I bought this solely for the cover!
Here’s the blurb …
England, 1647. As civil war gives way to an uneasy peace and Puritanism becomes the letter of the law, Frances Wolfreston, a rector’s wife, is charged with enforcing religious compliance by informing on her parishioners. This awful task triggers memories of her mother, Alice, who inspired Frances’ love of books and secretly practised Catholicism at great risk. Conflicted, she doesn’t report a reclusive and mysterious midwife to delay her going to gaol.
As Frances takes increasingly bold steps to help the women and children of the parish, she attracts the ire of a patron of the church who questions why Frances collects books that she charges are entertainment. When her mother is gaoled for religious crimes, the secrets Frances hides from her husband begin to surface, and she is faced with an impossible choice: comply with the strict dictates of the new laws, or risk everything to free the women she cares for.
I like historical fiction and this is the first thing I read set around the time of the English civil war. I was intrigued by the recusancy laws, how quickly a woman could be accused of being a witch, and the restriction on women’s lives.
This novel is well-researched, but wears the research lightly. Society, living conditions etc are just revealed naturally as the story progresses. Being a book lover myself, the sections about Frances’ books and visiting the book seller were lovely (and some of her collection is still around today!). The relationships with her mother and her two boys are very touching.
A review