Saraband for Two Sisters

Daughters of England #4

by Philippa Carr

Angelet and Bersaba. They were identical twins, but their alikeness stopped at their physical appearance. Angelet was gentle and mild in her innocence. While Bersaba was dark and devious in her overwhelming sensuality. They hadnever been apart--until Bersaba became ill. Angelet was immediately packed off to London. There she met and married Richard Tolworthy and went to live at the handsome, brooding manor house at Far Flamstead. Bersaba had always thought she would be the first to wed. Recovered, she went to visit the newlyweds with more jealousy than joy in her heart. Nothing could have prepared her for the secrets she discovered there. Secrets of a carefully hidden past that could unleash dangerous passions and forever separate her from the sister she had always loved...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, British Literature, Gothic

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Eleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow, Anna Percival and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of a series of mother to daughter generations stories telling the history of England from Henry VIII to WW II. Fabulous to read them all in order. Each one is a gem; each is surprising and well written.

Read this one years ago when you could find the series "hit and miss" at the grocery store...so nice to be able to read them in order on kindle.

a good read, as all her books are.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Loved this one!

[Phil Syphe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale with a twin narrative shared by twin sisters.

Angelet & Bersaba take turns in detailing their lives, mainly during the period 1639-41. This approach works well, as the sisters have distinct personalities. I like both leading ladies very much, especially Bersaba, as she has unfathomable depths.

I found the book engaging from start to finish. The closing chapters are very moving, largely through the author's good work in making me care for the characters.

There's also some good humour here and there, especially during a scene between one of the twins and a servant, where they dicuss a witch who was beleived to use her powers for good purposes. Here's one of my favourite quotes from the scene, which reveals the servants opinion of the good witch's virtues:

"She’d helped many a girl from her trouble and it was beautiful to see the way she could charm off your warts."

A great read.

[MV · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Carr (and Eleanor Hibbert) book I ever read; as a teenager, I took it out of a pile my mom had intended for the library sale. (She loved the Holt books but found that she was not a fan of the Carrs or Plaidys.) I absolutely loved this novel, but it wasn't until several years later that I realized it was part of a sweeping 19-book family saga. (Note: There is a 20th Carr book that is not part of the same series.) Here you will go back and forth between the viewpoints of twins Angelet and Bersaba as civil war brews in England, and as they record their lives in their diaries. The main characters are not always likable, but they are certainly very engaging and keep me turning pages.

[Michelle "Champ" · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has always been an interesting book to me...Two sisters...twins....with lives intertwined so tightly they can never part.

I will add to my original review. These two twins are inseparable until one of them gets smallpox. The other was sent away in an effort to save her life. She goes to London where her cousin introduces her to a military man who is much older. They fall in love and marry. Surprise, the other twin gets better. Now their lives weave together so tightly it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. I love this book and I have read it way many more times than what is listed.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Philippa Carr was a favorite author of mine when I was young, and now I am rereading them in order. I didn't realize the first time that I read them that if you start with The Miracle at St. Bruno's and read them in order, the story continues on and on. It's fun to read them that way. They start out in 1600s England, with a historical background. There is rmance and intrigue, and I find myself thinking they are racier than I remembered, but you just know they have sex, it isn't described. Philiipa Carr is the pen name for Victoria Holt, who is dead now, but she was a very gifted and prolific writer.

[Emily (Reads Too Much) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I have a soft spot in my heart for this book just because it was passed down to me. My grandma enjoyed it (she's all for Gothic romances), who then gave it to my mom who loved it as well, and then one day I found it on her bookshelf, began reading, and instantly loved it. That was years ago and I just found the book again after moving a few times. It brought back some good memories. Reading it as an adult is definitely a different experience, but it was still just as enjoyable.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saraband for two sisters by Philippa Carr. Against the backdrop of seventeenth-century England, a time of bloody revolt and new beginnings twin sisters discover the ties that bind them can also tear them apart.

[Linda S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first of the Daughters of England books that I really enjoyed and would recommend - no a-hole men who think it's okay to lie/cheat/steal/rape themselves into a marriage. I'm looking forward to the continuing story of Bersaba and her family!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!

[Conchita Matson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one kept me entertained all the way through - twin sisters, one good, one “bad”, mystery, intrigue, war, love triangle- it had everything!

[Kathleen Nightingale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Girl gets boy. Sister wants boy. A real yawn if you don't live stories.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Identical twins Angelet and Bersaba Landor's lives become entangled with the conflicts of the Royalists and Puritans in England. Complications arise when both girls fall in love with a man who conceals many secrets. Very suspenseful.

[Kit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I applaud the decision to give the "bad" twin the happy ending; I think it was an interesting choice. But I cannot condone the incredibly disgusting ableism in this book. It's a shame, because before that, this has been my favourite in this reread so far.

[lynnet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this one as a teen, at the time my goal was to read every single Victoria Holt/Philippa Carr ever written. Philippa Carr lures you in with the promise of romance but there is the added benefit of learning quite a bit about British history

[Chrystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set at the end of Charles I reign, this is the story of twin sisters whose husbands are on opposite sides of the Civil War. There is a secret tunnel, a mad housekeeper, sleeping potions, a child hidden behind a high castle wall...what's not to like?

[Cws]

F Hol

[Patricia Keziah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Victoria Holt! Majestic writer!

[Tammie Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

book 4

[Cammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this series before...just going through them again. Really like the background history in them. Very enjoyable...not to heavy.

[Barbc]

4

[Cece · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can appreciate the device of using tension between twins to mirror the tension between the Cavaliers and Roundheads, but the additional gothic furbelows made this tale a tad too obvious.

[Gary Branson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, shocking ending. Not as repetitive as some of the other titles in the series. I am really enjoying this series.

[Tony Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and well told story of two sisters, identical twins with the story told through each of their journals, a long family tradition of diary writing to be shared with their female descendants after they die.

The story in a way revolves around their differences as people despite their being so alike to look at. An often sad and challenging story but a well told and absorbing read.
Recommended.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the fourth installment of "Daughters of England," Philippa Carr alternates between two narrative viewpoints, as she did with "The Witch from the Sea," the previous novel (and as she did very sparingly in her Victoria Holt persona). Twins Angelet and Bersaba share an uncanny physical resemblance, yet their personalities are sharply different: Angelet is naive, shy and trusting; Bersaba is sensuous, forthright and strong-willed. As the reign of Charles I veers towards Civil War, the sisters become involved with Richard Tolworthy, a general in the king's army. Which sister—and which political side—will ultimately prevail? A family mystery, some narrow escapes, and intrigue all round out the satisfying mixture.

[Cathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this entire series when it was first published. Now on Kindle, I'm trying again. somethings don't hold up over time, but many things do. It's interesting to reread. I'm not sure I'll finish the series again (there are so many unread books).

[Muriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

1640’s, twin sisters so much alike but very different.

[Susan]

1639 England; gothic story of twin sisters

[Uchenna]

I love it

[Anam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story but some parts of it were predictable. Like from the very beginning I could see the outcome of certain events in the chapter.