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Lizzie Manning #1
The Wandering Heart
Praise for Mary Malloy’s “A tour de force—fascinating, highly readable, and meticulously researched.”—Nathaniel Philbrick “Meticulously researched and engagingly written.”— Seattle Times “In the tradition of Byatt’s Possession , Malloy’s debut novel is a complex and masterfully woven tale that will keep readers up far into the night.”—Caroline Preston, author of Jackie by Josie and Gatsby’s Girl Historian Lizzie Manning didn’t set out to become a sleuth, and she had no intention of becoming personally involved in a medieval mystery. Her expertise lay in eighteenth-century maritime voyages, and her assignment was to find a Tlingit Indian corpse robbed from its grave two hundred years ago during Captain Cook’s Pacific voyage. First accident, then compulsion, pull her deeper into the past, through thirty generations of one British family. Lizzie’s sources aren’t fingerprints and firearms, but documents, artifacts, paintings, architecture, and even the landscape—though modern forensic science helps clarify what happened to a few ancient corpses. Lizzie’s work takes on personal meaning as she is drawn into her own family’s history of insanity and a search for a Crusader’s disembodied heart. As with Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody and Amanda Cross’ Kate Fansler, Mary Malloy creates a heroine who is a respected scholar in her field, and who draws on her expertise to solve the mysteries that come her way. Mary Malloy, PhD , is the author of four maritime history books. She is a professor of maritime history at Sea Education Association in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and of museum studies at Harvard University.
300 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 24, 2009
I fear that most people will read the title of this book, look at its cover art and think this is some sort of historical romance, when in fact it is not, it’s a brilliant work historical fiction with more than one engaging mystery, one of which revolves around a tragic romance.
Lizzie Manning is a historian and a professor living in Boston, Massachusetts. She is contacted by the Hatton family in Britain to study and document their ancestor, Francis Hatton, and the journal he wrote and the artifacts he collected during his sea voyage with Captain James Cook.
Invited to stay and research the documents and artifacts in the family home, Hedgemont, Lizzie soon discovers this family has a history deep in tradition and tragedy, dating back to the thirteenth century and the Crusades. As she uncovers more about Francis, she discovers more about his family’s tragic past and the women who seem to be affected by that past, fatally. Immersed in the rich detail and history of the family, Lizzie makes several discoveries and unlocks mysteries that have plagued the family and remained unsolved for centuries.
All the mysteries involved with the Hatton family seem to center around one tragic event at the time of the Crusades, and the missing heart that was never recovered from the event. The line between what was and what is becomes blurred as the past starts affecting Lizzie more personally than she ever thought possible when history begins to repeat itself.
It took a little while for the story to fully take off and take shape, but once it did, I was as engrossed in the Hatton family history as Lizzie was. The story is powerful in its details and the tragedies of the past make a great impact on the reader. Both the historical and fictitious stories are fascinating and with each discovery made by Lizzie, I felt like I was watching her put the pieces of a puzzle together. The characters of the story enhanced the journey and each role was played an important part to fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together at the end.
I stated at the beginning of this review that I feared people would think this book a romance and overlook it, or simply not pick it up. The truth is there is enough romance involved to entertain the romance reader, but there is so much more going on in this story that I feel this is a book that fans of most genres will enjoy. Mystery, romance, historical fiction, or just great fiction fans in general would enjoy this tale, immensely, I think. This book looks to be the first in a trilogy featuring Lizzie and her supporting cast, and I look forward to the next adventure and mystery with much enthusiasm.
Cherise Everhard, June 2009
Lizzie Manning is a historian and a professor living in Boston, Massachusetts. She is contacted by the Hatton family in Britain to study and document their ancestor, Francis Hatton, and the journal he wrote and the artifacts he collected during his sea voyage with Captain James Cook.
Invited to stay and research the documents and artifacts in the family home, Hedgemont, Lizzie soon discovers this family has a history deep in tradition and tragedy, dating back to the thirteenth century and the Crusades. As she uncovers more about Francis, she discovers more about his family’s tragic past and the women who seem to be affected by that past, fatally. Immersed in the rich detail and history of the family, Lizzie makes several discoveries and unlocks mysteries that have plagued the family and remained unsolved for centuries.
All the mysteries involved with the Hatton family seem to center around one tragic event at the time of the Crusades, and the missing heart that was never recovered from the event. The line between what was and what is becomes blurred as the past starts affecting Lizzie more personally than she ever thought possible when history begins to repeat itself.
It took a little while for the story to fully take off and take shape, but once it did, I was as engrossed in the Hatton family history as Lizzie was. The story is powerful in its details and the tragedies of the past make a great impact on the reader. Both the historical and fictitious stories are fascinating and with each discovery made by Lizzie, I felt like I was watching her put the pieces of a puzzle together. The characters of the story enhanced the journey and each role was played an important part to fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together at the end.
I stated at the beginning of this review that I feared people would think this book a romance and overlook it, or simply not pick it up. The truth is there is enough romance involved to entertain the romance reader, but there is so much more going on in this story that I feel this is a book that fans of most genres will enjoy. Mystery, romance, historical fiction, or just great fiction fans in general would enjoy this tale, immensely, I think. This book looks to be the first in a trilogy featuring Lizzie and her supporting cast, and I look forward to the next adventure and mystery with much enthusiasm.
Cherise Everhard, June 2009
May 21, 2011
On an invitation, Professor Elizabeth Manning sets out to England to study Sir Francis Hatton's journal and catalogue his cabinet of artifacts, curios, and relics. As she takes the task of organizing the explorer's collection, she finds a cryptic line. Where is his heart?
So begins the mystery dating back to the thirteenth century that Lizzie starts to unravel. The closer she gets to the truth, the more seemingly supernatural events happen that try to overcome her and claim her as another victim.
With a narrative I thought that was quite languid as the countryside (specially at the start), I'd say that The Wandering Heart is like a princess dressed in peasant clothes. Taken out of its plain wrappings, it's a great story that I enjoyed tremendously.
And what isn't there to like? There is an ancestor that voyaged with Captain Cook, a sweetheart of and a painting by Rossetti. There are family secrets, heart burials and gothic elements. The story kept me thinking.
One glaring thing that made me feel uneasy were the characters' repeated slights about British aristocracy. Even though there was a gentleman (or two) in the story that proved they can be warm and more congenial, even if I have heard about the stiff upper lip, the frequent comments still left me bothered. It left me thinking that perhaps, Malloy had an awful experience with them.
Lastly, I would like to note the book's cover art. I am often intrigued about the what's and why's of a cover and how does it relate to the story. As mentioned in the author's website at www.marymalloy.net, the cover is a painting by Frederic William Burton. The Meeting on the Turret Stairs depicts a medieval woman and her crusader. So, intentionally being vague, there is a crusader and his lady in The Wandering Heart. It is up to you to meet them.
So begins the mystery dating back to the thirteenth century that Lizzie starts to unravel. The closer she gets to the truth, the more seemingly supernatural events happen that try to overcome her and claim her as another victim.
With a narrative I thought that was quite languid as the countryside (specially at the start), I'd say that The Wandering Heart is like a princess dressed in peasant clothes. Taken out of its plain wrappings, it's a great story that I enjoyed tremendously.
And what isn't there to like? There is an ancestor that voyaged with Captain Cook, a sweetheart of and a painting by Rossetti. There are family secrets, heart burials and gothic elements. The story kept me thinking.
One glaring thing that made me feel uneasy were the characters' repeated slights about British aristocracy. Even though there was a gentleman (or two) in the story that proved they can be warm and more congenial, even if I have heard about the stiff upper lip, the frequent comments still left me bothered. It left me thinking that perhaps, Malloy had an awful experience with them.
Lastly, I would like to note the book's cover art. I am often intrigued about the what's and why's of a cover and how does it relate to the story. As mentioned in the author's website at www.marymalloy.net, the cover is a painting by Frederic William Burton. The Meeting on the Turret Stairs depicts a medieval woman and her crusader. So, intentionally being vague, there is a crusader and his lady in The Wandering Heart. It is up to you to meet them.
June 3, 2009
I wasn't expecting a book this good. I am not normally an avid reader of historical fiction, but I run a blog about the Pre-Raphaelites, and I try to keep up on any and every book that may feature one of their members prominently. I requested this book via Inter-library loan because the Amazon description mentioned that one of the characters was Rossetti's lover. I was intrigued, but hardly anticipated such a page-turner.
I like to describe it as a combination of _Mortal Love_ with _Possession_...add a dash of the amazing film, _The Innocents_. In this tale, a modern history professor is given a chance to catalogue and document a collection of items gathered by a member of Cook's sea voyages. The collector was a member of an upstanding British aristocratic family, and thus the setting becomes deliciously gothic, as she travels to a family castle, and explores it. The plot thickens as she sorts through the family memorabilia, and discovers poetry written in almost every century repeating the same line: "Where is his heart?" She thus uncovers a family curse, and realizes she may be at more risk than she realizes.
The book is really outstandingly written, combining historic details and gothic creepiness. I read large portions of it late at night, and felt a bit nervous to turn out the light.
My only complaint about the book is the author's heavy-handed discussion of the morality of the aristocracy. Because frankly, I'm in disagreement with her on the issue, and it took me out of the tale quite abruptly every time she insisted on cramming her message down my throat. But otherwise, the book was absolutely divine. And HIGHLY recommended..
I like to describe it as a combination of _Mortal Love_ with _Possession_...add a dash of the amazing film, _The Innocents_. In this tale, a modern history professor is given a chance to catalogue and document a collection of items gathered by a member of Cook's sea voyages. The collector was a member of an upstanding British aristocratic family, and thus the setting becomes deliciously gothic, as she travels to a family castle, and explores it. The plot thickens as she sorts through the family memorabilia, and discovers poetry written in almost every century repeating the same line: "Where is his heart?" She thus uncovers a family curse, and realizes she may be at more risk than she realizes.
The book is really outstandingly written, combining historic details and gothic creepiness. I read large portions of it late at night, and felt a bit nervous to turn out the light.
My only complaint about the book is the author's heavy-handed discussion of the morality of the aristocracy. Because frankly, I'm in disagreement with her on the issue, and it took me out of the tale quite abruptly every time she insisted on cramming her message down my throat. But otherwise, the book was absolutely divine. And HIGHLY recommended..
January 6, 2020
Love this book! It's Nancy Drew-esq as a historian puts together two different mysteries in England while exploring her own beliefs about herself.
January 21, 2022
Maybe 3.5, just one too many storylines.
July 18, 2021
Upon reflection, it really bothers me that there is zero acknowledgement by the author that James cook was a colonizer who was messing around with native people and their stuff and their dead when he had no business to. In fact the main character feels…bad for him? Because he Accidentally stole a natives dead body? Because he was messing with stuff he shouldn’t have been messing with in the first place?? And all the artifacts she goes over, again a lot of it stuff that’s stolen from native people? I don’t know. Don’t mean to morality police anything, but it struck as ironic that her one friend was all up in arms about people glorifying princess diana, but had no issue with her friend doing this research project that’s created by white colonizers?
You can tell this book was written by a historian first, a novelist second. By no means do I mean that as an insult! I love historical fiction and I enjoyed this book, but if you really like specifically romantic historical fiction, as in everything is every romanticized, this might not be for you. This author actively dismantles romanticized notions in this kind of stories throughout the novel, the main character is a 40 something a married professor of history. the story and mystery are intriguing, though I did find many of the big reveals to not be super surprising, but still enjoyable.
Also upon reflection, the vibe I got from the author is that she looks down on romance or gothic novels, which is not great. We aren’t less intelligent than you because we like romance.
You can tell this book was written by a historian first, a novelist second. By no means do I mean that as an insult! I love historical fiction and I enjoyed this book, but if you really like specifically romantic historical fiction, as in everything is every romanticized, this might not be for you. This author actively dismantles romanticized notions in this kind of stories throughout the novel, the main character is a 40 something a married professor of history. the story and mystery are intriguing, though I did find many of the big reveals to not be super surprising, but still enjoyable.
Also upon reflection, the vibe I got from the author is that she looks down on romance or gothic novels, which is not great. We aren’t less intelligent than you because we like romance.
January 30, 2009
This is one of those books that keep you up reading all night, because the mysteries just keep coming. A very enjoyable read. Lizzie Manning, historian, is invited to an ancient manor house in England, to study some ethnographic artifacts kept by the Hatton family. This family can trace their ancestors--through written records--30-something generations back, into the Crusades. Not an uncommon thing in British aristocratic families, but for many of us in America, it's a fascinating concept (I can go back 2 generations in my family...). Lizzie begins working on the journal of an 18th-century Hatton who voyaged with Captain Cook in the Pacific. Some major artifacts that he collected, however--including the remains of a NW Native American who befriended him--are mysteriously missing. And somehow, this mystery from Cook's Pacific NW voyage leads Lizzie into another mystery...and another... until she finds herself studying the disposition of body parts of 13-century Crusaders who died far from home, and the subject of heart burials, and 30 generations of suicidal young women, and...but I won't give it all away. This book is cram packed with fascinating, and real, historical details, and gives a great look at the process of historical research. A historical mystery with a lot of brains. Highly recommended.
April 25, 2010
Elizabeth Manning is an historian in Massachusetts who gets invited to England to prepare a rare collection of artifacts and documents from one of the officers on Captain Cook's third voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Once there she discovers amazing examples of Northwest Indian handicraft and a family curse. Well, doesn't every well-born family in England have a curse? In this one, women named Elizabeth commit suicide. The notes they leave behind echo, "Where is his heart?"
Elizabeth finds herself compelled to answer their ancient question. Using her considerable research skills, her quest takes her racing across England, viewing old crypts, ancient documents, exquisite paintings, and medieval architecture.
This book was nearly as fun to read as Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series. Like Amelia, Elizabeth Manning is smart, well-educated and eager to share her considerable knowledge of history. Like Amelia, she gets into some unusual predicaments because she just can't let go of a riddle until she has an answer. The author, Mary Malloy, is an historian and this is her first novel. She intends to write two more books with Elizabeth Manning as the heroine. I'm looking forward to them.
Elizabeth finds herself compelled to answer their ancient question. Using her considerable research skills, her quest takes her racing across England, viewing old crypts, ancient documents, exquisite paintings, and medieval architecture.
This book was nearly as fun to read as Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series. Like Amelia, Elizabeth Manning is smart, well-educated and eager to share her considerable knowledge of history. Like Amelia, she gets into some unusual predicaments because she just can't let go of a riddle until she has an answer. The author, Mary Malloy, is an historian and this is her first novel. She intends to write two more books with Elizabeth Manning as the heroine. I'm looking forward to them.
September 18, 2009
“Lizzie couldn’t help wondering why some family stories were hidden as shameful... while others were celebrated and romanticized.”
Elizabeth Manning is hired to catalog and organize a collection of historic artifacts belonging to a respected British family, but soon becomes fascinated with a string of mysterious suicides beginning in medieval times. This is the first work of fiction from a non-fiction writer and you can tell by the slightly stiff writing and occasionally flat characters. But I loved the historical angle, I learned a lot about heart burials, and it was certainly ambitious to include information from two distinct periods (the Middle Ages and the late 1700's). In real life historical mysteries are probably not solved so swiftly or so definitively, but this is a story and, all in all, it is a pretty good one.
Elizabeth Manning is hired to catalog and organize a collection of historic artifacts belonging to a respected British family, but soon becomes fascinated with a string of mysterious suicides beginning in medieval times. This is the first work of fiction from a non-fiction writer and you can tell by the slightly stiff writing and occasionally flat characters. But I loved the historical angle, I learned a lot about heart burials, and it was certainly ambitious to include information from two distinct periods (the Middle Ages and the late 1700's). In real life historical mysteries are probably not solved so swiftly or so definitively, but this is a story and, all in all, it is a pretty good one.
December 6, 2011
I'm not usually a mystery reader, but I found this at the library and decided to give it a try. So glad I did. This isn't a murder or crime mystery, but more of a historical mystery which is why it appealed to me. The author is a maritime historian which explains why for her first novel we deal with some mystery behind Capt. Cook. Normally I would find this boring, but it was put together so nicely that I kept wanting more and had a hard time putting it down.
Elizabeth Manning finds herself wrapped up in a British family's mystery while on vacation. She learns of a family curse which she soon believes is affecting her as well. The mixture of history and present day is seamless and the mystery is one that will keep you reading for hours!
Elizabeth Manning finds herself wrapped up in a British family's mystery while on vacation. She learns of a family curse which she soon believes is affecting her as well. The mixture of history and present day is seamless and the mystery is one that will keep you reading for hours!
July 17, 2009
This book was like college to me- I wanted to quit so many times but I had put too much time into it to turn back. Yuck! I got this book on the premise that it was about real history interwoven with fiction but the whole thing was pretty much fiction and I could not, repeat, COULD NOT stand the main character, Lizzie, or her husband, Martin. I also hated her chat sessions at the local Italian restaurant with her other three academic friends- I mean, who seriously sits and talks about aristocracy with disdain? These ladies were practically living in the 16th century. Don't read this if you want to keep your respect.
July 17, 2016
I did enjoy this book overall but to be honest it was a bit slow and dense at times. I've seen its part of a trilogy and I'm curious how the story continues because it felt very neatly tied up. I think I struggled with the multiple but very closely linked plot lines. The story of Lizzie's family was obvious early on and works but at times there's just too much going on for my taste the Francis Hatton story is a great one alone and plays to the authors expertise. The curse of the heart is a bit much and cheesy. I did really like the very realistic and adult portrayal of relationships, both in the family and for Lizzie and Martin. In my opinion it's greatest strength.
May 26, 2009
This was an interesting novel. A modern researcher is employed to study the collection of a ancestor of a wealthy British family. Along the way, she wonders if there is a family curse because of the tragedies she uncovers. I was attracted to the story for the gothic setting and lives up to that genre. The story has a literary quality and in a blurb was compared to A.S. Byatt's writing, but I am reminded more of Diane Tyrrel.
November 11, 2009
Really interesting stoy of knightly love, religious zeal, and haunting regrets. I loved the second half of the book--it just took me too long to get into to give it a four. It has the feel of THE DAVINCI CODE, but with a woman protagonist and not as much "NO WAY COULD THAT HAPEN" stuff. It is set at the time of the crusades and deals with extreme depression, guilt, loss, and a heart in a box. Wow eh? You probably want to go out and read it now.
October 18, 2011
I loved this book, and I'm not entirely sure why! The plot was entirely implausible and most/many of the characters too-good-to-be-true. But it was (mostly) not predictable, and I liked the pace of the novel.
Read
March 30, 2009There's nothing fancy about Mary Malloy's writing style, but she has woven a complex and compelling tale here. Lizzie is a very likable heroine, and the historical details are fascinating.
June 11, 2009
It was pretty good. Not something I'd rave about but I read it to the end.
June 16, 2009
Fantastic - couldn't put it down and want to read more of her books - looking forward to the 2nd in the trilogy!!
August 21, 2011
Really enjoyed this. Some aspects of it were predictable, but I was intrigued by the research and the history involved. It is the first of a trilogy, and I would like to find the others.
January 16, 2015
I couldn't put this one down!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews