flamboyant, outrageously charming, and utterly reckless. Every certainty upon which Tradescant has based his life—his love of his wife and children, his passion for his work, his loyalty to his country—is shattered as he follows Buckingham to court, to war, and to the forbidden territories of human love.

2. Virgin Earth - As England descends into civil war, John Tradescant the Younger, gardener to King Charles I, finds his loyalties in question, his status an ever-growing danger to his family. Fearing royal defeat and determined to avoid serving the rebels, John escapes to the royalist colony of Virginia, a land bursting with fertility that stirs his passion for botany. Only the native American peoples understand the forest, and John is drawn to their way of life just as they come into fatal conflict with the colonial settlers. Torn between his loyalty to his country and family and his love for a Powhatan girl who embodies the freedom he seeks, John has to find himself before he is prepared to choose his direction in the virgin land.
In this enthralling, freestanding sequel to Earthly Joys, Gregory combines a wealth of gardening knowledge with a haunting love story that spans two continents and two cultures, making Virgin Earth a tour de force of revolutionary politics and passionate characters.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, London

1063 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

DR PHILIPPA GREGORY studied history at the University of Sussex and was awarded a PhD by the University of Edinburgh where she is a Regent and was made Alumna of the Year in 2009. She holds an honorary degree from Teesside University, and is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff. Philippa is a member of the Society of Authors and in 2016, was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction Award by the Historical Writers’ Association. In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Platinum Award by Neilsen for achieving significant lifetime sales across her entire book output. In 2021, she was awarded a CBE for services to literature and to her charity Gardens for the Gambia. and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

She welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com.

Philippa's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficial

Reviews

[Amy Morelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

These 2 books are wonderful! I'm into gardening and there is a lot of gardening as the back story! Love them. I've given them as gifts!!

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read the second book Virgin Earth . The historical account of the virgin land in the colony of Virginia combined with the reign of King Charles 1 was so informative. The beauty of the American landscape and the changes made by both the early settlers and botanists is both befuddling and expected. Treatment of natives was horrific.. the love story kept bringing me back.

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is two novels in one book. Firstly, Earthly Joys. I liked this one. This is the story about John Tradescant, Gardener to Lord Cecil, the Duke of Buckingham & then Charles I. The conflict driving the story is the conflict between his love of gardening, plant life & exploration ie his work with that of his wife, marriage & family responsibilities. So while set in the 16th century, that has a resonance for the modern reader. In Tradescant's resolution of his conflict, let's just say, wife & young son come a distant second. Especially during his time with the ill-fated Duke of Buckingham - whom his wife despises, It's a good read. Secondly Virgin Earth. Hmmmm, didn't enjoy this one quite as much. I found the portrayal of John Tradescant they Younger far too irritating with his inability to commit to anything, to stand by his principles or conversely to shut up & put up. For mine,the indecision which was no doubt meant to be the driving force of the narrative was ultimately overplayed & therefore reduced the effect. I was more irritated by than sympathetic to him & the self-created predictament he faced. And poor long-suffering 2nd wife Hester! Still at least she got some tacit acknowledgment from John in their later years together. In the background is the English Civil War grinding on around them. Didn't love it.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read both books of historical fiction, I came away with a much better understanding of the turbulent times of the reign of Charles I. The settlers from Europe were not really bringing new ideas but escaping places where those very ideas of liberty for the common man were forbidden. John Tradescant III was so torn between following in his father's footsteps and tradition and forging ahead to a new world. I was motivated to discover more of the Tradescant gardeners and their legacy.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found both books interesting and compelling. The first is the better book and I agree with Cate that the second book with the son who can't commit to anything gets a bit irritating, but I imagine a person like that WOULD be irritating and books should sometimes tell us the story of those not quite so brilliant, or talented or noble. After all, that's most of us.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved these two books - everything about them was unique and special and compelling!

[Cynthia Parrish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent