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The Fairmile #1
Tidelands
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
440 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2019
9540 people are currently reading
49301 people want to read
About the author
Philippa Gregory
136 books36.9k followersDR 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
She welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com.
Philippa's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficial
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,629 reviews
September 27, 2019
I have read several novels by Ms Gregory, and I cannot recall that much of a romance thing in any of them. I may be in the minority here, however, I want to be honest with myself, whcih is always the case, and I cannot say I enjoyed Tidelands too much. The premise and the period are presented exceptionally well, as is always the case with Ms Gregory, but this time the rather unbelievable characters and their improbable relationships were too much for me. When I read a HF, I want solid historical background, which I found in the novel, but as little romance as possible, which was precisely the opposite. I struggled through this book, finished, but it was not what I had expected. I literally opened my eyes wide on more than four occasions, and stifled more than four yawns. It might be interesting to see how Alinor fares in Book 2, but I do not think I will have that much courage. Having said that this book was just OK for me, I do not want to discourage any fans of Ms Gregory's writing.
August 2, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up.
It’s a hard life for Alinor and her children who live on Sealsea Island, off the south coast of England, the tidelands “neither sea nor shore”. She’s a healer who grows herbs for medicine, delivers babies and works at times for the more well off residents as does her thirteen year old daughter and son. Her husband is missing, yet in 1648, a woman is defined by her husband and she is “not a widow nor a wife”, so when good fortune comes to her son, there are innuendos that she conjures up healing with more than the herbs she mixes or worse with curses. This grueling life they live sees no relief until she meets a young priest, and assists him through the mire to finding the place of safety he is seeking. The meeting not only changes her son’s life, but Alinor’s as well in ways she never imagined. Her daughter’s desire to change her fate of the poor life they’ve lived causes more than innuendo of witchcraft for Alinor.
The first part of the story was slow moving with just way too much detail about her daily work routines and it felt repetitive at times. But then the story came to life as I’ve come to expect from Phillipa Gregory and I became quite engaged . While this is different from the other Gregory books I’ve read in that the main characters here are not the royals we are used to, the political circumstances are part of the story, the English Civil War and she depicts the history as well as she usually does with her research reflected here. While I felt bogged down at first, the ending was more than enough to keep me wondering what will happen to Alinor, and I’ll be eagerly waiting the second book in the series. A captivating story once things got moving so I’ll round up to 4 stars.
ARC was provided by Atria via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It’s a hard life for Alinor and her children who live on Sealsea Island, off the south coast of England, the tidelands “neither sea nor shore”. She’s a healer who grows herbs for medicine, delivers babies and works at times for the more well off residents as does her thirteen year old daughter and son. Her husband is missing, yet in 1648, a woman is defined by her husband and she is “not a widow nor a wife”, so when good fortune comes to her son, there are innuendos that she conjures up healing with more than the herbs she mixes or worse with curses. This grueling life they live sees no relief until she meets a young priest, and assists him through the mire to finding the place of safety he is seeking. The meeting not only changes her son’s life, but Alinor’s as well in ways she never imagined. Her daughter’s desire to change her fate of the poor life they’ve lived causes more than innuendo of witchcraft for Alinor.
The first part of the story was slow moving with just way too much detail about her daily work routines and it felt repetitive at times. But then the story came to life as I’ve come to expect from Phillipa Gregory and I became quite engaged . While this is different from the other Gregory books I’ve read in that the main characters here are not the royals we are used to, the political circumstances are part of the story, the English Civil War and she depicts the history as well as she usually does with her research reflected here. While I felt bogged down at first, the ending was more than enough to keep me wondering what will happen to Alinor, and I’ll be eagerly waiting the second book in the series. A captivating story once things got moving so I’ll round up to 4 stars.
ARC was provided by Atria via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2019
The time is 1648, not an easy time to be a woman, especially a woman without a husband. Alinor is left a single mother of two when her husband goes out to sea and never returns. She ekes out a living as a midwife and herbalist, in a time when those activities were viewed with suspicion and accusations of witchcraft were common.
The country is in the midst of a civil war between the King and his supporters and Parliament. Alinor’s path crosses with James, a young priest and a Royalist. She helps him find safe passage and their relationship forms the crux of the story.
Meanwhile, Alinor’s children are presented with opportunities that will save them from a life of menial work and poverty. Alinor is like all mothers everywhere who wants a better life for herself and her children. I admired her hard work, ambition and determination. But their good fortune only fuels the suspicions of the townspeople.
As with all the author’s books, this is hefty at 448 pages, and as it is the first book in a series, much time is spent setting up the background and life in the Tidelands. I listened to this on audio, which I highly recommend, as the narrator is excellent. Listening while multi-tasking made even the political maneuverings palatable. I appreciate the author’s attention to detail and historical accuracy, and it certainly made me appreciate my good fortune to live in the current times.
The last half of the book moves along at a fast pace and the ending was a shocker. After so much time spent in the Tidelands, I’m looking forward to seeing where the next book in the series takes us.
• This was a buddy read with Marialyce, one we both enjoyed on audio. For our duo reviews please visit https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
The country is in the midst of a civil war between the King and his supporters and Parliament. Alinor’s path crosses with James, a young priest and a Royalist. She helps him find safe passage and their relationship forms the crux of the story.
Meanwhile, Alinor’s children are presented with opportunities that will save them from a life of menial work and poverty. Alinor is like all mothers everywhere who wants a better life for herself and her children. I admired her hard work, ambition and determination. But their good fortune only fuels the suspicions of the townspeople.
As with all the author’s books, this is hefty at 448 pages, and as it is the first book in a series, much time is spent setting up the background and life in the Tidelands. I listened to this on audio, which I highly recommend, as the narrator is excellent. Listening while multi-tasking made even the political maneuverings palatable. I appreciate the author’s attention to detail and historical accuracy, and it certainly made me appreciate my good fortune to live in the current times.
The last half of the book moves along at a fast pace and the ending was a shocker. After so much time spent in the Tidelands, I’m looking forward to seeing where the next book in the series takes us.
• This was a buddy read with Marialyce, one we both enjoyed on audio. For our duo reviews please visit https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
September 13, 2019
4+ stars - Philippa Gregory writes in her author’s note at the end of ‘Tidelands’ that she wonders whether “It is possible to tell a fictional story which tells a historical truth,” and I believe she answers her own question with this novel, as I’m sure was her goal. In her note, she discusses the ‘historical truth’ of which she speaks, the voiceless women of whom no records were kept, their deeds unmarked, their education unattended, and still, they persevered in making lives for themselves, often ordinary, everyday lives in which they garnered their own successes in whatever beauty and productivity that could accomplish for themselves and their families. The heroine of ‘Tidelands,’ Alinor is just such an ordinary woman, twenty-seven years old, descended from a line of women with knowledge of herbs and midwifery. Her fisherman husband, Zachary has disappeared at sea and it’s unknown if he’s dead or alive. Alinor is faced with the bleak responsibility of raising her daughter, Alys, and her son, Rob, alone.
The year is 1648; the setting is the southern coast of England tidelands, a landscape whose margins vary with high and low tide. Only those who live there can safely navigate the marsh and mire. One night Alinor meets Father James, a young priest in his early twenties, who is involved in the political intrigues surrounding King Charles I. She hides James and then cautiously leads him to the local aristocrat, Sir William, a former supporter of the King. Father James is immediately taken with Alinor, although his background is as far from hers as wealth is from poverty.
The love affair that develops between Alinor and James affects me in its simplicity and its subtle sweetness. She maintains her cottage with great care; it smells good as opposed to most of the cottages of the poor which smells like excrement and body odor. Alinor’s cottage smells like dry herbs and the fresh sea air blowing in. She readily admits to Father James that her husband was just work for her to do. James says he’s never met anyone like Alinor; her beauty has turned his head, but she seems unaware of her beauty. Motivated, ambitious, hard-working, and extremely productive, Alinor knows how to save and spend her money, how to take advantage of anything that will prosper her family, and she feels like she has found in this man a love she never had from her ill-tempered husband, who constantly bad-mouthed her to the neighbors as a witch.
This novel is a bit of a slow burn with time taken to bring the reader into Alinor’s world, where the women glean in the wheat fields, work with chickens, milk cows, gather herbs, and Alinor delivers a babe into the world and assists an old person out of it. I was never many paragraphs far from the work Alinor was doing. I found this absorbing and appreciated Gregory’s careful and meticulous research. Father James represents the religious and political thinking of those of that time who thought the king’s right to rule was a divine right. He will do battle in his soul because his devotion to the church and his politics are at odds with his love of Alinor. Alinor does everything within her power to drive her own destiny. Whether that is meant to be, or whether it will be left in the hands of men will be for the reader to discover. As the novel approaches the last third, the pacing picks up as we race to climactic events. A most fascinating way to submerge oneself into history!
The year is 1648; the setting is the southern coast of England tidelands, a landscape whose margins vary with high and low tide. Only those who live there can safely navigate the marsh and mire. One night Alinor meets Father James, a young priest in his early twenties, who is involved in the political intrigues surrounding King Charles I. She hides James and then cautiously leads him to the local aristocrat, Sir William, a former supporter of the King. Father James is immediately taken with Alinor, although his background is as far from hers as wealth is from poverty.
The love affair that develops between Alinor and James affects me in its simplicity and its subtle sweetness. She maintains her cottage with great care; it smells good as opposed to most of the cottages of the poor which smells like excrement and body odor. Alinor’s cottage smells like dry herbs and the fresh sea air blowing in. She readily admits to Father James that her husband was just work for her to do. James says he’s never met anyone like Alinor; her beauty has turned his head, but she seems unaware of her beauty. Motivated, ambitious, hard-working, and extremely productive, Alinor knows how to save and spend her money, how to take advantage of anything that will prosper her family, and she feels like she has found in this man a love she never had from her ill-tempered husband, who constantly bad-mouthed her to the neighbors as a witch.
This novel is a bit of a slow burn with time taken to bring the reader into Alinor’s world, where the women glean in the wheat fields, work with chickens, milk cows, gather herbs, and Alinor delivers a babe into the world and assists an old person out of it. I was never many paragraphs far from the work Alinor was doing. I found this absorbing and appreciated Gregory’s careful and meticulous research. Father James represents the religious and political thinking of those of that time who thought the king’s right to rule was a divine right. He will do battle in his soul because his devotion to the church and his politics are at odds with his love of Alinor. Alinor does everything within her power to drive her own destiny. Whether that is meant to be, or whether it will be left in the hands of men will be for the reader to discover. As the novel approaches the last third, the pacing picks up as we race to climactic events. A most fascinating way to submerge oneself into history!
June 26, 2024
DNF
More than halfway through and I had to return my copy to the library. A month later I realized, I’d forgotten I had even started it — besides my TBR list isn’t getting any shorter.
Am I dying to see how it ends now that I’ve waited a month? Not really.
I usually love Gregory’s slightly “guilty pleasure” historical fiction books. Not this one. Super strong heroine falls in love with ever so slightly wimpy hero.
Moving on...
(Reviewed 11/27/19)
More than halfway through and I had to return my copy to the library. A month later I realized, I’d forgotten I had even started it — besides my TBR list isn’t getting any shorter.
Am I dying to see how it ends now that I’ve waited a month? Not really.
I usually love Gregory’s slightly “guilty pleasure” historical fiction books. Not this one. Super strong heroine falls in love with ever so slightly wimpy hero.
Moving on...
(Reviewed 11/27/19)
August 21, 2019
NOW AVAILABLE!!!
philippa gregory is a name i can be counted on to invoke whenever i’m doing any RA spiel bullet-pointing the many different flavors of historical fiction, with her oeuvre representing the well-researched, female-fronted, literary romance-ish bracket.
i read The Other Boleyn Girl ages ago, and i remember liking it, so when i saw that her new series would focus on 17th century england with a witchcraft angle, well here i came.
i’m a new england girl who grew up on stories of goody proctor and giles corey and in undergrad, i took a class with a more global perspective on witchcraft, which turned out to be the perfect “me” kinda class: horrifying AND illuminating. ‘cuz no matter where in the world people cry ‘witch,’ the targets are certain to contain: unmarriageable daughters, infertile or otherwise inconvenient wives, elderly women, unruly women…it makes the victorian practice of offloading these same problematic females into madhouses seem downright benevolent.
also included in the ‘frequently accused’ category are midwives and any women working in that mysteeeeeerious realm of women’s health.
which is what we have here. alinor is an herbalist and midwife living in the sussex tidelands—half tide, half land, good for nothing, where even the ground beneath one’s feet cannot be counted on from one moment to the next. alinor’s ne'er-do-well husband zachary is a fisherman who has not returned from the sea in months; maybe dead, more likely having abandoned alinor and their two children, but definitely leaving her in a precarious position, as indefinable as the tidelands, not a widow nor a wife.
although her situation seems dire—a vulnerable, beautiful woman without a man, on the edge of the world with a young son and a daughter who will be needing a dowry, with only the herbs she can grow and the work she can find—suddenly, she and her children are blessed with the opportunities of individual, upwardly-mobile paths.
what can account for this good fortune? perhaps…witchcraft? not so fast—first we have to remember that during this time, there’s a whole civil war going on in england and it must be addressed. we’ll come back to this witch business in like 200 pages or so.
if you’re someone who loves historical fiction for its immersive properties, you will probably dig this. it’s a slow-burner; there’s a lot of ‘here we are in the tidelands, this is life in the tidelands’ (you cannot hear it, but i am singing this to a tune), but it’s an accumulation of everyday things slowly moving towards something, and i was getting impatient for the story to take me to that something.
if i hadn’t been promised juicy witchy stuff on the back cover, i would have been less impatient with the pacing. i did appreciate the descriptions of the family’s man v nature struggle; the hardscrabble eking out of life in a terrifically challenging landscape, how stubborn and resourceful you have to be to survive in such an inhospitable climate—those themes always have my full attention.
maybe i’ve been away from historical fiction for too long, but i didn’t love this. the middle felt draggy, and some of the characters were a bit one-note; particularly the exhausting mrs. miller and—o no—alinor.
before you scold—i understand how tenuous her position is. i understand that even on the ever-shifting tidelands, one does not rock boats. i understand that a woman who has seen nothing of the world beyond her little isolated pocket of it; a mother of two with no man to speak for her, in a profession she has to keep emphasizing does not include 17th century viagra or magical spells, she’s gotta lay a little low and not be seen as shrill or strident or defensive or any of those words we love so much to hear when a reasonable woman responds to chronically unreasonable people. people like that broadly-drawn mrs miller, for example. and i didn’t need her to be anachronistically assertive or ooh-rah empowered, but even a little spark in her interior life would have been welcome. one suppressed eyeroll or clenched fist. an acknowledgment that her public-facing demeanor takes effort. she’s placid as a messiah, turning all the cheeks, and every sentence she speaks is delivered “simply,” “evenly,“ “cooly,“ “steadily,“ “levelly,“ “easily���… it’s an impressive number of synonyms for an endlessly agreeable person, but it doesn’t give her character much depth. her daughter alys makes up for alinor’s lack of indignation, but as a character, alinor reads psychologically flat.
my last gripe, i swear, but as far as the ending - it’s so…disruptive. i mean, it depends where the series goes from here, but gregory spent so much time developing this physical location and this social community only to basically erase all that hard work with a JK NOW IT IS THIS, abandonment of everything we’ve been working towards.
anyway. this historical element is strong, the witch element is brief, the romance element is...present. i will probably keep reading the series, but am hoping the next one is more focused on people losing their minds over witches.
come to my blog!
philippa gregory is a name i can be counted on to invoke whenever i’m doing any RA spiel bullet-pointing the many different flavors of historical fiction, with her oeuvre representing the well-researched, female-fronted, literary romance-ish bracket.
i read The Other Boleyn Girl ages ago, and i remember liking it, so when i saw that her new series would focus on 17th century england with a witchcraft angle, well here i came.
i’m a new england girl who grew up on stories of goody proctor and giles corey and in undergrad, i took a class with a more global perspective on witchcraft, which turned out to be the perfect “me” kinda class: horrifying AND illuminating. ‘cuz no matter where in the world people cry ‘witch,’ the targets are certain to contain: unmarriageable daughters, infertile or otherwise inconvenient wives, elderly women, unruly women…it makes the victorian practice of offloading these same problematic females into madhouses seem downright benevolent.
also included in the ‘frequently accused’ category are midwives and any women working in that mysteeeeeerious realm of women’s health.
which is what we have here. alinor is an herbalist and midwife living in the sussex tidelands—half tide, half land, good for nothing, where even the ground beneath one’s feet cannot be counted on from one moment to the next. alinor’s ne'er-do-well husband zachary is a fisherman who has not returned from the sea in months; maybe dead, more likely having abandoned alinor and their two children, but definitely leaving her in a precarious position, as indefinable as the tidelands, not a widow nor a wife.
although her situation seems dire—a vulnerable, beautiful woman without a man, on the edge of the world with a young son and a daughter who will be needing a dowry, with only the herbs she can grow and the work she can find—suddenly, she and her children are blessed with the opportunities of individual, upwardly-mobile paths.
what can account for this good fortune? perhaps…witchcraft? not so fast—first we have to remember that during this time, there’s a whole civil war going on in england and it must be addressed. we’ll come back to this witch business in like 200 pages or so.
if you’re someone who loves historical fiction for its immersive properties, you will probably dig this. it’s a slow-burner; there’s a lot of ‘here we are in the tidelands, this is life in the tidelands’ (you cannot hear it, but i am singing this to a tune), but it’s an accumulation of everyday things slowly moving towards something, and i was getting impatient for the story to take me to that something.
if i hadn’t been promised juicy witchy stuff on the back cover, i would have been less impatient with the pacing. i did appreciate the descriptions of the family’s man v nature struggle; the hardscrabble eking out of life in a terrifically challenging landscape, how stubborn and resourceful you have to be to survive in such an inhospitable climate—those themes always have my full attention.
maybe i’ve been away from historical fiction for too long, but i didn’t love this. the middle felt draggy, and some of the characters were a bit one-note; particularly the exhausting mrs. miller and—o no—alinor.
before you scold—i understand how tenuous her position is. i understand that even on the ever-shifting tidelands, one does not rock boats. i understand that a woman who has seen nothing of the world beyond her little isolated pocket of it; a mother of two with no man to speak for her, in a profession she has to keep emphasizing does not include 17th century viagra or magical spells, she’s gotta lay a little low and not be seen as shrill or strident or defensive or any of those words we love so much to hear when a reasonable woman responds to chronically unreasonable people. people like that broadly-drawn mrs miller, for example. and i didn’t need her to be anachronistically assertive or ooh-rah empowered, but even a little spark in her interior life would have been welcome. one suppressed eyeroll or clenched fist. an acknowledgment that her public-facing demeanor takes effort. she’s placid as a messiah, turning all the cheeks, and every sentence she speaks is delivered “simply,” “evenly,“ “cooly,“ “steadily,“ “levelly,“ “easily���… it’s an impressive number of synonyms for an endlessly agreeable person, but it doesn’t give her character much depth. her daughter alys makes up for alinor’s lack of indignation, but as a character, alinor reads psychologically flat.
my last gripe, i swear, but as far as the ending - it’s so…disruptive. i mean, it depends where the series goes from here, but gregory spent so much time developing this physical location and this social community only to basically erase all that hard work with a JK NOW IT IS THIS, abandonment of everything we’ve been working towards.
anyway. this historical element is strong, the witch element is brief, the romance element is...present. i will probably keep reading the series, but am hoping the next one is more focused on people losing their minds over witches.
come to my blog!
September 3, 2019
One can always count on Philippa Gregory to write of women who are strong, determined, and courageous. With lots of evident research, she gives a human voice to these women, making them come alive as she imbues in them human frailties and an innate wisdom that came with living in the times that they did. From The Other Boleyn Woman to this current book, we meet women who are set in their determination and do all that is needed to succeed, to live another day.
In this current outing, we meet Alinor, a woman who has to live by her wits and her innate abilities as a herbalist, midwife, and a mother of two, married to a disaster of a man. He deserts her and goes off to sea, and Alinor is alone, left to care for herself and her beloved children. One night in a graveyard, she sees and meets James a Royalist priest something that was a kiss of death in the times of Civil War in England when Oliver Cromwell was in power, and Charles the First was in exile. She guides James out of the marsh and starts down a path that is filled with danger as she allows her heart to be won by James.
Times were ever so difficult and with an aura of witchcraft surrounding her, Alinor and her children strive for peace and a sense of contentment. However, the road to their dreams has many pitfalls and as Alinor battles the times she lives in, she discovers a strength of heart and mind. She will survive and give her children a chance, a life beyond what the tidelands have given her.
This sweeping tale is long, setting up the scenario for the coming books in which we will again follow the life and times of Alinor and her offspring.
I recommend this book to those who so enjoy a novel that focuses on women that have met adversity and yet have been able to through strength of heart and mind to become resilient, tenacious and filled with resolve.
When Jan and I heard that Philippa Gregory was working on a new series, we were quite anxious to give it a go as we both have enjoyed many of her previous works. We were not disappointed in this new beginning that promises to advocate for strength in women even through the hardships of being little more than chattel in seventeenth century Britain.
To see our duo reviews plus an interview with the author, you can go here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
In this current outing, we meet Alinor, a woman who has to live by her wits and her innate abilities as a herbalist, midwife, and a mother of two, married to a disaster of a man. He deserts her and goes off to sea, and Alinor is alone, left to care for herself and her beloved children. One night in a graveyard, she sees and meets James a Royalist priest something that was a kiss of death in the times of Civil War in England when Oliver Cromwell was in power, and Charles the First was in exile. She guides James out of the marsh and starts down a path that is filled with danger as she allows her heart to be won by James.
Times were ever so difficult and with an aura of witchcraft surrounding her, Alinor and her children strive for peace and a sense of contentment. However, the road to their dreams has many pitfalls and as Alinor battles the times she lives in, she discovers a strength of heart and mind. She will survive and give her children a chance, a life beyond what the tidelands have given her.
This sweeping tale is long, setting up the scenario for the coming books in which we will again follow the life and times of Alinor and her offspring.
I recommend this book to those who so enjoy a novel that focuses on women that have met adversity and yet have been able to through strength of heart and mind to become resilient, tenacious and filled with resolve.
When Jan and I heard that Philippa Gregory was working on a new series, we were quite anxious to give it a go as we both have enjoyed many of her previous works. We were not disappointed in this new beginning that promises to advocate for strength in women even through the hardships of being little more than chattel in seventeenth century Britain.
To see our duo reviews plus an interview with the author, you can go here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
September 24, 2019
Tidelands is the first in The Fairmile series by Philippa Gregory and is set in England in 1648 when civil war, poverty and treachery surrounded the residents. On Midsummer’s Eve, Alinor searched for answers about her missing brute of a husband, but instead she found James, a young man who needed to stay hidden. Alinor kept him safe as they crossed the marshlands, then hiding him in her netting shed – her life changed that night and in all the nights and days to follow.
Alys and Rob were Alinor’s children. Alinor was a midwife, a skilled user of herbs, a woman with the sight. The work she and her children did for a pittance barely kept them in food, until the day Rob was taken on as a companion to the young master. Suddenly their life was a little easier. Ned, Alinor’s brother, was the ferryman, albeit reluctantly. He would rather have been off fighting. But superstitions and envy ran through the villagers – suddenly Alinor was in great danger. Would she be saved?
Tidelands was an intense, well written novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. The horrors of the way people lived; of the superstitions they firmly believed (don’t let night air into your room for the danger), of the Tidelands which were treacherous both day and night as the tides relentlessly came in and went out – fascinating but not something of which I’m envious! Recommended.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Alys and Rob were Alinor’s children. Alinor was a midwife, a skilled user of herbs, a woman with the sight. The work she and her children did for a pittance barely kept them in food, until the day Rob was taken on as a companion to the young master. Suddenly their life was a little easier. Ned, Alinor’s brother, was the ferryman, albeit reluctantly. He would rather have been off fighting. But superstitions and envy ran through the villagers – suddenly Alinor was in great danger. Would she be saved?
Tidelands was an intense, well written novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. The horrors of the way people lived; of the superstitions they firmly believed (don’t let night air into your room for the danger), of the Tidelands which were treacherous both day and night as the tides relentlessly came in and went out – fascinating but not something of which I’m envious! Recommended.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
November 12, 2021
Tidelands is the first book in a new series written by Philippa Gregory, an author whose work I have read in the past. While I'm only fifty percent through devouring the Plantagenet and Tudor series (15-book collection), I was awarded the second book in this series via NetGalley, so I had to order the debut before jumping into the next one. What a great way to mix up the author's various series, enjoying her trademark beautifully penned historical fiction with a completely newly inspired time period and cast of intriguing characters.
Mid-seventh century. English coast. Poor village caught between kings and religion. Alinor is a young mother of two teenagers, and she finds herself helping a stranger in the dark. Her husband disappeared months ago, and her daughter wants to marry a local farmer who's several rungs on the ladder above her, at least social status-wise. Will Alinor risk helping the stranger? Will those who suspect her of being a witch finally cast their stones in public at her? Alinor falls for the man, and her assistance paves the way for her family to gain status and wealth. But with fortune comes a darker side, and they will all suffer the spoils.
Wow! At first, I was intrigued and focused, but I didn't feel compelled to read it each night. I was happy to take a break, until I hit the fifty-percent mark. Then it was a non-stop page-turner as everything that once magically spun into gold unraveled backward. That poor family! Those horrible neighbors! The greediness of men! Oh, Gregory pulled me in and held me tightly. Had the first half not been a bit slow, I would've given this five stars. And that ending - cliffhanger of all!!! I cannot wait to dive into book two next month. I'm taking a couple of weeks off (in between) just to let the ambiance of the story settle in. What a thrilling comparison to her other books.
Mid-seventh century. English coast. Poor village caught between kings and religion. Alinor is a young mother of two teenagers, and she finds herself helping a stranger in the dark. Her husband disappeared months ago, and her daughter wants to marry a local farmer who's several rungs on the ladder above her, at least social status-wise. Will Alinor risk helping the stranger? Will those who suspect her of being a witch finally cast their stones in public at her? Alinor falls for the man, and her assistance paves the way for her family to gain status and wealth. But with fortune comes a darker side, and they will all suffer the spoils.
Wow! At first, I was intrigued and focused, but I didn't feel compelled to read it each night. I was happy to take a break, until I hit the fifty-percent mark. Then it was a non-stop page-turner as everything that once magically spun into gold unraveled backward. That poor family! Those horrible neighbors! The greediness of men! Oh, Gregory pulled me in and held me tightly. Had the first half not been a bit slow, I would've given this five stars. And that ending - cliffhanger of all!!! I cannot wait to dive into book two next month. I'm taking a couple of weeks off (in between) just to let the ambiance of the story settle in. What a thrilling comparison to her other books.
August 19, 2019
The enemy from without and the enemy from within....
Philippa Gregory has always left her thumbprint on novels of English castles and royalty. But this one has a particular flavor centering upon Sealsea Island near the tidelands in 1648. We're introduced to Alinor known also as Goody Reekie. Alinor has climbed to the top of the church tower at midnight gazing out to sea for her lost husband, Zachary. Zachary has been missing for almost a year. Neither widow nor wife, Alinor keeps her vigil.
Alinor notices that she is not alone. From within the darkness, she hears a man's voice. He tells her that he is Father James and must meet with Sir William Peachey. As an herbalist and a midwife, Alinor is not familiar with the changing times occuring in London where King Charles has fled and Oliver Cromwell has taken control. There is unrest in the countryside with those supporting the king and those who wish him to stand trial. We will come to know this Father James more closely and observe his true colors as Alinor becomes more and more involved in his safety and well-being.
But at the core of it all is Alinor's solid allegiance to her daughter, Alys, and to her son, Rob. They exist within the hardships of life in the tidelands with work that furrows the brow and coins that rarely touch the palm.
Long held secrets permeate Tidelands from the wider scope of the English Civil Wars to the personal interactions of parent to child and neighbor to community. Philippa Gregory begins this one with a low simmer and then gradually brings this one to a rapid boil towards the end. The dialogue is true to era and the characters reflect the historical angst. The ending opens the door that will shed a light upon the road of the future for Sealsea Island and its inhabitants. Whether you are a die-hard Philippa Gregory fan or a new one in the making, Tidelands is one novel that will sweep you away.
I received a copy of Tidelands through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Simon & Schuster (Atria Books) and to Philippa Gregory for the opportunity.
Philippa Gregory has always left her thumbprint on novels of English castles and royalty. But this one has a particular flavor centering upon Sealsea Island near the tidelands in 1648. We're introduced to Alinor known also as Goody Reekie. Alinor has climbed to the top of the church tower at midnight gazing out to sea for her lost husband, Zachary. Zachary has been missing for almost a year. Neither widow nor wife, Alinor keeps her vigil.
Alinor notices that she is not alone. From within the darkness, she hears a man's voice. He tells her that he is Father James and must meet with Sir William Peachey. As an herbalist and a midwife, Alinor is not familiar with the changing times occuring in London where King Charles has fled and Oliver Cromwell has taken control. There is unrest in the countryside with those supporting the king and those who wish him to stand trial. We will come to know this Father James more closely and observe his true colors as Alinor becomes more and more involved in his safety and well-being.
But at the core of it all is Alinor's solid allegiance to her daughter, Alys, and to her son, Rob. They exist within the hardships of life in the tidelands with work that furrows the brow and coins that rarely touch the palm.
Long held secrets permeate Tidelands from the wider scope of the English Civil Wars to the personal interactions of parent to child and neighbor to community. Philippa Gregory begins this one with a low simmer and then gradually brings this one to a rapid boil towards the end. The dialogue is true to era and the characters reflect the historical angst. The ending opens the door that will shed a light upon the road of the future for Sealsea Island and its inhabitants. Whether you are a die-hard Philippa Gregory fan or a new one in the making, Tidelands is one novel that will sweep you away.
I received a copy of Tidelands through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Simon & Schuster (Atria Books) and to Philippa Gregory for the opportunity.
September 7, 2019
As I've read 21 books by Philippa Gregory and adored most of them, I was eagerly awaiting this new series. I'm sorry to say that Tidelands did not weave the magic I've come to expect of her novels.
The first third of the book was extremely slow and consists mostly of details of Alinor's daily routine. Obviously, a historical fiction title should include information of the time and place, but this should form a natural part of the story, not take over the plot and feel like the focus of the novel. I also did not enjoy the romance element, which had an insta-love feel to it.
The reason I stuck with this is because quite a few of the reviews mentioned that the ending was worth it. Although the story did pick up after the halfway mark, it still left me unsatisfied. The most important scene felt rushed. I did enjoy the Sussex tidelands setting, and the information provided about the political situation in England 1648, but not enough to rate this higher.
I listened to the audio and although the narration was adequate, it was also not in the same class as her Plantagenet and Tudor Novels.
The Story: Alinor, a midwife with knowledge of herbal remedies, is in difficult circumstances. Her fisherman husband has been gone for months, and she must care for herself and her two growing children during a precarious time in England’s history.
The first third of the book was extremely slow and consists mostly of details of Alinor's daily routine. Obviously, a historical fiction title should include information of the time and place, but this should form a natural part of the story, not take over the plot and feel like the focus of the novel. I also did not enjoy the romance element, which had an insta-love feel to it.
The reason I stuck with this is because quite a few of the reviews mentioned that the ending was worth it. Although the story did pick up after the halfway mark, it still left me unsatisfied. The most important scene felt rushed. I did enjoy the Sussex tidelands setting, and the information provided about the political situation in England 1648, but not enough to rate this higher.
I listened to the audio and although the narration was adequate, it was also not in the same class as her Plantagenet and Tudor Novels.
The Story: Alinor, a midwife with knowledge of herbal remedies, is in difficult circumstances. Her fisherman husband has been gone for months, and she must care for herself and her two growing children during a precarious time in England’s history.
August 31, 2020
I absolutely loved this book! Gregory did massive amounts of research which made the story authenic. I always learn something by reading her books and to a reader that is a gem of a book when it can also educate you.
It's a entrancing historical novel set in England in the 1600s during Oliver Cromwell's rule. The plot intertwines love, history, religion, and politics. What was once considered normal in England is now banned and some of the citizens are having difficulty with this change and want someone else as the ruler!! The love story part of the plot comes when Alinor, the main character, meets James, a priest who needs help crossing the marshlands. Eventually Alinor becomes pregnant with James' baby, but instead of feeling joy, there is heartbreak. You will fall in love with Alinor and root for her throughout the book.
The story flowed well and the character building was top-notch as only Gregory can do!! I would recommend this book and look forward to book two in the series.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
#NetGalley #Tidelands #PhilippaGregory #AtriaBooks
It's a entrancing historical novel set in England in the 1600s during Oliver Cromwell's rule. The plot intertwines love, history, religion, and politics. What was once considered normal in England is now banned and some of the citizens are having difficulty with this change and want someone else as the ruler!! The love story part of the plot comes when Alinor, the main character, meets James, a priest who needs help crossing the marshlands. Eventually Alinor becomes pregnant with James' baby, but instead of feeling joy, there is heartbreak. You will fall in love with Alinor and root for her throughout the book.
The story flowed well and the character building was top-notch as only Gregory can do!! I would recommend this book and look forward to book two in the series.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
#NetGalley #Tidelands #PhilippaGregory #AtriaBooks
July 7, 2019
4.5 stars! I have started making my way through Philippa Gregory’s fabulous books, and I was so excited to read her newest series and novel, Tidelands.
In this story, the reader is taken to 1648 England, in the midst of the Civil War between King and Parliament.
I loved the research that went into this book, and I’m always amazed at Gregory’s storytelling talent to retell history. I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction, and can only imagine what life for a woman would have been like during the 1640’s!
*Thank you to Atria books for this complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
In this story, the reader is taken to 1648 England, in the midst of the Civil War between King and Parliament.
I loved the research that went into this book, and I’m always amazed at Gregory’s storytelling talent to retell history. I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction, and can only imagine what life for a woman would have been like during the 1640’s!
*Thank you to Atria books for this complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
July 1, 2019
Set against the English Civil War, between Parliamentarians and Royalists over the governance.
The Isle of Wight, 1648: The king is imprisoned and rebellious parliament is in power.
Sussex, 1648: Alinor, living on the tidelands of the Saxon shore, is 27 and already very weary. Now, a widow of the missing fisherman and abusive husband. Her path crosses with a priest in hiding. James believes in the old religion and in restoring king to its rightful place. Alinor helps him to pass the treacherous marsh.
The vivid portrayal of tidelands makes the beginning of the story very engrossing. Only the people of the SeaIsea Island know how to tread its waters and tides to avoid getting a foot caught by a quick mud and body snatched by waters.
As the story progresses, there is a suspension of wanting to know where the story goes and what happens between Alinor and James, but the progression of the story is very slow. After a while it catches with you that the story is going hardly anywhere and the front action is Alinor’s feelings for James and vice versa. There are some small twists, but it is not enough to make it an engaging read.
From the beginning, Alinor’s daughter notices a difference in Alinor, her look (after meeting James) or her looking like she is listening for something (Jame’s footsteps). The daughter inherits the vision from mother, and I understand her abilities, but maybe the presentation of it didn’t make it believable.
Also, some accusations of Alinor having her kids with a faerie lord. I understand some old-time believes, but this was another thing that was questionable in this story.
I enjoyed the part with Alinor’s son, who advances from doing menial outdoor work to a meaningful indoor position, thanks to James. He is also good with recognizing herbs and knowing their use, which he inherits after his mom. Alinor, midwife and herbalist, comes from a long line of wise women. And that shows a promising future for him. But his quick advance makes some people suspicious and scheming.
Nevertheless, for such long story, the plot could be better developed, with more conceivable effects and less mystery of unearthly things.
I’ve been a huge fan of Philippa Gregory, but at some point I broke away from her books as her concentration is in English court and I wanted to expend my horizons. I was glad to see something different written by her, but this is not her best book.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
The Isle of Wight, 1648: The king is imprisoned and rebellious parliament is in power.
Sussex, 1648: Alinor, living on the tidelands of the Saxon shore, is 27 and already very weary. Now, a widow of the missing fisherman and abusive husband. Her path crosses with a priest in hiding. James believes in the old religion and in restoring king to its rightful place. Alinor helps him to pass the treacherous marsh.
The vivid portrayal of tidelands makes the beginning of the story very engrossing. Only the people of the SeaIsea Island know how to tread its waters and tides to avoid getting a foot caught by a quick mud and body snatched by waters.
