Review | Children’s Fate | Carolyn Hughes
We’re delighted to be sharing Laura’s thoughts about Children’s Fate by Carolyn Hughes on the Rachel’s Random Resources tour today.
- How can a mother just stand by when her daughter is being cozened into sin? It’s 1360, eleven years since the Black Death devastated all of England, and six years since Emma Ward fled Meonbridge with her children, to find a more prosperous life in Winchester. Long satisfied that she’d made the right decision, Emma is now terrified that she was wrong. For she’s convinced her daughter Bea is in grave danger, being exploited by her scheming and immoral mistress. Bea herself is confused: fearful and ashamed of her sudden descent into sin, but also thrilled by her wealthy and attentive client. When Emma resolves to rescue Bea from ruin and tricks her into returning to Meonbridge, Bea doesn’t at first suspect her mother’s motives. She is happy to renew her former friendships but, yearning for her rich lover, Bea soon absconds back to the city. Yet, only months later, plague is stalking Winchester again and, in terror, Bea flees once more to Meonbridge. But, this time, she finds herself unwelcome, and fear, hostility and hatred threaten…
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The fourth book in the Meonbridge Chronicles and set in 1360, eleven years after the Black Death.
Emma Ward and her surviving children Bea, Ami and Bart left Meonbridge for Winchester six years preciously and since then Emma has managed to procure a job as a weaver.
Unfortunately Emma discovered her sixteen-year-old daughter had been exploited in a sinful life of prostitution, whilst working as an apprentice for an embroidery mistress. Bea enjoyed the young clients and the gifts they bestowed upon her.
Emma was reluctant to leave her career however desperate to save her daughters reputation and took her family back to Meonbridge. Bored and tired of working the fields, Bea flees back to her life in Winchester but discovers hardship and ruin. On returning back to Meonbridge the plague has returned and the villagers blame her sinful life choices.
I enjoyed the historical detail of the plague.
The character of Bea seemed very convincing in comparison for young girls in any generation, quick to boredom and new fascination of men, which her mother found hard to deal with.
Children’s Fate is an historical fiction set at a time of horrific destruction of life. A good read.
CAROLYN HUGHES was born in London, but has lived most of her life in Hampshire. After completing a degree in Classics and English, she started her working life as a computer programmer, in those days a very new profession. But it was when she discovered technical authoring that she knew she had found her vocation. She spent the next few decades writing and editing all sorts of material, some fascinating, some dull, for a wide variety of clients, including an international hotel group, medical instrument manufacturers and the government.
She has written creatively for most of her adult life, but it was not until her children grew up and flew the nest several years ago that writing historical fiction took centre stage in her life. She has a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Portsmouth University and a PhD from the University of Southampton.
Children’s Fate is the fourth novel in the MEONBRIDGE CHRONICLES series. A fifth novel is under way.
You can connect with Carolyn through her website www.carolynhughesauthor.com and via Facebook: CarolynHughesAuthor; Twitter: @writingcalliope Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2hs2rrX
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2 Comments
Carolyn
Thank you so much for joining the book tour for Children’s Fate and sharing Laura’s review. It’s really great to have your support in helping to give the book a boost.
Shaz Goodwin
We hope you’re enjoying your tour Carolyn. Wishing you lots of success. Shaz