Tidelands (The Fairmile #1) by Philippa Gregory

From Goodreads

THE BRAND NEW SERIES FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR.

The eagerly awaited first book in Philippa Gregory’s sweeping new series begins with the story of Alinor, a young midwife who finds herself tempted by a forbidden love affair.  But in a society that has already set a path for her, she is all too aware of the dangers that await a woman who dares step out of place . . . 

The unmissable read for summer 2019.

My thoughts

I grabbed a copy of this book from Borrowbox, which is a way of reading ebooks via my local Library. I gave this a 4 stars or 8/10. This is a reading group read that was chosen at random by a group that I am in.

I enjoyed this tale set in the past. It brought to life that period of history and the problems that some women faced at the hands of others. It showed the lengths that some people would go to in order to achieve the life that they wanted, at the expense of repercussions that might happen to others as a result of their actions.

Alinor, a mother to two is left looking after her children when her husband goes missing. As a single parent she has some knowledge of herbal medicine and midwifery, but sadly during this period of history many women with this sort of knowledge were often deemed to be witches as many people feared them. 

To find out what happens to Alinor and her family, you will need to read the book and immerse yourself in her life and the life of her family as they deal with all that fate has in store for them. 

It's not a period of history that I would have liked to have lived in at all. Philippa Gregory has a way of relating the story and the atmosphere of the time well. She explores the lives of her characters and makes you almost feel sorry for what is happening to them. If only things could have worked out differently.

I will look out for more in this series.