As the story progresses, there is a suspension of wanting to know where the story goes and what happens between Alinor and James, but the progression of the story is very slow. After a while it catches with you that the story is going hardly anywhere and the front action is Alinor’s feelings for James and vice versa. There are some small twists, but it is not enough to make it an engaging read.
From the beginning, Alinor’s daughter notices a difference in Alinor, her look (after meeting James) or her looking like she is listening for something (Jame’s footsteps). The daughter inherits the vision from mother, and I understand her abilities, but maybe the presentation of it didn’t make it believable.
Also, some accusations of Alinor having her kids with a faerie lord. I understand some old-time believes, but this was another thing that was questionable in this story.
I enjoyed the part with Alinor’s son, who advances from doing menial outdoor work to a meaningful indoor position, thanks to James. He is also good with recognizing herbs and knowing their use, which he inherits after his mom. Alinor, midwife and herbalist, comes from a long line of wise women. And that shows a promising future for him. But his quick advance makes some people suspicious and scheming.
Nevertheless, for such long story, the plot could be better developed, with more conceivable effects and less mystery of unearthly things.
I’ve been a huge fan of Philippa Gregory, but at some point I broke away from her books as her concentration is in English court and I wanted to expend my horizons. I was glad to see something different written by her, but this is not her best book.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
October 10, 2019
Dull. I am disappointed even though I know that Philippa Gregory’s writing is not consistent to my tastes. Some I like and some are a crushing bore. I was motivated to read this as it is set in the time of the Civil war and Cromwell.
June 6, 2020
Took me a bit to warm up to, but was well-rewarded for sticking through the story of one woman's courage and love. Well done, including by audiobook narrator Louise Brealey.
August 23, 2019
Special thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for a free, electronic version of this novel.
It’s 1648 and England is in the midst of civil unrest, with the parliament threatening to overthrow and charge the ruling King. Alinor is a midwife and healer, living in a small shack in the tidelands, with her son and daughter. Alinor’s husband has disappeared, claiming she had “seduced” him with her magical powers, and their children did not belong to him, but Alinor is determined to make it on her own. When she meets the pastor, James, one night, both of them fall passionately and deeply in lust with each other, causing great stress and emotional upheaval for them both, with James being desperately above Alinor’s station, the two cannot marry. When Alinor’s healing powers are called into question and she is tried as a witch, James soon becomes her judge and jury, but does he have what it takes to denounce the claims? Or is there more to Alinor’s healing touch than he thought?
Philippa Gregory is back with her new novel, Tidelands, the first in a new series, The Fairmile. Unlike most of her other works, Tidelands does not tell the tale of a Royal family in turmoil and fighting for the Throne (not directly anyway), but instead we hear of witch trials, forbidden love, and civil unrest.
This novel begins as sort of a historic love story, with James and Alinor meeting clandestinely and falling in love, the two being from two different worlds and unable to wed. Due to this, I found the beginning of the novel a little slow to get into. It was easy to fall in love with the character of Alinor, and her struggles and challenges of being a single mother in that time, and I immediately formed a bond that I wanted to see through to its end. Once the plot picked up, it became difficult to put down, as we are shown more of Alinor’s life as a mother and the local healer, and the problems she faces being a woman in the 17th century.
Beautiful and poetic, as only Gregory can do, Tidelands is a tale of star-crossed lovers, with a hint of witchcraft. The setting is dismal and dreary, set in the dark swamps of England, where only those who know the land would fear to tread. As the novel progresses, I soon found myself shouting at characters in the novel, and rooting for Alinor to serve some just desserts of her own.
The ending was completely unpredictable and although satisfying, it left just enough to warrant another novel (or two) in a new series. I look forward to following the story of Alinor and her children throughout the remaining Fairmile books.
It’s 1648 and England is in the midst of civil unrest, with the parliament threatening to overthrow and charge the ruling King. Alinor is a midwife and healer, living in a small shack in the tidelands, with her son and daughter. Alinor’s husband has disappeared, claiming she had “seduced” him with her magical powers, and their children did not belong to him, but Alinor is determined to make it on her own. When she meets the pastor, James, one night, both of them fall passionately and deeply in lust with each other, causing great stress and emotional upheaval for them both, with James being desperately above Alinor’s station, the two cannot marry. When Alinor’s healing powers are called into question and she is tried as a witch, James soon becomes her judge and jury, but does he have what it takes to denounce the claims? Or is there more to Alinor’s healing touch than he thought?
Philippa Gregory is back with her new novel, Tidelands, the first in a new series, The Fairmile. Unlike most of her other works, Tidelands does not tell the tale of a Royal family in turmoil and fighting for the Throne (not directly anyway), but instead we hear of witch trials, forbidden love, and civil unrest.
This novel begins as sort of a historic love story, with James and Alinor meeting clandestinely and falling in love, the two being from two different worlds and unable to wed. Due to this, I found the beginning of the novel a little slow to get into. It was easy to fall in love with the character of Alinor, and her struggles and challenges of being a single mother in that time, and I immediately formed a bond that I wanted to see through to its end. Once the plot picked up, it became difficult to put down, as we are shown more of Alinor’s life as a mother and the local healer, and the problems she faces being a woman in the 17th century.
Beautiful and poetic, as only Gregory can do, Tidelands is a tale of star-crossed lovers, with a hint of witchcraft. The setting is dismal and dreary, set in the dark swamps of England, where only those who know the land would fear to tread. As the novel progresses, I soon found myself shouting at characters in the novel, and rooting for Alinor to serve some just desserts of her own.
The ending was completely unpredictable and although satisfying, it left just enough to warrant another novel (or two) in a new series. I look forward to following the story of Alinor and her children throughout the remaining Fairmile books.
August 4, 2019
4.5⭐️
Wheww, can I just say: As a woman, I’m so glad I was born in this age and not the 17th century! Because holy doo doo...we think being a woman is hard today?? It ain’t nothin (comparatively speaking)!! Anyway, other than this new appreciation I have for the time I live in, I also thoroughly enjoyed the history lesson I received from Tidelands.
It’s set in what was an incredibly tumultuous time for England. The mid 1600s during the English Civil War, when King Charles I & parliament were fighting each other. Not only that, but ever since Henry VIII’s religious reformation over a century before, the succeeding monarchs had bounced back and forth between Catholicism and Protestantism. So, neighbors were spying on and/or hiding beliefs from neighbors, the upper class and lower classes were worlds apart & all in all, it wasn’t a very open or happy time.
This novel is the first in a series that is apparently going to follow a family over generations as it goes from rags to riches. This is the rags part for sure and set the foundation for the rest of the series.
Alinor, a midwife whose abusive, drunkard husband has left her and her two children, taking all her savings with him (which of course is legal because he is the man, so no matter he didn’t earn it, it’s still his...GRRR). This story follows her as she tries to survive as the most impoverished woman on her island; one who can call herself neither wife nor widow, which is worse than either! I really do have a new appreciation for the women whose shoulders I now stand on and what they went through to get us to where we are today. Back in those days, superstition and paranoia ran deep & rampant. Women had absolutely no rights and were treated like baby factories who were there to take care of the men. While not a fun, happy read this is an incredibly informative & captivating start to what is sure to be a fascinating series that I look forward to continuing. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Wheww, can I just say: As a woman, I’m so glad I was born in this age and not the 17th century! Because holy doo doo...we think being a woman is hard today?? It ain’t nothin (comparatively speaking)!! Anyway, other than this new appreciation I have for the time I live in, I also thoroughly enjoyed the history lesson I received from Tidelands.
It’s set in what was an incredibly tumultuous time for England. The mid 1600s during the English Civil War, when King Charles I & parliament were fighting each other. Not only that, but ever since Henry VIII’s religious reformation over a century before, the succeeding monarchs had bounced back and forth between Catholicism and Protestantism. So, neighbors were spying on and/or hiding beliefs from neighbors, the upper class and lower classes were worlds apart & all in all, it wasn’t a very open or happy time.
This novel is the first in a series that is apparently going to follow a family over generations as it goes from rags to riches. This is the rags part for sure and set the foundation for the rest of the series.
Alinor, a midwife whose abusive, drunkard husband has left her and her two children, taking all her savings with him (which of course is legal because he is the man, so no matter he didn’t earn it, it’s still his...GRRR). This story follows her as she tries to survive as the most impoverished woman on her island; one who can call herself neither wife nor widow, which is worse than either! I really do have a new appreciation for the women whose shoulders I now stand on and what they went through to get us to where we are today. Back in those days, superstition and paranoia ran deep & rampant. Women had absolutely no rights and were treated like baby factories who were there to take care of the men. While not a fun, happy read this is an incredibly informative & captivating start to what is sure to be a fascinating series that I look forward to continuing. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
November 29, 2020
Thoughts to come.
November 30, 2023
Žinau, kad daug kas iš jūsų Gregory kūrybą jau pažįstat, nes visa jos 'Pribuvėjų' serija buvo leista, perleista ir tikrai pamėgta. Man tai pirmoji pažintis su autorės kūryba. Neturėjau nei lūkesčių, nei nusistatymų - tiesiog tikėjausi įdomaus, turtingo, vaizdingo istorinio pasakojimo.
Čia kalbama apie 1648 metus, Anglijos pilietinį karą ir visą tragiškai religijos, prietarų, baimių ir dievobaimingumo persmelktą visuomenę. Tuos neturtinguosius, gyvenančius kone amžiais šaltoje, klampioje ir purvinoje saloje. Bet net čia žmonės susikaldę - vieni remia parlementą, kiti karalių, bet visus vienija baimė nusidėti ir būti pasmerktiems. Tykiai ir ramiai čia verčiasi ir žolininkė, pribuvėja Alinora. Viena pati augina du vaikus ir tikisi, kad jos dingęs vyras niekad neparsiras. Deja, dėl jos amatų, vyro nebuvimo, stulbinančio grožio ir aiškių įžvalgų, saliečiai puse lūpų ją pravardžiuoja ragana. O tai - tų laikų moteriai - kone mirties nuosprendis.
Pradžia kažkaip sunkiai įsiskaitė. Lyg per lėtai, per daug aprašymų, per daug to paties per tą patį. Bet nuo ~100 puslapio taip įsitraukiau, kad pabaigus nepagailėjau ir keturių žvaigždučių. Įsivažiavau į istorinį Philippos ritmą ir nuoširdžiai pergyvenau dėl darbščiosios Alinoros. Knyga liūdna, tikrai liūdna. Suprantu, kad tada buvo kitokie laikai, bet tai, kaip buvo elgiamasi su moterimis - nežmoniška. Iškart visos kaltos, nes kalta buvo Adomo Ieva, kaltos jei gražios, kaltos jei myli, kaltos, jei geidžia, kaltos jei protingos, kaltos, jei ne taip pažiūri, kaltos jei kažko nori, kaltos jei vyrai nusikalsta. Vienas ne į tą pusę pasakytas žodis ir tave gali gėdos kėdėn pasodint. Viską koordinuoja amžinos paskalos ir piktų žmonių kalbų dėka gali tapti ne tik pajuokos objektu, bet ir lavonu žemėje. Stiprus čia ir politinis, istorinis kontekstas: lengvai ir aiškiai pavaizduota karaliaus ir Oliverio Kromvelio kova ir jos įtaka paprastiems žmonėms. Džiaugiuosi, kad tiek minčių knygą išprovokavo ir labai labai tikiuosi, kad leidykla leis ir kitas serijos knygas, mat čia - pirmoji iš trilogijos.
Čia kalbama apie 1648 metus, Anglijos pilietinį karą ir visą tragiškai religijos, prietarų, baimių ir dievobaimingumo persmelktą visuomenę. Tuos neturtinguosius, gyvenančius kone amžiais šaltoje, klampioje ir purvinoje saloje. Bet net čia žmonės susikaldę - vieni remia parlementą, kiti karalių, bet visus vienija baimė nusidėti ir būti pasmerktiems. Tykiai ir ramiai čia verčiasi ir žolininkė, pribuvėja Alinora. Viena pati augina du vaikus ir tikisi, kad jos dingęs vyras niekad neparsiras. Deja, dėl jos amatų, vyro nebuvimo, stulbinančio grožio ir aiškių įžvalgų, saliečiai puse lūpų ją pravardžiuoja ragana. O tai - tų laikų moteriai - kone mirties nuosprendis.
Pradžia kažkaip sunkiai įsiskaitė. Lyg per lėtai, per daug aprašymų, per daug to paties per tą patį. Bet nuo ~100 puslapio taip įsitraukiau, kad pabaigus nepagailėjau ir keturių žvaigždučių. Įsivažiavau į istorinį Philippos ritmą ir nuoširdžiai pergyvenau dėl darbščiosios Alinoros. Knyga liūdna, tikrai liūdna. Suprantu, kad tada buvo kitokie laikai, bet tai, kaip buvo elgiamasi su moterimis - nežmoniška. Iškart visos kaltos, nes kalta buvo Adomo Ieva, kaltos jei gražios, kaltos jei myli, kaltos, jei geidžia, kaltos jei protingos, kaltos, jei ne taip pažiūri, kaltos jei kažko nori, kaltos jei vyrai nusikalsta. Vienas ne į tą pusę pasakytas žodis ir tave gali gėdos kėdėn pasodint. Viską koordinuoja amžinos paskalos ir piktų žmonių kalbų dėka gali tapti ne tik pajuokos objektu, bet ir lavonu žemėje. Stiprus čia ir politinis, istorinis kontekstas: lengvai ir aiškiai pavaizduota karaliaus ir Oliverio Kromvelio kova ir jos įtaka paprastiems žmonėms. Džiaugiuosi, kad tiek minčių knygą išprovokavo ir labai labai tikiuosi, kad leidykla leis ir kitas serijos knygas, mat čia - pirmoji iš trilogijos.
August 18, 2019
I love Phillippa Gregory. Her Plantagenet & Tudor series are among my favorite books and her The Other Boleyn Girl got me started on my love of Historical Fiction. However, Tidelands falls short for me. It was plodding and tiresome in it's descriptions of the tidelands and it's people. There was nothing redeeming about anyone save for the main character, Alinor, and maybe that was the point - that she was as mired in the muck as her surroundings.
I liked how well the book showed the struggles women had in that time and how petty, small minded people can ruin a person's life in a matter of hours. A woman had to walk a careful line, playing a very serious game of cat & mouse to avoid being accused of all kinds of fallacies proving that women will always be catty bitches toward each other if there is something to gain. When the women turn on Alinor toward the last 3/4 of the book, the story finally gets going and I would have loved these scenes to be longer.
The King and parliament sections were tedious and uninteresting and I found myself skimming over these parts.
Alinor is rarely emotional which makes it very hard to connect to her. Some terrible things happen to her and the most emotion we get from her is some tears welling in her eyes. When her story comes to a climax, the narrative suddenly switches to her daughter and you never get a sense of how Alinor felt or what was going through her mind.
The book ended quite abruptly, obviously a segue into the next book but for me, it fell as flat as the rest of the story. All in all, the book was just not satisfying as I wanted more emotion and less detail.
I liked how well the book showed the struggles women had in that time and how petty, small minded people can ruin a person's life in a matter of hours. A woman had to walk a careful line, playing a very serious game of cat & mouse to avoid being accused of all kinds of fallacies proving that women will always be catty bitches toward each other if there is something to gain. When the women turn on Alinor toward the last 3/4 of the book, the story finally gets going and I would have loved these scenes to be longer.
The King and parliament sections were tedious and uninteresting and I found myself skimming over these parts.
Alinor is rarely emotional which makes it very hard to connect to her. Some terrible things happen to her and the most emotion we get from her is some tears welling in her eyes. When her story comes to a climax, the narrative suddenly switches to her daughter and you never get a sense of how Alinor felt or what was going through her mind.
The book ended quite abruptly, obviously a segue into the next book but for me, it fell as flat as the rest of the story. All in all, the book was just not satisfying as I wanted more emotion and less detail.
September 7, 2019
It is 1648 and England is at war from within. The king has fled and Parliament has taken over. In the midst of civil war, the Tidelands at Sealsea Island are not just a mix of land and water, but also a mix of those loyal to the king and those supporting parliament. It's a turbulent time. Alinor goes to the church one night to look for the ghost of her husband, who disappeared at sea the year before. Instead, she meets a priest who is hiding and helps him, not realizing this act of kindness will bring about changes to the rest of her life. In a turbulent time, people begin whispering about traitors, witches and spies. Alinor has to survive the turbulent times, her own precarious position as neither a widow or a wife, and protect her children. It isn't an easy existence by any means.
This story starts out slowly as Philippa Gregory sets the scene and describes what living during those years were like. The details are so interesting and vibrant! Then the action kicked in and I was totally sucked into the story. The ending felt a bit abrupt but definitely has me eagerly awaiting the next book!
I found portions of this book hard to read. Not because of the author's writing, but because I felt so sorry for the main character. She lives in a time where women rely completely upon men for their support and place in society. A woman alone is suspect, and often a victim of all sorts of whispering and condemnation. Alinor trying to survive alone after the disappearance of her husband becomes a target.....and there is nothing she can do. How many women were arrested, tried, victimized, even executed for being alone, acting as a healer, being intelligent and outspoken?? It makes that entire period a difficult one for me to read about. Awesome book.....very difficult period in history.
What a turbulent time! Great start to a new series!
**I read a review copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
This story starts out slowly as Philippa Gregory sets the scene and describes what living during those years were like. The details are so interesting and vibrant! Then the action kicked in and I was totally sucked into the story. The ending felt a bit abrupt but definitely has me eagerly awaiting the next book!
I found portions of this book hard to read. Not because of the author's writing, but because I felt so sorry for the main character. She lives in a time where women rely completely upon men for their support and place in society. A woman alone is suspect, and often a victim of all sorts of whispering and condemnation. Alinor trying to survive alone after the disappearance of her husband becomes a target.....and there is nothing she can do. How many women were arrested, tried, victimized, even executed for being alone, acting as a healer, being intelligent and outspoken?? It makes that entire period a difficult one for me to read about. Awesome book.....very difficult period in history.
What a turbulent time! Great start to a new series!
**I read a review copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
September 2, 2019
*https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
England 1648 is a dangerous time for a woman especially if you have intelligence, beauty and determination.
Allinor is a herbalist, a healer just like her mother before her. However her skill with herbs and her outstanding beauty cause mistrust and jealousy. She is gossiped about as being a witch. With her husband missing she is left to bring up two children alone.
Tidelands is set during the last few months of King Charles I’s reign and a time of religious upheaval. It is troubled times in England and those troubles reach as far as the remote Tidelands.
The major part of the story is about the political unrest of the time and a plot to save the King.
Allinor is unwittingly pulled into the danger when she helps a handsome stranger and falls in love.
Gregory deftly portrays the poverty and remoteness of Sealsea Island and through Allinor we see the life that women had to endure. With her husband missing she was neither wife nor widow. Her working hours were long and hard.
The plot is slow but immersive with the book spanning only 9 months it is a solid basis for the continuing saga. As the rest of the series unfolds we will have no doubt of the poverty and hardship these characters came from.
Philippa Gregory is a master story-teller. Her research and knowledge of the time period shines through in how effortlessly and smoothly the story flows.
A missing husband, a handsome priest; Tidelands is an unforgettable story of love, perseverance and danger.
*I received a review copy from the publisher
England 1648 is a dangerous time for a woman especially if you have intelligence, beauty and determination.
Allinor is a herbalist, a healer just like her mother before her. However her skill with herbs and her outstanding beauty cause mistrust and jealousy. She is gossiped about as being a witch. With her husband missing she is left to bring up two children alone.
Tidelands is set during the last few months of King Charles I’s reign and a time of religious upheaval. It is troubled times in England and those troubles reach as far as the remote Tidelands.
The major part of the story is about the political unrest of the time and a plot to save the King.
Allinor is unwittingly pulled into the danger when she helps a handsome stranger and falls in love.
Gregory deftly portrays the poverty and remoteness of Sealsea Island and through Allinor we see the life that women had to endure. With her husband missing she was neither wife nor widow. Her working hours were long and hard.
The plot is slow but immersive with the book spanning only 9 months it is a solid basis for the continuing saga. As the rest of the series unfolds we will have no doubt of the poverty and hardship these characters came from.
Philippa Gregory is a master story-teller. Her research and knowledge of the time period shines through in how effortlessly and smoothly the story flows.
A missing husband, a handsome priest; Tidelands is an unforgettable story of love, perseverance and danger.
*I received a review copy from the publisher
December 16, 2023
another chanced upon book in the library app, and...
...another novel set in liminal spaces, on land that is water some of the time...
there's even occasional references to things afoot in Essex! tho for political reasons, rather than archaeological/zoological ones 😉 (cf 'The Essex Serpent') (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...).
I was attracted mostly by the blurb saying it is/was a tale about a cunning woman... a herbalist and midwife (some midwifery does happen, and some herbs are mentioned 🙂🌿).
Alinor and her family, and the attraction between Alinor and a priest, are most central to the novel, and serve to position the story in many ways - class, gender, labour, ownership or lack of, faith and politics...
the romance element is obvious from the start, and while a central thread of the novel, it's not tooo annoying 😉
I got abit worried part way thru that some of Alinor's initial strength and centre/self was starting to get lost within the romance/relationship... but (well, I guess this does happen!)... but I was pleased to see it and her reassert it/her -self, along with the actions and voices of other strong women, towards the end of the novel 😊
the novel is abit obviously descriptively informative in places about many day to day aspects of the time... but overall this aspect of the historical within the historical fiction isn't too intrusive, and is often quite useful context.
it's pretty disturbing in the power imbalances described between men and women. whatever the reality, it's obvious that Alinor is potentially constantly at risk from a man's word, and/or village gossip...
there's a real sense of menace created (wrt the above) that grows as the story progresses, and very disturbing scenes as this thread reaches its climax...
there were times where I felt uncomfortable reading the book cos of this, and worrying about the turn it would take, and the danger it could become one of those stories that perpetuate and/or tap into the glorification and fetishisation of violence towards/enacted upon women... and while it did reach fairly horrific heights in this respect, the way the author dealt with and concluded both this thread and the novel was I think well done - definitely pulled it away from anyone getting off on it.. and also concluded it in a way that was not too tidy/unrealistic, if a very little tidy 😉😁
to say alot more would be difficult without alot of spoilering...
I think I should add a content warning for the novel wrt this - there is very real and realistic threat to women, enacted within a patriarchal society, throughout the novel... and it's abit of a scary/tense/difficult read in that respect, especially if you've been socialised/perceived/positioned as female in contemporary patriarchal societies, and/or care about those that are.
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
in summary - the novel seemed good historical fiction about a politically and religiously interesting period in English history, while also strongly centring the lives, experiences and hopes of (working class in particular) women in that time 😊
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
accessed as a library audiobook, read (abit unevenly) by Louise Brealey.
...another novel set in liminal spaces, on land that is water some of the time...
there's even occasional references to things afoot in Essex! tho for political reasons, rather than archaeological/zoological ones 😉 (cf 'The Essex Serpent') (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...).
I was attracted mostly by the blurb saying it is/was a tale about a cunning woman... a herbalist and midwife (some midwifery does happen, and some herbs are mentioned 🙂🌿).
Alinor and her family, and the attraction between Alinor and a priest, are most central to the novel, and serve to position the story in many ways - class, gender, labour, ownership or lack of, faith and politics...
the romance element is obvious from the start, and while a central thread of the novel, it's not tooo annoying 😉
I got abit worried part way thru that some of Alinor's initial strength and centre/self was starting to get lost within the romance/relationship... but (well, I guess this does happen!)... but I was pleased to see it and her reassert it/her -self, along with the actions and voices of other strong women, towards the end of the novel 😊
the novel is abit obviously descriptively informative in places about many day to day aspects of the time... but overall this aspect of the historical within the historical fiction isn't too intrusive, and is often quite useful context.
it's pretty disturbing in the power imbalances described between men and women. whatever the reality, it's obvious that Alinor is potentially constantly at risk from a man's word, and/or village gossip...
there's a real sense of menace created (wrt the above) that grows as the story progresses, and very disturbing scenes as this thread reaches its climax...
there were times where I felt uncomfortable reading the book cos of this, and worrying about the turn it would take, and the danger it could become one of those stories that perpetuate and/or tap into the glorification and fetishisation of violence towards/enacted upon women... and while it did reach fairly horrific heights in this respect, the way the author dealt with and concluded both this thread and the novel was I think well done - definitely pulled it away from anyone getting off on it.. and also concluded it in a way that was not too tidy/unrealistic, if a very little tidy 😉😁
to say alot more would be difficult without alot of spoilering...
I think I should add a content warning for the novel wrt this - there is very real and realistic threat to women, enacted within a patriarchal society, throughout the novel... and it's abit of a scary/tense/difficult read in that respect, especially if you've been socialised/perceived/positioned as female in contemporary patriarchal societies, and/or care about those that are.
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
in summary - the novel seemed good historical fiction about a politically and religiously interesting period in English history, while also strongly centring the lives, experiences and hopes of (working class in particular) women in that time 😊
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
accessed as a library audiobook, read (abit unevenly) by Louise Brealey.
October 3, 2019
The setting for Philippa Gregory's new historical novel, the first in the Fairmile series, is the coastal marshes of England's south coast in 1648, during the civil war between Parliament and the King. It centres on Alinor, a healer and midwife, and her son and daughter, whose fisherman father has left them. Abandoned to poverty, Alinor does her utmost to give her children the best chance she can, while trying to avoid the kind of trouble that routinely comes to a beautiful, lone 'wise woman' in these superstitious and righteous times. Still, late one night when she meets a lost stranger, who is possibly a Royalist spy, she does not hesitate to help him.
The physical sense of the marshlands and the rigours of Alinor's life seep from the pages. The detail of the daily lives of the fisherman, ferryman, farmers and millers who people the Tidelands is truly evocative, bringing the novel to life, while Alinor and her family's story tugs at the heartstrings. The tension and expectation throughout is palpable, yet when the denouement came, it still surprised me.
Tidelands is very different to Gregory's Tudor and Plantagenet novels. But rather than a departure, I see it more as a return to her earlier novels, such as the Wideacre and Tradescant series, except with an impoverished leading lady rather than a well-to-do one. Historical characters are the bit players here, mentioned but rarely seen. The impact of politics upon the ordinary people is at the heart of the story. The author lingers upon the details of their lives, yet her impeccable research never once intrudes upon the story.
The physical sense of the marshlands and the rigours of Alinor's life seep from the pages. The detail of the daily lives of the fisherman, ferryman, farmers and millers who people the Tidelands is truly evocative, bringing the novel to life, while Alinor and her family's story tugs at the heartstrings. The tension and expectation throughout is palpable, yet when the denouement came, it still surprised me.
Tidelands is very different to Gregory's Tudor and Plantagenet novels. But rather than a departure, I see it more as a return to her earlier novels, such as the Wideacre and Tradescant series, except with an impoverished leading lady rather than a well-to-do one. Historical characters are the bit players here, mentioned but rarely seen. The impact of politics upon the ordinary people is at the heart of the story. The author lingers upon the details of their lives, yet her impeccable research never once intrudes upon the story.
November 16, 2020
Alinor is a fisherman's wife, midwife and herbalist. 1648 is the year, Alinor's husband has left her in poverty with 2 children. A story of belief, faith and endurance, Alinor learns about trust most of all, and who deserves it. A deep enriching story that pulls you in and beautifully written you can see every little aspect Ms. Gregory describes to you. The characters have so much depth you feel you know them. This is a well written story for the period description and storyline. This is a meaty one so ENJOY!
November 14, 2020
Thank you Philippa Gregory, Netgalley, and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book!
It has been a while since I have read anything by Philippa Gregory. I read most of her Tudor related stories–there were some that I loved and some not so much but when I saw the synopsis for Tidelands, I was definitely intrigued! The story begins in England in 1648, the English Civil War has ravaged the country and Charles I is imprisoned on an island. Alinor is a fisherman’s wife, whose husband has gone missing. She has two children, Alys and Rob who depend on her. She makes her living as an herbalist and a midwife. But she is a woman and she is poor–every decision could lead to dangerous consequences. When she comes across a priest and gets him to safety, that is the first of many decisions that will bring danger to her and her family.
I just finished this book moments ago. So my emotions are a little raw. God, I love Alinor. She is caught in a world where she has to watch every move that she makes but craves safety, financial security, and love for herself and her kids. She is so strong in the face of hatred and poverty. The men in this book…suck. But that isn’t surprising in the year 1648. However, this book touches on so many aspects like hysteria, that are still relatable.
There are certain aspects of the book that are slow. Especially, scenes when the priest named James, is doing his spy networking. That part should have been thrilling but it felt dull. And just when the moment of the trial comes to pass, it gets skipped over and just becomes a part of a conversation. I wanted to be in that moment and I was waiting for the detail of the trial and execution. (This isn’t a spoiler, this is history, folks.)
BUT THAT ENDING!!! Talk about a cliffhanger!!!! Now, tread carefully SPOILERS AHEAD. This is what I am hoping for in the next book: I hope Alinor and Alys channel their inner witches and curse all these idiot men. Just saying. I want them to SMASH the patriarchy. I want revenge.
With the slow pacing, I was dancing between a 3-star rating and a 4-star rating–but that ending certified a 4-star rating. I do recommend that you have book 2, Dark Tides on preorder before picking up this book.
It has been a while since I have read anything by Philippa Gregory. I read most of her Tudor related stories–there were some that I loved and some not so much but when I saw the synopsis for Tidelands, I was definitely intrigued! The story begins in England in 1648, the English Civil War has ravaged the country and Charles I is imprisoned on an island. Alinor is a fisherman’s wife, whose husband has gone missing. She has two children, Alys and Rob who depend on her. She makes her living as an herbalist and a midwife. But she is a woman and she is poor–every decision could lead to dangerous consequences. When she comes across a priest and gets him to safety, that is the first of many decisions that will bring danger to her and her family.
I just finished this book moments ago. So my emotions are a little raw. God, I love Alinor. She is caught in a world where she has to watch every move that she makes but craves safety, financial security, and love for herself and her kids. She is so strong in the face of hatred and poverty. The men in this book…suck. But that isn’t surprising in the year 1648. However, this book touches on so many aspects like hysteria, that are still relatable.
There are certain aspects of the book that are slow. Especially, scenes when the priest named James, is doing his spy networking. That part should have been thrilling but it felt dull. And just when the moment of the trial comes to pass, it gets skipped over and just becomes a part of a conversation. I wanted to be in that moment and I was waiting for the detail of the trial and execution. (This isn’t a spoiler, this is history, folks.)
BUT THAT ENDING!!! Talk about a cliffhanger!!!! Now, tread carefully SPOILERS AHEAD. This is what I am hoping for in the next book: I hope Alinor and Alys channel their inner witches and curse all these idiot men. Just saying. I want them to SMASH the patriarchy. I want revenge.
With the slow pacing, I was dancing between a 3-star rating and a 4-star rating–but that ending certified a 4-star rating. I do recommend that you have book 2, Dark Tides on preorder before picking up this book.
October 12, 2019
4.5 stars - Incredible. I really loved it.
On Midsummer Eve, Alinor waits in the church graveyard, hoping to encounter her missing husband’s ghost and thus confirm his death. Instead, she meets a stranger, a man named James, who is a Catholic priest and a spy in secret service to the exiled King Charles.
Unlike most of the novels I have read by Philippa Gregory, politics and royal intrigue are in the background here with romance being in the foreground. At first, I didn’t think I would like this format as much, and the first half was not exactly riveting to read (still good, but not 4.5 stars).
I’m so thankful I stuck with it though as it ended up being an incredible story and the second half, in particular, is fantastic. This is a historical fiction novel that can even appeal to people that normally don’t like HF.
The main family’s characters are vivid and memorable, particularly the mother and daughter. I enjoyed that many other characters were morally gray and complex like people are in reality. This always make for a more enjoyable reading experience, and for characters that linger in your mind long after the book is closed.
The author has an interesting concept with this series, which is to follow several generations of the same family to show their rise from obscurity to prosperity over 250 years and 3 continents. I eagerly anticipate reading future works in this series.
-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quotes: God will judge him now. And that is a court to which we all must come.
Perhaps this was her punishment for foolishly trusting a young man who spoke of priceless love but lived inside an expensive world, who called himself mad for her but was all too thoughtful when it came to his future.
First Sentence: The church was gray against a paler gray sky, the bell tower dark against the darker clouds.
On Midsummer Eve, Alinor waits in the church graveyard, hoping to encounter her missing husband’s ghost and thus confirm his death. Instead, she meets a stranger, a man named James, who is a Catholic priest and a spy in secret service to the exiled King Charles.
Unlike most of the novels I have read by Philippa Gregory, politics and royal intrigue are in the background here with romance being in the foreground. At first, I didn’t think I would like this format as much, and the first half was not exactly riveting to read (still good, but not 4.5 stars).
I’m so thankful I stuck with it though as it ended up being an incredible story and the second half, in particular, is fantastic. This is a historical fiction novel that can even appeal to people that normally don’t like HF.
The main family’s characters are vivid and memorable, particularly the mother and daughter. I enjoyed that many other characters were morally gray and complex like people are in reality. This always make for a more enjoyable reading experience, and for characters that linger in your mind long after the book is closed.
The author has an interesting concept with this series, which is to follow several generations of the same family to show their rise from obscurity to prosperity over 250 years and 3 continents. I eagerly anticipate reading future works in this series.
-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quotes: God will judge him now. And that is a court to which we all must come.
Perhaps this was her punishment for foolishly trusting a young man who spoke of priceless love but lived inside an expensive world, who called himself mad for her but was all too thoughtful when it came to his future.
First Sentence: The church was gray against a paler gray sky, the bell tower dark against the darker clouds.
April 8, 2020
TIDELANDS has a beautiful cover depicting the blue ocean, the rugged tidelands and the blue sky.
This is an engaging and interesting story of civil war, love, ambition, secrets, superstition, oppression, and sacrifice. Philippa Gregory's masterful use of vivid descriptions and character development transported me back in history to the marshy landscape of the south coast of England in the year 1648.
There I witnessed the life of Alinor, a healer and midwife, trying to raise a son and daughter on her own since her abusive husband Zachery was lost at sea. In addition to looking after her own home, herb and vegetable gardens, and drying and preparing herbal remedies, Alinor and her children, Rob and Alys, work for the more well off residents to earn a living.
The effects of civil war reach all of the kingdom, even Sealsea Island. Ned, Alinor's brother, fought in the war and is interested in the politics. He is the ferryman, ferrying people across the water to and from the island.
Philippa Gregory has a loyal following of readers who love her historical fiction books. TIDELANDS is the first book in The Fairmile Series, and now that I have had a taste, I crave more.
Highly recommend ⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️
ARC was provided by Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I chose to listen to the unabridged audio version read by Louise Brealey.
Posted on Goodreads, NetGalley, and Savvy Reader on April 8, 2020
This is an engaging and interesting story of civil war, love, ambition, secrets, superstition, oppression, and sacrifice. Philippa Gregory's masterful use of vivid descriptions and character development transported me back in history to the marshy landscape of the south coast of England in the year 1648.
There I witnessed the life of Alinor, a healer and midwife, trying to raise a son and daughter on her own since her abusive husband Zachery was lost at sea. In addition to looking after her own home, herb and vegetable gardens, and drying and preparing herbal remedies, Alinor and her children, Rob and Alys, work for the more well off residents to earn a living.
The effects of civil war reach all of the kingdom, even Sealsea Island. Ned, Alinor's brother, fought in the war and is interested in the politics. He is the ferryman, ferrying people across the water to and from the island.
Philippa Gregory has a loyal following of readers who love her historical fiction books. TIDELANDS is the first book in The Fairmile Series, and now that I have had a taste, I crave more.
Highly recommend ⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️
ARC was provided by Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I chose to listen to the unabridged audio version read by Louise Brealey.
Posted on Goodreads, NetGalley, and Savvy Reader on April 8, 2020
May 21, 2023
Hmmm found this a bit of a struggle to get through. I chose it for the time period which I enjoy stories set in. The Author I thought was more of a romance writer … and she was.
The story of Alinor a ‘wise woman’ ie witch like and her daughter and son was well told. Could feel the hard times she was enduring with a husband apparently lost at sea. But James the catholic priest who gives up his vows pretty quickly was not a character I could warm to ( even as a lapsed Catholic). Not sure I will hunt for the second book.
The story of Alinor a ‘wise woman’ ie witch like and her daughter and son was well told. Could feel the hard times she was enduring with a husband apparently lost at sea. But James the catholic priest who gives up his vows pretty quickly was not a character I could warm to ( even as a lapsed Catholic). Not sure I will hunt for the second book.
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