Sons and Daughters

by Margaret Dickinson

Charlotte is an only child, reared by a brutal father who cannot forgive her for not being the son he desires. Loved by most that she meets, Charlotte has a gift for friendship, and it is her work as a Sunday School teacher that gives her hope - and an escape from home. When Charlotte meets Miles Thornton, she is instantly drawn to him. He is new to the area and a widower, with three lovely young sons to look after but the one thing he has longed for is a daughter. As they grow to understand one another, it seems that Miles and Charlotte have more in common that meets the eye... Sweeping from the early 1920s through to the end of World War II, SONS AND DAUGHTERS is a compelling, traditional saga set against the Lincolnshire landscape that Margaret Dickinson portrays so well.

Genres: Fiction, Historical, Ebooks, Historical Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Margaret Dickinson moved to the coast at the age of seven and so began her love for the sea and the Lincolnshire landscape. Her ambition to be a writer began early and she had her first novel published at the age of twenty-five. This was followed by many further titles including Plough the Furrow, Sow the Seed and Reap the Harvest, which make up her Lincolnshire Fleethaven Trilogy. She is also the author of Fairfield Hall, Jenny's War and The Clippie Girls. Margaret is a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller.

Reviews

[Paige-lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it but I can't stand it when a character who wears glasses is considered ugly and then suddenly beautiful when they remove them. I'm sorry but a persons looks aren't marred in any way by glasses and it was irritating how often it was mentioned.

The antagonists also seem to be villainous to a cartoonish degree, even a young teenager, which was making it hard to immerse myself properly.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Historical fiction, Drama.

Charlotte is an only child, born to a man who wanted a son and cannot forgive her for being a girl. She leads a tough life under her father's domineering gaze. He is oppressive in any way he can be and keeps her under his thumb as she grows up. But Charlotte has a sunny disposition and doesn't let anything stop her from being who she is. She is befriended and loved by all she meets.
Miles Thornton moves into the neighbouring farm with his three sons. He has a happy life but yearns for a daughter. This is a beautiful story of the lives of two families.

I love Margaret Dickinson's writing because of the way she emotes throughout the book. Every single word, detail, character, and incident blend into the story beautifully. Her characters are human - not too perfect, and not unrelatable. They make mistakes, they have emotions, they would do anything a real person would do under similar circumstances. These characters live long in my mind even after I finish reading the books. and I often find myself asking, "what would Charlotte do?"
Another reason I love Margaret Dickinson's work is because her writing style is so fluid and light. Historical fiction doesn't have to be heavy and dated and hers feels just right. There were times when I could predict the outcome of a particular situation but I wasn't disappointed because she's realistic enough to not give you everything you think you want. That last line gave me goosebumps and a hard lump in my throat. After reading my fourth book, I expected to find her work somewhat formulaic because of the strong female main character but I was wrong. All of them are so different and lovable in their own way.
I've read and loved four of her books and I know now that I'm going to continue to pick up her books without reading the reviews and the blurbs just as I picked this one. This is one author I wish I could meet and have a nice cup of tea and a long chat with.

[purple highlighter · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10! I just love it when I find underrated & good books when i buy at random from 2nd hand bookshops, it’s like finding rare treasure!! charot. It’s a great book that tackles about family(regardless of blood), loyalty, unconditional love, forgiveness and camaraderie. An easy read too!

ig it’s safe to say this would be the start of reawakening my love for historical books. i surprisingly & genuinely enjoyed this sm! I was drawn back to the nostalgia of the movies they used to play on tv during holy week when i was a kid. The part where the cold hearted Philip opened up to dear Charlotte made made me cry i didnt expect i would react the way i did lol

Would definitely want to read more of Margaret Dickinson soon!

[Linda Leedham · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started to read this, it didn't hold my attention as much as I would have liked. On picking up the book each time, I couldn't remember the story I had read so far, untill I had read a few more pages to remind me. However the more I read the more interesting it got. There were lots of new mysteries to find out .I didn't like Osbert Charlottes dad at all and could not understand why she felt so loyal to him. I can recommend reading this book

[Rowlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which tells the tale of Charlotte who is unwanted and unloved by the father who is raising her. It shows how little women were thought of at the turn of the last century and beyond. Charlotte eventually finds love and a new life but still has a lot of things to endure over the years.

[Divya Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it to be a one-time-read. For me, just some words & farm life details were new in this novel. It was predictable in some parts while in some, I felt the conversations showed exaggerated British politeness.

[Missy Eames · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprised by this book. Picked up at a Little Free Library. Historical fiction set in the 1920-1940s. Slow burn romance, a heroine who is lovable and not cringe. I did find that it kind of slowed down for me a bit in the last 100 pages, but otherwise I found this book to be great.

[Elisha Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly loved the book. Detailed descriptions, which I love to pic in my head. Story of love that didn't know any better.

[Brigitte Launay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed it. It was an easy read but it kept me interested.

[Fi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all the Margaret Dickinson books that I've read, but this was possibly the best

[GenX · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story although a little predictable

[Shy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very good read. Enjoyed it from start to finish and will read more books from the author in the future. Would recommend

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this book

[Janice Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Felt so sorry for Miss Charlotte and the life she had because of her horrible father who was nothing short of a male chauvinistic pig.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spanning the early 1920's to the turmoil of the Second World War, this is a substantial (500 pages) traditional saga set against the Lincolnshire countryside. It centres on Charlotte, and her domineering father who cannot forgive her for not being a son, But Charlotte has a gift of inspiring friendship from others, and is immediately drawn to the family of newcomer Miles Thornton. An engrossing read with lovely characters and some surprises.

[Denisa Stroie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a charming story about love and family that captivated me. Although the story is a bit predictable, it had a lot of unexpected events. I really enjoyed it, I also loved the fact that the book is divided into small chapters, making it an easy read. I found it at a book fair and I'm definitely planning to read other books written by Margaret Dickinson soon.

[Aileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good old fashioned yarn of times gone by when women didn't count for much in the world

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic, loved every page. The story line was beautiful. I couldn't put this book down. A MUST READ.

[Chris Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok but a bit predictable.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book. Enjoyed it and would recommend the author