Miss Jacobson's Journey

Rothschild Trilogy #1

by Carola Dunn

Having refused the man her parents chose for her, Miriam Jacobson finds herself smuggling gold across Napoleon’s France to Wellington in Spain, accompanied by two attractive young men, both of whom detest her — and each other.

High adventure and romance in the best Regency tradition.

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Regency, Historical, Historical Romance, Jewish, Fiction

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Carola Dunn is the author of more than 30 Regency romances, as well as 16 mysteries (the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series is set in England in the 1920s). Ms. Dunn was born and grew up in England, where she got a B.A. in Russian and French from Manchester University. She travelled as far as Fiji before returning to settle in California. After 30 years in the US, she says she still sounds as if she arrived a month ago.

Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.

Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)

Reviews

[Shomeret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Jacobson's Journey by Carola Dunn was published in 1992, but I discovered it relatively recently when author Mirta Trupp started a thread for it on the Goodreads group Jewish Period Drama. It's unusual for me to review any romance, but I would never have thought that I would ever review a book in this particular romance sub-genre. I hate the Regency milieu. I think that Regency romances glorify aristocrats and their lifestyle which I consider repellent. Miss Jacobson's Journey deals with Jews whose values are different from early 19th century English aristocrats. This is one of the reasons why this book is a breath of fresh air.

This is a very original and well-developed Regency romance. I loved the intelligence and adaptability of both the hero and heroine. I was impressed with Carola Dunn's authenticity in her depiction of the period and Jewish family life. It's definitely one of the best romances I've ever read.

For my complete review see http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2016/...

[Grace*dnfing books since 2022* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say that it is a pity this book isn't more widely read because as a traditional Regency, it is a stunning piece of work. As with all of Carola Dunn's work, the setting is not conventional (may take place outside London and the Season), and this one simply stunned me because the subject matter is one that would have required a lot of research and a lot of heart. You really don't see a piece of traditional Regency like this anymore -- however, most people just want to read non-traditional banter in Regency gowns, or a lot of flirting that would have been totally beyond the pale for the time period.

This book may be traditional, but the plot is anything but. The protagonist is Jewish, for one -- which made a really refreshing change from anything I've ever read before. It was fascinating to read about the wealthy daughter of a Jewish Cit who was arranged to marry an aspiring Talmudic scholar. Furthermore, the scholar is someone who later appears in the book, of course, but by this time, his family fortune has been lost. It's also quite interesting because even though you are sure she should end up with Isaac, there are moments where you are left wondering whether she will end up with Felix, the dashing, younger gentleman whose inheritance has been rendered naught by Jewish moneylenders (or so he thinks). They are then all off on an unlikely journey to bring money across the war-ridden Continent to Wellington in Spain. It's a harrowing journey filled with dangerous elements -- like fearing they will get caught -- but it's a short book, so it's over very quickly. And what I actually particularly liked was the fact that at the end, it's revealed that their presence was NOT necessary at all -- they only acted as a red herring to the real trail of money. What a terrible waste of time! And yet, this proved extremely realistic since the Rothschilds seemed like savvy businessmen who wouldn't risk their gold.

As with all Carola Dunn's books, the romance is imbedded in the duration of the book (since it's written in third person omniscient) and the couple ends up together quite fast at the end when this is all resolved -- I believe a little too pat for this book. However, it fits the mold of a traditional regency and the formality of the book is also very proper.

I would not recommend this book for younger readers who wish only to find a romantic, gooey mainstream book that is historically inaccurate and poorly written, but catered to the masses with unlikely overly-romantic actions of the hero. This is not one of those books. However, to the reader who has read more than her fair share of historical romance and wishes something accurate, well-researched, effortless writing, and fluid conversations, I do recommend this book for you. Also, I wouldn't recommend this to younger readers, simply because of the cast of characters -- two impoverished heroes -- one younger than the main character, the other tossed aside previously by the heroine; and an older-than-average heroine. There's a reason people didn't like Persuasion as much as Pride and Prejudice...more's the pity.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fabulous trad. Regency, this time also featuring a large dollop of history alongside the romance.

