Biographical Fiction
Late 17th/early 18th centuries
Late 17th/early 18th centuries
England/France/Scotland
Based on real people and true events, this is the story of Lady Winifred
Herbert. Her parents, the Earl and Countess of Powis, are forced to leave England
after supporting the Catholic King James II, being accused of treason and
imprisoned in the Tower. Winifred joins them at the court of the exiles at
Saint-Germain in France where she meets her future husband, William Maxwell,
Earl of Nithsdale. All are fervent Jacobites except Winifred, who is less
so. The marriage is a happy one, and
when they return to Scotland, Winifred cherishes dreams of settling down to a
comfortable life and raising a family. William has other dreams that centre
around the Jacobite movement.
I found Winifred to be a contradictory character. At times I wanted to
root for her, and just as often I wanted to slap her. For example, she
criticises William for his involvement in Scotland’s affairs instead of staying
home and looking after his estate, and yet goes proudly with him to a gathering
of the clans where the purpose is to organise a rebellion. Again, learning that
her husband, an irresponsible but charming wastrel, is heavily in debt, she
tells him to cut down on his spending, but when he buys a cute little pony and
trap for them to tool around the estate in, she forgives him at once. For the
first half of the book, she comes across as self-centred and self-absorbed, as
when her mother dies, “How could she leave me?’ and the same when her sister
enters a convent. However, without giving anything away, she redeems herself in
the end.
The relationship between Winifred and Grace, her maid/companion/friend,
is heartwarming and an enjoyable aspect of the book.
The story is well written, with natural dialogue but few descriptions.
Although it’s a slow starter, I never lost interest. I recommend it for those
interested in Scotland’s independence movement and Jacobite period.
© Susan Appleyard
click here to
return to home page 'Bookshelf' then scroll down for more items of interest
No comments:
Post a Comment
We do not accept comments. If you need to contact Discovering Diamonds go to the CONTACT facility
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.