“She thought of time as like a ribbon unspooling; the present moment was the only inch of the stuff you could grasp as it cascaded past you, framed by the diamond buckle of now.” I shall confess to two things from the start of this review: a love of Martine Bailey’s previous books and a […]
The Almanack by Martine Bailey
The philosophy of time, destiny and the stars pervade this intricate historical mystery in which a young woman determines to avenge her mother’s death. 1752, Midsummer. Following a desperate summons from her mother, Tabitha Hart departs London for her home village of Netherlea – only to discover that her mother has drowned. Determined to discover […]
Weaving a story: Blackberry and Wild Rose
Sonia Velton talks about the pioneering woman whose designs inspired her recently-published novel set among the silk weavers of Spitalfields, Blackberry and Wild Rose.
Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson
June, 1781. An unidentified body hangs upon a hook at Deptford Dock – horribly tortured and branded with a slaver’s mark. Some days later, Captain Harry Corsham – a war hero embarking upon a promising parliamentary career – is visited by the sister of an old friend. Her brother, passionate abolitionist Tad Archer, had been […]
Historia giveaway: The Favourite
Historia giveaway January 2019: five copies of The Favourite
Review: The Favourite
If the release of a new period drama isn’t accompanied by a debate about its historical accuracy, is it even a period drama?
The bones of Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite are entirely factual – Queen Anne really did have a female ‘favourite’, Sarah Churchill, Lady Marlborough
Breaking Out of the Doll’s House
Catherine Hokin discovers the extraordinary women soldiers of the American Civil War. In 2010I found myself stranded in Chicago for a week following the volcanic eruption in Iceland. It was an odd experience, coming as it did at the end of a holiday: we were mentally adjusting to returning to everyday life (and physically adjusting – […]
Cherokee Chieftains at the British Court
In June 1730, seven Cherokee Chieftains landed at Dover, aboard an English Man-o-war. They had come to meet the King. Hunter S. Jones tells us why. The Native American Tribes have historically made a global impact due to their nobility of spirit. Few have remained in the modern consciousness like the Cherokee Nation. This may be […]