We first meet the eponymous Miss Jacobson (Miriam) at the age of eighteen on the day she is to meet the young man her parents – and the matchmaker – have chosen for her to marry, but on glimpsing the rather gawky youth selected, she immediately rejects him rather cruelly. Instead, she announces her decision to accompany her uncle – a doctor – on his upcoming travels to Europe.


This is in 1802, and shortly afterwards travel between England and the Continent becomes difficult and dangerous, and Miriam is unable to return home.

We meet her again some nine years later when, after the death of her uncle, she decides to make the attempt to get back to England. Her quest for transport leads her to a meeting with Jakob Rothschild, who recruits her to assist two couriers – Isaac Cohen and Felix, Viscount Roworth – who are to smuggle badly needed gold through France and into Spain and into the coffers of the Duke of Wellington.
In return for her assistance, Rothschild guarantees to arrange Miriam’s passage home, and she agrees.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their journey. Felix and Isaac are initially very hostile towards each other. In the early stages, Felix is often insulting and makes many derogatory remarks about Jews, which are quite hard to read in this day and age, although I imagine his attitude is typical of the men of his time.

The relationships between Miriam and the men are very well-drawn, and I especially enjoyed reading about Felix’s progress from bigotry to tolerance and sympathy. He is soon won over by Isaac’s loyalty and Miriam’s resourcefulness, and the three of them become fast friends.

All does not go smoothly however, as in the course of their journey, the men are imprisoned, they are pursued and Felix is badly injured meaning that Isaac has to continue alone. Also serving to complicate matters is the fact that both the men are falling for Miriam and she for them. Felix – tall, strong, blond and blue-eyed – is the embodiment of her girlish dreams, yet Isaac (who she now knows to be the young man she rejected all those years ago) has changed much from the weedy scholar she first met, and has grown into a handsome and compassionate man – and Miriam is torn between them.

I found this to be enjoyable and engaging and am really looking forward to reading the other books in the trilogy - Lord Roworth's Reward and Captain Ingram's Inheritance.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1802 London, Miriam Jacobson's parents have decided it's high time she is married. Against her wishes, they call in the matchmaker, according to Jewish tradition, who chooses Isaac Cohen, the scholarly son of a moneylender, to be Miriam's husband. Miriam takes one look at the scrawny, weak-eyed young man and flees. For the next nine years she travels around Europe with her uncle, a doctor, helping him treat patients and organize his notes. Now her uncle is dead and it's time to return to England. With Napolean's troops all over Europe, getting home is difficult. Miriam is referred to Jakob Rothschild, a banker whose family firm transports money back and forth from England. He asks Miriam to undertake a difficult journey smuggling gold to Welington's troops in Spain in exchange for his help getting her home. Miriam agrees, ready for one last adventure. Her traveling companions include the handsome gentile Lord Felix Roworth and the equally handsome and somewhat familiar Isaac Cohen. The gentlemen hate each other at first and Isaac seems to dislike Miriam for no reason she can recall. Since they must travel as relatives, Miriam decides to undertake the difficult task of befriending the gentlemen and getting them to like each other. Their safe passage is threatened by overzealous French police and the fear of imprisonment. It's only Miriam's resourcefulness that gets them through the most difficult times. It's only natural that both the gentlemen should fall in love with Miriam, and her with them, but which one should she choose?

This fun adventure is a bit different from the typical Regency novel. It combines adventure with a dash of romance and throws in some history and religion as well. The Jewish characters are unusual in that they inhabit a world outside of that which Regency novels are usually set and therefore, this book takes the story out of the ballrooms and drawing rooms of London. I enjoyed the adventure though there could have been a bit more romance. Miriam is a typical Dunn heroine: smart, resourceful, beautiful and strong-willed. The gentlemen are a bit different and they develop nicely. I really like that the characters get to know one another and grow up along the way, a nice change from the usual courtship of just a few weeks! The downside to this book is that there are certain aspects of Jewish history and culture that the reader may not understand if they are unfamiliar with Judaism. The second fault of the novel is that it lacks the quirky secondary characters that Dunn writes so well. The final, and in my opinion, biggest, fault is that there's too much time spent on the journey and not enough of the romance. The story does keep the reader guessing which one Miriam really loves though it's easy to guess who she'll end up with given certain circumstances but I think her romance with that gentleman could have been a bit more romantic. This is a good, fun read and perfect for summer vacation!

[Shira Glassman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Jacobson's Journey is a lighthearted spy romance set during the Napoleonic wars and starring an Ashkenazi Jewish hero and heroine. I am so glad I found this book and read it on Shabbat. It was a quick read, the more tense/adventurous/suspenseful parts were exciting instead of stressful, and it was fun watching a hero and heroine combat adversity first and only deal with their feelings as a side dish. Reminds me of SFF shipper fandom, where, alongside the various pairings of Cap and his various hypothetical boyfriends and girlfriends, he's still Captain America fighting aliens and supercriminals.

Miriam has been helping her uncle with his medical research, having adventures all across Europe and making friends with every Jewish family she meets. When he dies in the middle of the war, she needs to get home to England. In order to do so against... a blockade, I guess?... she gets embroiled in a plot to deliver gold to Wellington behind enemy lines. Accompanying her are her middle-aged lady's maid/chaperone and two Englishmen. She and her maid are there to lend credibility to their "no, we're totally not spies!" cover, and they're there to give the two ladies safe passage--although Miriam winds up saving them a few times (surprising nobody who knows what kind of books I recommend.)

It's not often I get to read swashbuckling adventure where people are regularly speaking Yiddish, or talking Jewish philosophy, or having to sidestep period-appropriate antisemitic microaggressions. But this book has value beyond "hey, they're Jewish!" -- between the plot and the romance I had a good romp. I especially enjoyed the running gag with French gentile policemen insisting Yiddish was a secret code.

Two things: if the blurb seems thoroughly obvious, don't worry; the "twist" is revealed 27 pages in so they don't have to spend the whole book talking around each other. Also, there's a love triangle with a "hot" gentile who starts out fairly antisemitic but gradually learns his lesson through observing how we really are up close; don't worry about him. He gets better and still doesn't get the girl.

Content note that this is 'sweet' romance with no premarital sex, but I didn't miss it. There's some mention of how Jewish men are supposed to pleasure their wives on Shabbat, which is true! And TW for a lot of the gentile characters coming out with antisemitic remarks, but they're all dealt with and contradicted in-text. (My opinion on the gentile character's reason for resenting the hero's father: if someone owes you money and resents you for the fact that they need to pay it back, that's almost gaslighting.)

Kudos to the author for including Sephardim in the book as well, not just Ashkenazim, since part of the book took place in and near Spain.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because I have enjoyed the Daisy Dalrymple series, I tried this when I found it in paperback. In some ways it is a typical Regency romance, but with spies and a trek across Napoleon's France thrown in. And just for an added twist, the story is about the role of the English Jewish community in financing the war effort. Miriam, our heroine, is an English Jew trying to get back into England after ten years on the continent with her doctor uncle. But while they were traveling, the Napoleonic wars got going in earnest and getting off the continent is now difficult. Now her uncle has died. Enter the Paris branch of the Rothschilds with an offer to help her get home in exchange for her help in guiding two Englishmen and Wellington's army payroll across the Pyrenes. Her language skills and mapmaking abilities are suddenly a huge asset. One of the young men is an English aristocrat who is anti-Semitic, and thus rather unpleasant at first, and the other is a young Jewish banker who was once matched to Miriam. Rather than wed at 17, however, she had run away with her uncle. Now she and her maid and the two young men are in danger all the way from Paris to Pamplona. The presence of French Jews in various cities willing to help them adds an element of irony to the English lord's experience. I enjoyed the information about French dialects, Yiddish, and the early nineteenth century wine industry.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun regency, with an interesting twist of a Jewish protagonist. I thought the end was a bit weak, but I enjoyed the travels through France as the four people learned to trust each other.

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much better than I could have anticipated! It was an interesting time to live for sure and I enjoyed every chapter and all characters.

[Charlotte Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one I would have read

[Frances Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful read.
You don’t have to be Jewish but it probably helps to have some knowledge about the religion and history of the Jews in Britain to fully appreciate the nuances in the book.
The heroine, and the lovely Ms Miriam Jacobson, is the daughter of a rather non observant wealthy Jewish family in London. She’s horrified by the thin, gangly, religious looking Isaac Cohen that the matchmaker and her family chooses for her. She rejects him in humiliating circumstances and joins her uncle in his travels in Europe and gets caught up in the Napoleonic wars.
Several years later struggling to get back to the UK she is persuaded by Jacob Rothschild to accompany a carriage full of gold to Spain to pay Wellingtons troops much to the disgust of Lord Rowarth and Isaac Cohen who has changed so much she doesn’t recognise him.
Rowarth is no doubt typical of his time- an anti Semite because he unjustly blames those from whom his father borrowed money for the family’s ruin. Dealing with Miriam and Isaac and meeting other Jewish families on their way he gradually changes his views. Miriam has to choose between two men who fall for her.
An unusual story in that although Jews have been a constant presence in the UK since the 17th century at every level of society eventually they rarely feature as the principles in historical romance.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2015/12...

On the one hand, hooray for Regency romances with Jewish characters! On the other, nothing much happens in this one, even though a plot summary makes it sound exciting: a young British Jewish woman meets her intended, takes one look, says NOPE, and decides to accompany her uncle to Europe to assist him with his medical research. Now it's like nine years later and her uncle has died, buttttt she can't just go home b/c there's a war with Napoleon! Somehow the Rothschild brothers convince her to accompany two British dudes who are smuggling gold to Wellington (she has good language skills)--one a handsome young anti-Semitic lord, and the other . . . her former intended, who is now hot. But then they just like ride around in a carriage for a while and have conversations, it's kind of dull. The depictions of Jews are also a little weird to this Jewish reader--I am one hundred percent certain that the author is not Jewish. I mean, they're positive depictions, which is nice, but it's all a little . . . romanticized? I believe this series predates Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple books, or at least, those are slightly more entertaining. Still, yay Jewish characters. B.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm very tempted to give this book 4 stars rather than 3. This is the only regency fiction book that I have read that has Jewish characters at all. Both the hero and heroine are Jewish. The book includes bits of history about the ways Jewish people were treated in Europe around the Napoleonic war as well as some history of Jewish people in England. It was very interesting.

The plot centers around an effort to bring gold to Wellington in Spain. The main characters are traveling through France disguised as a Swiss Jewish family. They frequently stop to stay with local Jewish families along the way who range from bankers and mayors to peasants. Little bits of Jewish culture and faith are also included.

Also the heroine's uncle was a doctor who had been researching epidemiology in the different Jewish populations in Europe.

Carola Dunn is really a great author. Even with all this information, the book is still a light easy read with a sweet romance story too.

I really enjoyed this book.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carola Dunn is definitely one of go-to authors. Her books are always well written. She wrote many Regencies before the very popular Daisy Dalrymple series, and this is one of them. Ms Dunn chooses to go way out of the Regency box, in that the heroine and some of the main characters are Jewish. Miriam has been recruited by the Rothschilds to assist an English lord and a Jewish bureaucrat to get a gold shipment to Lord Wellington. Many scrapes, adventures and misunderstandings ensue. All three, the 2 heroes and the heroine, grow considerably as they confront anti-Semitism as well as their prejudices against each other . An improbable love triangle developes, and Dunn handles it beautifully. The book is also filled with a lot of info about Judaism for a unique and pleasantly educational romance read.

