A beloved writer returns with a tale of science, magyk, love and identity.
In the late nineteenth century, Charlotte Bell is growing up at Fayne, a vast and lonely estate straddling the border between England and Scotland, where she has been kept from the world by her adoring father, Lord Henry Bell, owing to a mysterious condition. Charlotte, strong and insatiably curious, revels in the moorlands, and has learned the treacherous and healing ways of the bog from the old hired man, Byrn, whose own origins are shrouded in mystery. Her idyllic existence is shadowed by the magnificent portrait on the landing in Fayne House which depicts her mother, a beautiful Irish-American heiress, holding Charlotte's brother, Charles Bell. Charlotte has grown up with the knowledge that her mother died in giving birth to her, and that her older brother, Charles, the long-awaited heir, died soon afterwards at the age of two. When Charlotte's appetite for learning threatens to exceed the bounds of the estate, her father breaks with tradition and hires a tutor to teach his daughter "as you would my son, had I one." But when Charlotte and her tutor's explorations of the bog turn up an unexpected artefact, her father announces he has arranged for her to be cured of her condition, and her world is upended. Charlotte's passion for knowledge and adventure will take her to the bottom of family secrets and to the heart of her own identity.
My thoughts.
I was sent a copy of this by Helen Richardson, in order to be able to take part in the Blog tour of it back in 2023. Whilst I started the book back in 2023 when the tour was taking part, I didn't get the book finished and my stop on the Blog tour was an extract post rather than a review. Sadly, for various reasons the book got put on hold and I have finally finished it. I found time to read large chunks and what a feast for the eyes it was.
This is the first book that I have read by this Author and I will look out for more by her, if only to compare the stories that she writes with this one. This was one hell of a tome and at well over 700 pages long, with over a 100 chapters it took some time reading it.
This is a lengthy story that tells us about the life of Charlotte and Charles's parents before they are born, how they met and the relationship that they develop that leads to them getting married. What happens to them all following the birth of Charlotte and Charles. Sadly, life doesn't always go to plan and incidents happen that cause problems for this family and have long reaching consequences for them all..
There is so much that one can say about this book after having read it and I was glad when I came to the end and turned the last page as I could finally lay all the families issues to rest. This story touches on so many different things. I did enjoy reading about the relationship that Charlotte developed in her adulthood. Life can sometimes work out the way we want it too and with the person that we want to be with, whether that relationship is one that lasts isn't always as cut and dried as we may want it to be.
The excerpt below was one that made me think and in some ways relates to reincarnation and the fact that the life we spend on Earth as a human, may not be the only one that we spend on Earth.
Quote
'' “Miss Bell—”
“Shall I jump to Pythagoras? Pythagoras was – and here I do not quote, but comment – a vegetablist like Father, for he believed that in consuming animals one risks consuming one’s own grandfather vis-à-vis the doctrine of reincarnation. Beans, likewise, he forbade his disciples, but I cannot find out why. Why?”
“Why did Pythagoras refuse to eat … beans?”
“Yes.” ''
The above quote took place between Miss Bell and her tutor Mr Margalo. Miss Bell was trying to show Mr Margalo in her own way, how much she already knew. The quote made me think though, as it's a take on why some people might have thought that it was wrong to eat meat, as in their eyes they could be eating a past relative of theirs due to their belief in reincarnation.
In my opinion, it is an unusual way to look at why eating meat is possibly wrong for some people. It did make me think though.
This would make a great reading group read in my opinion.
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