Author:Stacia M. Brown
'This is historical fiction at its best - it is absolutely steeped in atmosphere, and so vividly recreates the interregnum era that I felt as though I'd been transported there. Stacia's prose has a beautiful originality; and her characters come alive with authenticity and humanity. They are loveable and infuriating by turns, but the reader always believes in them, and invests hopes and fears with them. The story kept me gripped from the very first page; by turns desperately sad, funny and heart warming. I have genuinely enjoyed this book far more than anything else I have read for several months. I loved it!' Katherine Webb, author of The Legacy and The Unseen
'A 17th century heroine for our times...[A] delightfully seditious heroine...Brown introduces a wonderful cast of supporting characters-one comically crotchety prosecutor, Rachel's Huguenot (read: not to be totally trusted) boss at the glove factory, and a friend who tries to defend Rachel even after Rachel has stopped defending herself....For all its period detail, this debut seems remarkably modern in its depiction of love and politics--proof that a historical novel can be educational and entertaining, and nothing like homework.' O, The Oprah Magazine
'Brown's first novel is a heart-poundingly vivid, intellectually provocative account of the legal case against a fictional woman condemned to death for secretly burying her dead, illegitimate newborn in Cromwell's England . . . The author provides great, unsentimental sex scenes that feel true to the era . . . Events in the plot are based on historical incidents, and one of the book's many joys is the way fictional (Rachel, the Bartwains) and historical figures (the Walwyns, the Lilburnes) weave seamlessly together; everyone's motives and reactions are richly complex. A romping good read that is character-driven yet intellectually provocative on issues of law, religion and morality-historical fiction at its best.' Kirkus, starred review
Steeped in atmosphere and by turns desperately sad, funny and heart-warming. I loved it.
—— Katherine Webb, author of The LegacyNobody understands the snags and frustrations of family life better than Joanna Trollope. She also captures the dangerous pressure points in relationships, the steady build-up of tension, the exact moment when the family fur might really start to fly
—— Sunday ExpressTrollope is on top form, hitting the zeitgeist with this perceptive and compassionate inside story of an army marriage
—— Woman & HomeThe Soldier's Wife is a cracking read and has clearly been thoroughly researched. All the little details which animate a novel ring true... compassionate, humourous and topical
—— SpectatorTrollope is always immensely readable, managing to depict characters' inner turmoil with deft, artful simplicity. Here, she brings her emotionally acute eye to bear on army life
—— Henry Sutton , Daily MirrorWith her stories about the tensions of middle-class families, Trollope consistently picks women's-page issues. In The Soldier's Wife, she continues to explore the power balance in relationships and whether it's possible to be happy if we subjugate our desires to someone else
—— IndependentFirst-rate storytelling
—— Kati Nicholl , Daily ExpressA thoughtful, even challenging, writer
—— Max Davidson , Mail on SundayAs always, Joanna Trollope sucks you into the story; as always, she pins people's emotions with deft details.
—— Evening Standard'With Frau Szabó, you have caught a golden fish. Buy all of her novels, the ones she is writing and the ones she will write'
—— Herman Hesse'The Door has been waiting for us from more than sixteen years. It has just opened'
—— Livres Hebdo'In The Door the Hungarian Magda Szabó cleverly guides her intense and poignant novel, allowing the tension to rise in a crescendo'
—— Madame FigaroCaptures the obsessive and destructive madness of sexual jealousy
—— PsychologiesRoberts deploys her research carefully, honing a novel with a strong period feel and a sprightly structure
—— IndependentAn amazing read
—— Latest 7Roberts’ sharp, evocative prose renders this simple story complex, enthralling and compelling
—— Anne Hill , Sussex LifeThis spiky portrait of love makes for a gripping read
—— Emma Hagestadt , Independent RadarA heartbreaking examination of lives and love
—— Diva MagazineA powerful story of sexual jealousy and longing, My Policeman is also a heartbreaking examination of lives and love that has gone to waste in an era in which homosexuality was a prosecutable offence
—— DIVA MagazineA delicious novel by an experienced author who captures the scientific atmosphere of the early 19th century with a devastating study of infidelity
—— Colin Gardiner , Oxford TimesThe real life players of the Napoleonic era spring to life
—— iCompelling
—— Big IssueHighly assured and almost educational with its broad sweep of history
—— Jane Housham , GuardianTillyard’s achievement is in this original portray log the Regency era and its relevance to our own time
—— Philippa Williams , The Ladya very human tale about passion, secrets and lies.
—— Reading MattersAn achingly brilliant piece of writing on passion and delusion. It's a pleasure to read from start to finish and reignites our love for fiction
—— Independent