[Annie Burrows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up cheaply from a book club offer - coz I'm a big reader of regency romances. Discovered it was quite unusual. This is what would be described as a "sweet" regency, but the amount of history the author packs in, without it slowing the story down, is just amazing.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done. I do wish she had explained a little more. One character asks another to explain the meaning of the mezuzah and he does, but the author just wrote, "...so,he did explain it." Can't hurt to write it out. Otherwise nicely done.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

How many Regency romances can you list that feature Jewish main characters? I know of one other besides this. This one is a favorite and I read it some years ago. We meet Miss Jacobson first as a young and somewhat shallow woman; in the next chapter, nine years have passed and she has matured greatly. She is still not shy about sharing her ideas and opinions, but she has learned empathy and tact. The young man she rejected has also matured and both, along with a WASP nobleman, embark on a perilous journey to deliver gold to Wellington. I LOVE the fact that the woman is the one who rescues the men more than once. There is excitement, a slow romance, and a bit of a twist at the end. I really enjoyed meeting the different Jewish families in France and how they fit into their French community. Very enjoyable and apparently the first in a trilogy?

[Hanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

First, historical accuracy should be important, but Dunn has Moses Mendelssohn's writings translated into English about 30 years early. More importantly, I cannot rate highly a book lauding the so-called emancipation of European Jewry along with strong criticism of traditional Judaism when the emancipation has led to the wholesale abandonment of a strong and vibrant faith and the embracement of left-wing liberalism in its place. This minor thread of the story could have been left out with no damage to either plot or theme. It was an unwelcome and untrue distraction that can only serve to fan the flames of anti Jewish sentiment among gentile readers.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very different Regency romance. Miriam Jacobson is Jewish. At eighteen she dreams of romance and adventure, so instead of accepting the marriage arranged by the matchmaker, she travels to the Continent with her uncle, a doctor. Nine years later Uncle Amos dies, and Miriam and her maid want to return to England, but the Napoleonic wars make that difficult. She is convinced to accompany two young men on a journey to Spain to deliver gold to Wellington. Isaac is Jewish, like Miriam; while Felix is an English nobleman. The journey is exciting and entertaining, eventually leading to Miriam's happy-ever-after.

[Rosalie Oaks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant, gentle Regency romance, given a more interest by the inclusion of Jewish main characters. I like the plot contrivance of the long carriage journey with the two men constantly changing places from driver to passenger - with Miss Jacobson, as she says, changing partners as in a dance. Just the sort of dance I like, with a nice bit of mystery and suspense thrown in as well. A sweet discovery made in an op shop, so glad I picked it up for my daughter! - who is only 5 now but she'll get to it! this one keeps...

[GERRY Hermans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miriam & Isaac (Jewish faith) & Rothschild (English aristocrat) set out on a journey to smuggle gold to Wellington's army. The journey starts out with the two men at each other's throats, but both enamoured by Miriam. They encounter French police, the men land in jail, rescued by Miriam & friends. They complete the mission against large odds, but who will get Miriam in the end?

[Book Grocer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchase Miss Jacobson's Journey here for just $6!

How can you not adore a book that offers regency romance and historical adventures. Was simply a delight to read.

Alicia - The Book Grocer

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smoothly readable romantic triangle with a lot of adventure and intrigue. Far from the ballrooms of the ton, we join the three main characters in a carriage bringing financial assistance to Wellington's army in Spain. The three are a flirtatious anti-semite and two Jewish people trying to get back to England.

[™ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I haven't come across a Regency romance where the main characters were Jewish before so I really enjoyed that representation as well as the character of Miriam, but found the ending was quite rushed compared to the rest of the story.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss Jacobson's Journey is a fun read--cute, improbable, and ridiculous. If you are looking for deep historical fiction, this isn't it. However, if you are looking for a beach read or something light, set in the past, with engaging characters, then this is a good option.

[Marjorie · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my opinion, it was a silly Regency. I usually love anything by Carola Dunn, but I am not usually a fan of Regency romances.

[Christy Ngo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Greatly enjoyed reading about Jews in that time period, and the setting was wonderful. But as a romance, I found it lacking. Did not feel any chemistry between them.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful Regency romance with a capable heroine, a love triangle with two interesting heroes and an adventurous journey through Europe. Light hearted fun and entertainment.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great small book that looks unimpressive but is quite a fun and good read. It’s filled with smart moments and a great story.

[Kaitlin Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Might be my favorite Carola Dunn!