An Untitled Lady by Nicky Penttila

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Read: January 4, 2014

Not a traditional Regency. Shocking family news forces Madeline Wetherby to abandon her plans to marry an earl and settle for upstart Manchester merchant Nash Quinn. When she discovers that her birth father is one of the weavers her husband is putting out of work—and a radical leader—Maddie must decide which family she truly desires, the man of her heart or the people of her blood. An earl's second son, Nash chose a life of Trade over Society. When protest marches spread across Lancashire, the pressure on him grows. If he can't make both workers and manufacturers see reason he stands to lose everything: his business, his town, and his marriage. As Manchester simmers under the summer sun, the choices grow more stark for Maddie and Nash: Family or justice. Love or money. Life or death.

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Regency era romance is a difficult genre for me to get into. I don't avoid it, but it isn't something I'm naturally drawn to. I mean no offense, but traditional story lines lean toward the fluffy end of the spectrum and personally, I like books I can sink my teeth into. 

So why did I take a chance on Nicky Penttila's An Untitled Lady? Well, to be honest I nearly passed on the book, but something in the jacket description caught my eye. There was an obvious romantic aspect, but the vague references to social conflict sparked genuine interest and I couldn't help wondering how Penttila would bring both elements together in a single narrative. Curiosity piqued, I dived in.

Without getting into the plot, I loved how Penttila balanced the narrative by playing the weightier material off the lighter subject matter. The back and forth created nice contrast, but it also ensured the reader would never feel overwhelmed by content, something I appreciated as there is a lot of story within these pages. 

Penttila's cast was also very enjoyable. Universally dynamic, Penttila's characters are multilayered and fallible - they make mistakes, wrestle with indecision, feel love, pain, fear, pride and jealousy. It is pretty easy to discern the role each character plays in the greater story, but each feels authentically original and realistic. 

Long story short, I enjoyed this piece far more than I thought I would. A wonderfully unique narrative, An Untitled Lady is a perfect blend of complex emotional turmoil and convoluted political drama.

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She nodded, and at his signal the underservant opened the door for them. Maddie steeled her shoulders and stepped into her future.

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Check out all the stops on Nicky Penttila's An Untitled Lady Virtual Book Tour

Monday, January 6
Feature & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Tuesday, January 7
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Wednesday, January 8
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Review & Giveaway at WTF Are You Reading?

Thursday, January 9
Review & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Friday, January 10
Interview at Mina’s Bookshelf

Monday, January 13
Review at Reading the Ages

Tuesday, January 14
Interview at Layered Pages

Wednesday, January 15
Review at She Is Too Fond of Books

Saturday, January 18
Spotlight at Romantic Historical Reviews

Monday, January 20
Review & Giveaway at Found Between the Covers

Tuesday, January 21
Review at To Read or Not to Read

Wednesday, January 22
Review at Book Lovers Paradise

Friday, January 24
Review at Turning the Pages

Monday, January 27
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Review & Interview at Just One More Chapter

Tuesday, January 28
Review at The Most Happy Reader
Interview at A Chick Who Reads

Wednesday, January 29
Review at Book Nerd

Friday, January 31
Interview at The Most Happy Reader

Interview with Heather Webb, author of Becoming Josephine

Author interviews are one of my favorite things to post which is why I am super excited to welcome author Heather Webb to Flashlight Commentary to discuss her debut release, Becoming Josephine. 

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Welcome to Flashlight Commentary Heather. To start things off, please tell us a bit about Becoming Josephine.
Josephine is the story of a woman who stole Napoleon’s heart and enchanted an empire. But it’s also a novel about a woman in search of love and stability, and ultimately, herself.

What inspired you to write this story?
The idea for this novel came to me in two parts. I taught a unit about the French Revolution in my high school French classes for several years, which sparked my interest in the time period. Yet despite my teaching, I knew little about Josephine and I “discovered” her later. Ultimately she was a minor player in a sea of France’s most famous and infamous people during the Revolution—at least until Robespierre fell and the Directoire took over the government. 

When I began to feel the pull to writing a book, I had a dream about Josephine. Strange, but true. From the very first biography I read, I was hooked. Her vivid childhood home, her adaptable nature and courageous spirit had me enthralled. Her rich life story set to the backdrop of the chaotic Revolution and the opulent Napoleonic Empire cinched the deal. 

Becoming Josephine is fiction, but features several well-known historic figures. How did you go about developing the personality of each cast member and did you find it intimidating to work with individuals that are so well known?
This is a tough question to answer. I began with research to get a feel for each character’s personality, studied paintings and descriptions of them. From there, they each came alive for me when I put words in their mouths. It’s true what writers say about characters taking on a life of their own. Many times during revisions, one of them would get testy with me if a particular word or phrase wasn’t something they would say. 

It’s always intimidating to write about well-known characters. There are fans who memorize every detail of a historic figure’s life and times and that certainly adds pressure to get facts correct. But here’s the thing—I’m a novelist, not a historian, and though I spent eight months of intensive research before I wrote a single word, my job as a novelist is to entertain, to inspire one to read more about a subject, to inspire readers to look inward at themselves, and to explore big truths. Those are my goals—not to be the first and foremost expert on Josephine and other characters. Though I must admit, the research is quite fun for me as well.  

Joséphine de Beauharnais

What research went into Becoming Josephine and did you discover anything particularly surprising while investigating the background material for you book?
I researched for about eight months before I wrote a single word, and then I continued to research in dribs and drabs throughout the entire writing process. I tried to take a comprehensive approach—biographies of important characters, histories of the Revolution as well as those of Martinique, Napoleon’s reprinted letters, documentaries. I studied art and literature movements from this period, china patterns, fashion, weapons. I could go on. Researchitis is a disease we historical fiction writers suffer from. 

As for facts, many things blew my mind; the absurdity of how citizens were condemned during the Terreur, the number of Josephine’s extensive flower and plant collections, not to mention her hundreds of gowns. She was also a patron of the arts and, therefore, supported many painters, filling the galleries in Paris, the Louvre, and her home at Malmaison. I was also astounded by the number of deaths that happened under Napoleon’s command. He massacred whole peoples! I was also surprised by the absurdity of how citizens were condemned during the Terreur, and the rapid change of laws and social mores, even within a few days’ time. I was fascinated by how much women were involved with the Revolution, both through their political influence at salons and even amidst the fighting in the streets.

You probably have many, but is there one scene that you particularly enjoyed writing?
I really enjoyed writing the scene where Rose (Josephine) and Theresia attend the Bal de Victimes put on by Paul Barras. The banquet detailing, the gowns, and the verbal sparring between Rose and Paul were a blast to write—it almost felt as if it wrote itself.

What scene posed the greatest challenge for you as an author?
I struggled with the entire prison chapter. I had to really dig deep to envision what it must be like to be faced with such a fate. 

Napoleon Bonaparte

You tweaked several details while writing Becoming Josephine for the sake of the story. Did you wrestle with these deviations and, if so, how did you make peace with your decisions?
I wrestled with it quite a bit. When an editor tells you to change something, you figure out a way to give them what they want without losing the basic truth. After all, you want to sell your novel. A writer’s view of what will sell isn’t always congruent with what a publisher thinks will sell. In this case, the story is overwhelmingly factual, though as you mentioned, there were things I tweaked.

For example, Alexandre and Rose separated, but it took place with the aid of a provost through a series of letters and not in person. I chose to set it up as a show-down between the two of them because it’s more dramatic, therefore much more fun to read. It helps the book move. Plus, Rose initiated the separation from Alexandre and won, after which, he apologized—this is the basic truth that was not lost by portraying it as I did. Another example is Rose’s father initially came with her from Martinique to Paris for a two year stay, but he was so ill his entire time in France, that his character added little to the story. This is why I chose to leave him at home. Other changes I listed on my website.

Sometimes fiction takes on a life of its own and forces the author to make sacrifices for the sake of their story. Is there a character or concept you wish you could have spent more time with or expanded on?
I would have loved to make the novel another 30,000 words, but longer novels don’t suit the publishing environment these days, at least for the most part. There are many aspects I would have loved to expand upon—Hortense’s life and her lover after she moved away from her husband, Louis. I would expand have expanded the entire last third of the novel when she traveled with Napoleon, Josephine’s friendship with Theresia, her hedonist days, Mimi’s feelings and those of the slaves…there’s just so much. I’d love to talk more about her art collection, fashions, and flowers, etc.

Josephine’s life has been fictionalized in the past. What do you think makes Becoming Josephine different from books like The Secret Life of Josephine by Carolly Erickson or The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland?
Well, I adored other accounts of Josephine’s life, but the biggest difference always lies in the author’s voice and perspective. I believe my Josephine appeals to the modern reader; she’s a survivor, adaptable, and cunning. She understands how to read the emotions and needs of those around her, and how to leverage the crisis during her times to support her family and assure her station. She’s flawed—generous to a fault but a spendthrift, an ardent lover but one who enjoys her trysts with many men, a loving mother but one who sacrificed their needs at times for the “good” of her countrymen. Also, the big thrust of this novel is unique as it’s from a women’s fiction slant: it follows the trajectory of her womanhood and how she grew into herself and discovered her own happiness.

Hortense de Beauharnais and her son,
Napoléon Charles Bonaparte

If you could sit down and talk with one of your characters, maybe meet and discuss things over drinks, who would you choose and why?
Josephine, hands down. No contest. A runner-up would have to be Napoleon. There were so many I’d love to meet—Aunt Fanny, Mimi, Talleyrand. To hear their views on their lives and times would be fascinating.

What do you hope readers come away with after reading your work?
The message I would like readers to grasp—this is tricky because a book, film, or piece of art, means something different to each person based on their own emotional lens and life experiences—is that there is hope in beginning anew, not just loss. Also, true contentedness comes with forgiveness and generosity. Or maybe my readers will just enjoy a fun, fast read with sensual detailing. I’m happy with that, as well.

Finally, what is next for you? Any new projects waiting in the wings?
I’m working on a novel set one hundred years later, during the Belle Époque in Paris. It’s the story of two artists and their struggle to delineate the lines between love, obsession, and madness.

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About the Author: Heather Webb grew up a military brat and naturally became obsessed with travel, culture, and languages. She put her degrees to good use teaching high school French for nearly a decade before turning to full time novel writing and freelance editing. When not writing, Heather flexes her foodie skills or looks for excuses to head to the other side of the world. For more information please visit Heather’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

About the Book: A sweeping historical debut about the Creole socialite who transformed herself into an empress. Readers are fascinated with the wives of famous men. In Becoming Josephine, debut novelist Heather Webb follows Rose Tascher as she sails from her Martinique plantation to Paris, eager to enjoy an elegant life at the royal court. Once there, however, Rose’s aristocratic soldier-husband dashes her dreams by abandoning her amid the tumult of the French Revolution. After narrowly escaping death, Rose reinvents herself as Josephine, a beautiful socialite wooed by an awkward suitor—Napoleon Bonaparte. 

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Check out all the stops on Heather Webb's Becoming Josephine VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR

Wednesday, January 1
Review & Interview at HF Book Muse-News
Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Thursday, January 2
Review at Let Them Read Books
Review & Giveaway at WTF Are You Reading?

Friday, January 3
Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Monday, January 6
Review & Giveaway at Confessions of an Avid Reader
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, January 7
Review & Giveaway at Scandalous Women

Wednesday, January 8
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Thursday, January 9
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Friday, January 10
Review at Turning the Pages
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

Monday, January 13
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Tuesday, January 14
Review at Unabridged Chick
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Wednesday, January 15
Review at Book Lovers Paradise
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Thursday, January 16
Review & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court

Friday, January 17
Review & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Monday, January 20
Review at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, January 21
Review at Griperang’s Bookmarks
Interview & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, January 22
Review at A Book Geek

Thursday, January 23
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Friday, January 24
Review at Book-alicious Mama

Monday, January 27
Review at A Bookish Libraria
Interview at Erika Mailman Blog

Tuesday, January 28
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Wednesday, January 29
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Thursday, January 30
Interview at HF Connection

Friday, January 31
Review at Books in the Burbs

Monday, February 3
Review at Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Tuesday, February 4
Review at A Muse in the Fog

Wednesday, February 5
Interview at A Muse in the Fog

Friday, February 7
Review at Silver’s Reviews

Becoming Josephine: A Novel by Heather Webb

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours/France Book Tours/Netgalley

Read: November 21, 2013

A sweeping historical debut about the Creole socialite who transformed herself into an empress. Readers are fascinated with the wives of famous men. In Becoming Josephine, debut novelist Heather Webb follows Rose Tascher as she sails from her Martinique plantation to Paris, eager to enjoy an elegant life at the royal court. Once there, however, Rose’s aristocratic soldier-husband dashes her dreams by abandoning her amid the tumult of the French Revolution. After narrowly escaping death, Rose reinvents herself as Josephine, a beautiful socialite wooed by an awkward suitor—Napoleon Bonaparte. 

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"France, armée, tête d'armée, Joséphine."

These, the final words of Napoleon Bonaparte, are what first sparked my interest in Joséphine de Beauharnais. In exile and faced with his own mortality, the former Emperor of France might have had any number of things on his mind, but why, I wondered, was the woman he abandoned so prominent among them? Who was this woman to have captivated him so? 

Napoleon's reasoning will never be truly understood, but author Heather Webb has given readers the next best thing in Becoming Josephine. A fictional chronicle, the novel highlights Joséphine's fiery perseverance and generous spirit against the trials and tribulations that marked her life. 

I knew going into this piece that my opinion would hinge on Webb's characterization of her heroine and generally speaking, I think she hit the nail on the head. Webb paints a wonderfully compelling portrait of Napoleon's first Empress. In these pages, as in life, Joséphine is a complex, dynamic, and self-reliant woman whose bold independence knows no bounds.

That being said, I found the scope of the novel something of a challenge. Spanning thirty years, the narrative's momentum wanes in several places, at times making it difficult remain engaged in the story. Don't misunderstand, I really appreciated Webb's interest in portraying Joséphine's story in its entirety and I completely understand how difficult it would be to compress the material, but I can't help feeling the extensive timetable was detrimental to the pacing. 

My real criticism relates to Joséphine's relationship with Alexandre as compared to her relationship with Napoleon. Despite the ultimate failure of their union, Joséphine's first marriage comes full circle, feeling complete within the confines of the narrative. Her second, on the other hand, lacks closure and I think that really undermined and distorted the significance of Joséphine's sacrificial acceptance of Napoleon's decision to divorce. Her final act represents a powerful moment in terms of who she was and what she believed, but I felt that emotionally, it paled in comparison to her reconciliation with Alexandre. 

Nitpicky? Yes, but that's me. A promising debut, Becoming Josephine delivers a fascinatingly vivid account of one of history's most captivating characters. Extensively researched and impeccably detailed, Webb's is a memorable story of political intrigue, steadfast persistence and passionate devotion.

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Hope budded in my chest. For the first time ever, I had no boundaries, no one to live up to or to persuade of my validity. My life and worth were my own.

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CHECK OUT ALL THE STOPS ON hEATHER WEBB'S BECOMING JOSEPHINE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR

Thursday, Jan 2 

Review + Giveaway at I Am, Indeed

Friday, Jan 3 

Review + Giveaway at Queen of All She Reads

Review at Jorie Loves A Story

Saturday, Jan 4

Review + Giveaway at The Most Happy Reader

Sunday, Jan 5

Review + Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Review at Books A To Z

Monday, Jan 6

Review + Giveaway at Caffeinatedlife.net

Wednesday, Jan 8

Review + Giveaway at Words And Peace

Thursday, Jan 9

Review + Giveaway at Enchanted by Josephine

Friday, Jan 10

Interview at Enchanted by Josephine

Review at Ciska’s Book Chest

Saturday, Jan 11

Special Spotlight at Enchanted by Josephine

House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: January 2, 2014

In the early 1600s, Elizabeth Báthory, the infamous Blood Countess, ruled Čachtice Castle in the hinterlands of Slovakia. During bizarre nightly rites, she tortured and killed the young women she had taken on as servants. A devil, a demon, the terror of Royal Hungary—she bathed in their blood to preserve her own youth. 400 years later, echoes of the Countess’s legendary brutality reach Aspen, Colorado. Betsy Path, a psychoanalyst of uncommon intuition, has a breakthrough with sullen teenager Daisy Hart. Together, they are haunted by the past, as they struggle to understand its imprint upon the present. Betsy and her troubled but perceptive patient learn the truth: the curse of the House of Bathory lives still and has the power to do evil even now. The story, brimming with palace intrigue, memorable characters intimately realized, and a wealth of evocative detail, travels back and forth between the familiar, modern world and a seventeenth-century Eastern Europe brought startlingly to life. Inspired by the actual crimes of Elizabeth Báthory, The House of Bathory is another thrilling historical fiction from Linda Lafferty (The Bloodletter’s Daughter and The Drowning Guard). The novel carries readers along with suspense and the sweep of historical events both repellent and fascinating.

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Elizabeth Báthory

Known as the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Báthory is one of history's most prolific serial killers. Formally charged for only eighty deaths, evidence, supposedly written in her own hand, suggests more than six hundred women fell victim to her sadistic obsession. 

The legend surrounding Elizabeth serves as the foundation of Linda Lafferty's House of Bathory, but much like Holly Luhning's Quiver, the book itself is a modern day mystery with supporting historic content.

To her credit, Lafferty spends a lot time in seventeenth century Hungary, exploring Elizabeth's world through Zuzana and Janos. This approach allowed Lafferty to examine the period in a way I'd not seen before, but I can't deny feeling cheated as it prevented her from really digging into the countess' character.

The modern story didn't really appeal to me. Betsy, Daisy, Grace, etc. didn't feel as authentic as the historical cast and the situational drama, particularly towards the end of the narrative, was simply too hard to swallow. I understood what Lafferty was getting at, synchronicity and all, but I don't particularly care for the theory and as such, found little to appreciate in the ultimate resolution.

Now I know what you're thinking. Sychcro what? I'd not heard of it either, but as it is so essential to the story, I took it upon myself to do a little research on Carl Jung, his psychological study of dream analysis and the concept of synchronicity. I won’t bore you with the details, but understand a fundamental comprehension of these subjects is vital to interpreting the underlying themes of the Lafferty's work. 

I can't stress this enough folks. Eight of twelve titles in the bibliography are entirely irrelevant to Báthory and in the acknowledgments section, Lafferty actually states "Carl Jung’s psychoanalytic methods and The Red Book were a springboard for this novel. Jung’s perspective on mental illness, psychology, and synchronicity helped me to look for interconnections among characters, past and present."

Highly creative, but not at all what I expected. 

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“Keep silence!” snapped Kovach, whirling around to face the cook. “If you value your life, you will forget what you see...”

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The Forbidden Queen by Anne O'Brien

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: December 30, 2013

1415. The Battle of Agincourt is over, and the young princess Katherine de Valois is the prize to be offered to Henry V of England. The innocent Katherine is smitten with Henry, but soon understands that her sole purpose is to produce an heir to unite England and France. When Henry leaves her a widow at the age of 21, Katherine is forced to resign herself to a quiet life as the Dowager Queen; her duty is to raise her son, the young King of England, and little more. But Katherine is still young and passionate. Many desire her, and her hand in marriage is worth a kingdom. Setting aside those driven by ambition, Katherine falls in love with her servant Owen Tudor, and glimpses the happiness that love can bring. But their enemies are circling, all battling for power and determined to prevent their marriage. Katherine will have to fight to control her own destiny... In this compelling and beautifully written book, Anne O’Brien tells the story of the innocent young princess, Katherine de Valois, a pawn in a ruthless political game between England and France, and the woman who founded the most famous royal dynasty of all – the Tudors.

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Henry V weds Catherine of Valois

Katherine de Valois is a tantalizingly enigmatic historic figure. The daughter of Charles VI and Isabeau of Bavaria, Katherine married Henry V in June 1420 and was crowned Queen of England the following year. She welcomed a son in December 1421 and became a widow in August 1422. Still young and marriageable, the queen dowager planned to wed Edmund Beaufort, but intervention by Parliament quashed all hope of a possible marriage. Forced to live in her son's household, Katherine found happiness in the arms of one of her staff, a Welshman by the name of Owen Tudor. The facts of their relationship are rather sketchy, but the union resulted in the birth of at least three children if not more. The eldest of these was Edmund Tudor, father of Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty.

Already fond of the story, I was eager to read Anne O'Brien's The Forbidden Queen, but my enthusiasm was unfortunately short-lived.  

The Queen's Room State room at Leeds Castle
Image by Richard Croft

For one, there is little atmospheric detail and no timetable by which the reader might make reference. Births, deaths, and various battles are occasionally mentioned, but the narrative is marked by the distinct absence of both physical and political ambiance. 

The lack of authenticity also bothered me. Take for example Katherine's life after she is ordered to reside in her son's household. Am I truly to believe that outside the question of marriage, the queen dowager was allowed to live virtually free of Parliament, that she could uproot the royal youngster on a whim or that the child king wouldn't be surrounded by subordinates acting in the interest of the Lord Protector? I'm sorry, but I don't see it. Not during the intense power struggles of the Middle Ages. 

O'Brien's attempt to explore Katherine as someone who suffered confidence issues showed promise, but the context made it difficult for me to see her as someone of independent strength. Her courage and spirit ebbs and flows exclusively on the romantic attentions of men, making her appear codependent rather than capable. 

A difficult read, the only bits I truly enjoyed were the scenes in which Katherine questions her sanity. The allusion created a nice bridge between her father, Charles VI, and her eldest son, Henry VI, both of whom suffered some form of mental instability. 

Historically speaking, it is an interesting piece, but I think O'Brien could have done a lot more with it.

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What an inheritance for a young girl to shoulder. Madness on one side, wanton lewdness on the other. The lurid rumours filled my young mind. Would I become like Charles and Isabeau? Would I inherit my parents’ natures, as I had inherited my mother’s fair hair?

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The Lost Duchess by Jenny Barden

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Author/Netgalley

Read: December 2, 2013

An epic Elizabethan adventure with a thriller pace and a high tension love story that moves from the palaces of England to the savage wilderness of the New World. Emme Fifield has fallen about as far as a gentlewoman can. Once a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, her only hope of surviving the scandal that threatens to engulf her is to escape England for a fresh start in the new America where nobody has ever heard of the Duchess of Somerset. Emme joins Kit Doonan's rag-tag band of idealists, desperados and misfits bound for Virginia. But such a voyage will be far from easy and Emme finds her attraction to the mysterious Doonan inconvenient to say the least. As for Kit, the handsome mariner has spent years imprisoned by the Spanish, and living as an outlaw with a band of escaped slaves; he has his own inner demons to confront, and his own dark secrets to keep... Ever since Sir Walter Raleigh's settlement in Virginia was abandoned in 1587 its fate has remained a mystery; 'The Lost Duchess' explores what might have happened to the ill-starred 'Lost Colony' of Roanoke.

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Baptism of Virginia Dare. Lithograph by William A. Crafts.

The Roanoke venture and the fate of the Lost Colony is an endlessly fascinating tale of courage, intrigue, and mystery in its own right, but Jenny Barden takes it one step farther, utilizing the 1587 attempt to settle the island as the backdrop of a sweeping sixteenth century romance. 

The Lost Duchess is a provocative and imaginative historical, but I was pleased to discover it is also exceedingly well-researched. Embellishing where possible, Barden is ever conscious of the history behind her work. From Raleigh's politically motivated interest in the New World to John White's desperate bid to bring relief to the ill-fated settlement, Barden took obvious care to ensure her narrative compliment the known timeline of events and as someone with a keen interest in the facts, I found her dedication to accuracy both admirable and appealing.

The originality of Barden's cast affected similar appreciation. Emme Fifield's adventurous spirit is countered by an intense vulnerability, the product of a shame she would do anything to hide. Emme, however, is not the only passenger packing secrets to the wilds of North America. Fiercely protective of his own colored history, Kit Doonan struggles to shoulder his responsibilities in the face of adversity and deny the pride that would jeopardize those closest to his heart. 

A wonderfully imagined story of adventure, conquest and rebellion, The Lost Duchess is a brilliantly evocative reimagining of one of Colonial America's most enigmatic and enduring mysteries. 

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"There will be no safe passage. You must die. All of you. We are the mighty nation of the Choanokes, the Secotans, the Weapemeocs and the Roanokes, and we will not rest until our land is cleansed of you and all invaders. For the misery you have brought us, for your lies and treachery, we give you death in return."

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