Dawnlands
the number one bestselling author of vivid stories crafted by history
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4.2 • 22 Ratings
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
The new historical novel from Philippa Gregory, the Number One bestselling author of Tidelands and Dark Tides.
In a divided country, power and loyalty conquer all . . .
Ned Ferryman, inspired by news of a rebellion against the Stuart kings, returns from America with his Pokanoket servant to join the uprising against roman catholic, King James. As Ned swears loyalty to the charismatic Duke of Monmouth, he discovers a new and unexpected love.
Meanwhile, Queen Mary summons her friend Livia to a terrified court. Recklessly, Livia drags her son Matthew and his foster mothers Alinor and Alys into a plot to save the queen from Monmouth’s invasion, and Matthew is rewarded with the Manor of Foulmire: on the tidelands where Ned, Alinor and Alys had once scraped a poor living.
Suddenly, Alinor is lady of the manor, as Ned marches into the last battle between the royalists and commoners, hoping for a new dawn for freedom.
A compelling and powerful story of political intrigue and personal ambition, set between the palaces of London, the tidelands of Foulmire and the shores of Barbados.
Praise for Dawnlands:
‘This sprawling, epic addition to the series will delight Gregory’s many fans' The Times
‘Fast-paced, gripping and meticulously researched, the latest novel from Philippa Gregory is historical fiction at its best…' Daily Express
'Spellbinding’ Woman’s Own
‘I love falling into a Philippa Gregory novel, her vibrant take on historical events always brings past eras alive . . . ' Adele Parks, Platinum Magazine
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gregory (The Other Boleyn Girl) delivers an engrossing if scattered third installment to her Fairmile Series. In 1685, England's Stuart James II is king. But for how long? His second wife, Mary Beatrice of Modena, is openly Roman Catholic. Some whisper that the young Duke of Monmouth, Charles II's illegitimate son, is England's rightful ruler. Will England see rebellion yet again? Through these fraught times Gregory follows tough-as-nails midwife Alinor Reekie, as well as her family and friends: Alinor's son Rob wishes to avoid the brewing war but is soon entangled in it, and Alinor's brother Ned Ferryman returns from America with his mysterious, newfound Pokanoket companion, Rowan, to fight with the rebels. Gregory intertwines these fictional lives with some of 17th-century England's most famous and infamous figures. Some, like Lord Chief Justice, Judge Jeffreys, remind readers how barbarous the era could be, as he sentences a 70-year-old woman to burn alive. The narrative unfolds in familiar settings such as St. James's Palace, Whitehall, and Windsor Castle, as well as London's back allies and coffeehouses, and jumps to Bristol, Bath, Somerset (where the soon-to-be-executed Monmouth declares himself king), and colonial settings across the Atlantic. With so many places and characters in the mix, the story can be difficult to follow, but Gregory is as adept as ever at creating convincing atmosphere. The author's fans will not be disappointed.
